Barry Manilow poked fun at his recent hip surgery on his return to the stage on Saturday night (14OCT06) by appearing before fans in New Jersey in a wheelchair, backed by dancers dressed as nurses. Just six weeks after surgery to repair cartilage tears in his hips, the singer hit Atlantic City, admitting he was glad to back onstage - but a little sore. Manilow told 18,000 fans, "I'm six weeks post-op and I'm standing up. It's truly a miracle." But, despite the smiles, Manilow was fighting the pain and needed a 20-minute ice bath during the show's interval to help him make it through the concert. He says, "I'm about 80 to 85 per cent back." But he's glad he isn't recuperating at his Palm Springs, California home anymore because it was far from ideal. He explains, "I have to repaint the whole house because I bumped into every wall... I backed up over the dog twice."