Barry Manilow returns to Broadway after health battle

The legendary crooner was forced to scrap the official opening night of Manilow on Broadway last Thursday (24Jan13), as well as two preview performances, after falling ill with bronchitis and influenza.

The star apologized to fans in a lengthy Facebook.com post, explaining he had been left bedbound by the illnesses.

However, he returned to the spotlight on Tuesday and battled his way through his set at the St. James Theater in New York, singing a string of well-known tunes including Copacabana (At The Copa) and Can't Smile Without You.

After the performance, Manilow was thrilled with the early response from fans and critics, writing on Facebook.com, "Thanks for a great night and great reviews. The fan reviews and the newspaper reviews have started coming in and they are FANTASTIC! Everything we hoped for is coming true. So thanks everybody, and good night. Now it's time to get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow night. Hope to see you there!"

Manilow will play a residency at the venue until 09 February (13).

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