Barry Manilow returned to Cincinnati Thursday night, packing the Aronoff Center for the first of a three-night stay, performing some of his best new material in years.

        Mr. Manilow's concerts in recent years have been successful but predictable. Figure 90 percent old stuff and a few token pieces from the newest project, whether it be '70s remakes, Sinatra covers or Broadway standards. And, of course, bet the house on plenty of self-deprecating humor and double-entendres to make his middle-aged female fans squeal.

        A terrific entertainer with a wildly devoted fan base, Mr. Manilow made the shows work despite the lack of surprise. This year, however, he spent nearly half the evening spotlighting his latest release, Here at the Mayflower.

        The Mayflower is named after an apartment complex, and each song on the CD tells a tale of a different resident. The songs were prefaced with brief backgrounds and often presented in a one-man-show theatrical style. The result was refreshing, with great storytelling and a variety that ranged from the be-bop “Freddie Said” and straight-forward “They Dance!” to the crooned “Now What You See”.

        Mr. Manilow, of course, knows his audience. His fans are comfortable with the routine and love those sweeping ballads which have maintained his popularity nearly 30 years. Much of the remainder of the two-set, two-hour show was filled with hits or snippets of those hits and plenty of banter.

        The best of the old stuff was the back-to-back heartbreakers “Even Now” and “Mandy”. The most disappointing was the far-too-abbreviated “Could It Be Magic?”.

        And the aforementioned banter between Mr. Manilow and his female fans certainly remains as discomfortingly humorous as ever.Watching Mr. Manilow grind and swivel through the chorus of “Looks Like We Made It” Thursday, one was instinctively moved to avert the eyes to avoid the risk of seeing the adult contemporarymusic king's hip thrusts.

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