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From: bdot@hogpd.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Re: Barry Manilow Opens American Tour - Review
Message-ID: <80@hogpd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Jun-83 10:24:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: hogpd.80
Posted: Fri Jun 24 10:24:42 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jun-83 08:45:33 EDT
Lines: 17

When I was the usher/ticket taker supervisor at the Garden State Arts Center
in Holmdel, NJ a few years back, Manilow pulled a stunt I never forgave him
for. The theater was sold out (~13000 tickets) weeks in advance and on the night
of the first show, he brought a group of 15 friends with him and insisted that
we seat them in particular seats HE had picked out for them. Well, his contract
didn't call for such a thing so we resisted. He refused to start the show until
we agreed to seat his friends. Try to explain this to the fans who happen to be
sitting in the seats he wanted to use. That didn't work and I admit I really
didn't blame the people for refusing to give up the seats they rightfully
paid for. We ended up setting up wooden chairs in the aisles for his friends and
the show got started an hour late. He also insisted that OUR stagehands wear
black T-shirts to distinguish them from HIS people who he never talked to 
anyway. He put on a good show but alienated every employee of the theater and
the people he asked us to move. I never liked him after that.

                           A former fan,
                               John Barrett