Barry Manilow

Eight years ago, Barry Manilow was shocked to hear that a friend's daughter was futilely searching for a saxophone. The student wanted to try something new, but her school didn't have the instrument. Manilow, the veteran singer and composer with more than 80 million records sold worldwide, was dumbfounded. But after surveying the country's school-funding issues as a whole, Manilow soon realized his friend's daughter shared the same problem with kids across the country. The issue resonated with him. "I went to a dump of a high school in Brooklyn, [N.Y.]

Eight years ago, Barry Manilow was shocked to hear that a friend's daughter was futilely searching for a saxophone. The student wanted to try something new, but her school didn't have the instrument. Manilow, the veteran singer and composer with more than 80 million records sold worldwide, was dumbfounded. But after surveying the country's school-funding issues as a whole, Manilow soon realized his friend's daughter shared the same problem with kids across the country. The issue resonated with him. "I went to a dump of a high school in Brooklyn, [N.Y.]

Follow your heart is the moral that runs throughout "Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina," a full-length animated feature about the 2-inch-high fairy tale heroine.And follow his heart is indeed what Barry Manilow finally got to do when "Thumbelina's" producer-director Don Bluth ("An American Tale," "The Land Before Time") approached the recording star to compose songs and the underscore for his latest cartoon feature."I started off wanting to be a composer," explained Mr. Manilow, who has sold more than 50 million recordings worldwide.

I like music. But I tend to like the music I have picked out and purchased. What's more, I only like to listen to certain music at certain times. For example, I'll put on a particular group of artists when I'm feeling introspective, an entirely different group when I'm angry, another when I'm ecstatic and yet another when I'm nostalgic. As a result, all sorts of weird memories have attached themselves to songs in the repertoire of my life. To this day, I can't listen to Barry Manilow's "Mandy" without wanting to sit down and write a weepy, yearning love letter.

The performance schedule for "Copacabana," the musical created by Barry Manilow, has been changed. It's now set to play at the Lyric Opera House tonight through Sunday, with a matinee Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for yesterday's performance will be accepted tonight. Tickets are $15-$55. Call 410-481-7328.

Rock on, boomers. Barry Manilow -- yes, Barry "Copacabana" Manilow -- has the No. 1 album in the country this week. Manilow's album -- not any digital single -- outsold the likes of Mary J. Blige, James Blunt and Eminem's greatest hits. Manilow is, of course, old enough to be their crooning grandfather. Who's the next veteran act to enter the charts -- Neil Diamond? Wait, the 65-year-old Diamond had an acclaimed album out last year. "Baby boomers are accounting for a lot of hits on the album charts," says Nathan Brackett, senior editor at Rolling Stone.

TELEVISION 1.American Idol - Wednesday, Fox 2.American Idol - Tuesday, Fox 3.Grey's Anatomy, ABC 4.Desperate Housewives, ABC 5.Winter Olympics - Monday, NBC FILMS 1.Madea's Family Reunion, Lions Gate 2.Eight Below, Disney 3.The Pink Panther, Sony 4.Date Movie, 20th Century Fox 5.Curious George, Universal SINGLES 1.Check on It, Beyonce (featuring Slim Thug) 2.You're Beautiful, James Blunt 3.Grillz, Nelly (featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gipp) 4.Temperature, Sean Paul 5.Be Without You, Mary J. Blige ALBUMS 1.Ghetto Classics, Jaheim 2.Soundtrack: Curious George, Jack Johnson 3.The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, Barry Manilow 4.The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige 5.Amore, Andrea Bocelli DVDS (SALES)

Just announced Night of 100 ELVISes -- Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. 410-494-9558 or 888-494-9558. Barry Manilow -- Verizon Center in Washington on Feb. 9. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Carbon Leaf -- 9:30 Club in Washington on Dec. 13. Also, Chuck Brown is there Dec. 31. 800-955-5566 or tickets.com. Cake -- DAR Constitution Hall in Washington on Dec. 10. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Crack the Sky -- Recher Theatre in Towson on Dec. 29. 410-337-7210, 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster .com.

Just announced Aretha Franklin -- Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on March 20. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Chris Rock -- Lyric Opera House on Feb. 9. Also, Wayne Newton is there Feb. 11, and Jill Scott is there Feb. 26. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Dolly Parton -- George Mason University's Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., on March 11. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. The Silver Beats -- The 9:30 Club in Washington on Jan. 11. 800-955-5566 or tickets.com. The Radiators -- Recher Theatre in Towson on Feb. 27. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.

There's a thin line between a catchy song and grating one, and Barry Manilow's songs have a way of crossing it. At least that's the case for this critic and Manilow's 1978 hit, "Copacabana." So the prospect of a full-length musical based on the single was a bit unnerving. The good news is that the show itself - immodestly titled "Barry Manilow's Copacabana" - isn't especially grating. Indeed, it's rather sweet. The bad news is twofold: First, ever since seeing the musical at the Lyric Opera House, the song has been reverberating in my brain like a stuck needle on an old record player.

Just announced Aretha Franklin -- Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on March 20. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Chris Rock -- Lyric Opera House on Feb. 9. Also, Wayne Newton is there Feb. 11, and Jill Scott is there Feb. 26. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Dolly Parton -- George Mason University's Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., on March 11. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. The Silver Beats -- The 9:30 Club in Washington on Jan. 11. 800-955-5566 or tickets.com. The Radiators -- Recher Theatre in Towson on Feb. 27. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.

Just announced Night of 100 ELVISes -- Lithuanian Hall in Baltimore on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. 410-494-9558 or 888-494-9558. Barry Manilow -- Verizon Center in Washington on Feb. 9. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Carbon Leaf -- 9:30 Club in Washington on Dec. 13. Also, Chuck Brown is there Dec. 31. 800-955-5566 or tickets.com. Cake -- DAR Constitution Hall in Washington on Dec. 10. 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster.com. Crack the Sky -- Recher Theatre in Towson on Dec. 29. 410-337-7210, 410-547-7328 or ticketmaster .com.

TELEVISION 1.CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CBS 2.Dancing with the Stars, Monday, ABC 3.Grey's Anatomy, ABC 4. Desperate Housewives, ABC 5.Dancing with the Stars, Tuesday, ABC FILMS 1.The Game Plan, Disney 2.The Kingdom, Universal 3.Resident Evil: Extinction, Screen Gems 4.Good Luck Chuck, Lionsgate 5.3:10 to Yuma, Lionsgate SINGLES 1.Crank That (Soulja Boy), Soulja Boy Tell 'Em 2.Stronger, Kanye West 3.The Way I Are, Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson 4.Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)

It's a complete dream come true. It's like flying first class on the Concorde." That's smooth-jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, talking about his latest album, At the Movies. A lush, star-studded affair, the CD "combines music and the movies, two things I love the most," he says. His enthusiasm for the indelible lyrics and melodies of iconic tunes such as "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz and "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca shines through every note Koz blows. It's a grand, stylish album the artist has wanted to record for years.

I guess we all have our musical guilty pleasures. My friends have ragged me about some of my choices. My homegirl Kayce: "The Carpenters? Rashod, no! Your black card is so revoked." My homeboy Curtis: "Air Supply, Toto - you actually bought these CDs?" But they don't know about my Barry Manilow jones. Sometimes when I'm at home feeling a little silly (a glass of wine or two usually brings this on), I scan the bottom shelf for his greatest hits. I jam to "Copacabana (At the Copa)," snapping my fingers and doing my two-step move across the floor.

Rock on, boomers. Barry Manilow -- yes, Barry "Copacabana" Manilow -- has the No. 1 album in the country this week. Manilow's album -- not any digital single -- outsold the likes of Mary J. Blige, James Blunt and Eminem's greatest hits. Manilow is, of course, old enough to be their crooning grandfather. Who's the next veteran act to enter the charts -- Neil Diamond? Wait, the 65-year-old Diamond had an acclaimed album out last year. "Baby boomers are accounting for a lot of hits on the album charts," says Nathan Brackett, senior editor at Rolling Stone.

Arrest psychotics, Penn and Teller sayComic magicians Penn and Teller have a message for U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno: Fictional violence is not the real thing.Their new advertisement on the Comedy Central cable network offers an open letter to Ms. Reno, in response to her warning that if television does not reduce crime and mayhem on the air, the federal government will.In the 30-second spot, Penn Jillette (the one who talks) sits in a van that narrowly misses hitting Teller, while he dips his hand into a bucket of fake blood.

Twenty years ago, if it wasn't Prince or Michael Jackson, then it was Lionel Richie all over pop radio. And MTV. And the Grammys. And the American Music Awards. The former Commodore was even in Pepsi commercials -- spinnin' and singin', his hair glistening with curl activator. Richie's image (clean and yuppie-friendly) and his music (melodic and decidedly soul-lite) were fixtures in the '80s. One critic called the Alabama native the "black Barry Manilow" (or you could flip that and say Barry Manilow was the white Lionel Richie)