SAD SONG

Music Icon, 83, Sees Comeback Unravel After Bizarre Exit

Barry Manilow’s return to Sin City was cut short by an unexpected illness.

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Barry Manilow’s much-anticipated Las Vegas comeback hit a snag this weekend when he walked offstage after just two songs at the International Theater at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Manilow headed for the exit Friday, even as his band kept playing, before an announcement finally told the audience the show was over. The “Mandy” crooner’s Saturday-night performance was subsequently canceled. His rep said in a statement: “After a triumphant welcome-back concert on Thursday, Barry got hit with bronchitis, and had to cancel his Friday and Saturday shows.” The 83-year-old singer announced last December that he had been diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer and underwent surgery and voice rehabilitation. Manilow’s Thursday concert at the casino was his first performance there since late August. He noted on social media at the time that he was taking a “quick break” from touring. “We just finished a fantastic summer tour,” he wrote. “Twenty-nine shows in 68 days. The shows were fantastic. The audiences were fantastic. And I sounded fantastic. But it seems that we were pushing a little too hard.”