PROVIDENCE — Barry Manilow’s show at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center was dubbed “Ultimate Manilow: The Hits … and Then Some,” and sure enough, the 65-year-old singer and songwriter started off with some “then-some” — the relatively obscure “I’m Coming Back,” with a heavy funk groove, almost like a remix.

After that, it was hit time, with “It’s a Miracle” (with a heavier groove than the record, similar to disco or even house) leading into a fairly straightforward “Daybreak” and an abbreviated “This One’s For You.”

That tension between the hits and the lesser-known stuff carried through the 90-minute show, and it led to some unfortunate medley choices in the early going, where snippets of hits popped up just long enough to register but not to make an impact.

“The Old Songs” and “Ready to Take a Chance Again” (which saw Manilow wade into the audience to pull a fan onto the stage) were jammed together, leading into an affecting, full-length “Weekend in New England,” with Manilow at the piano and a relatively restrained arrangement.

You knew Manilow had to tip his hat to the decade-retrospective albums that unexpectedly brought him a second life on the pop charts, but, notably, he started that section of the show with a salute to the ’40s, with “Sing Sing Sing,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and more.

From there, he ran through the decades touched by the records, with “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” standing in for the ’50s, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” and “What the World Needs Now Is Love” the ’60s, and his own “Looks Like We Made It” (with, ironically, a smooth ’80s pop sheen rather than the recorded version’s neo-classicism) and “Islands In the Stream” for the ’80s. It was quick and, while skilled, didn’t leave much of a mark. The whole show felt rushed at this point.

But then, the show settled down and worked through some of Manilow’s back catalog, including “Brooklyn Blues,” from his 1987 stylistic departure, the Swing Street album (last night with a trombone solo from opening act Brian Culbertson). Even “New York City Rhythm,” an album track from 1975, made the cut, although the faux-disco tune really needed Manilow’s salsa-inspired piano solo.

Throughout, the relentlessly, sometimes exhaustingly, upbeat and wisecracking Manilow persona took over (“I used to play places with pretty names,” he said of The Dunk. “… any day now I’m going to be playing the Preparation H Arena. Speaking of Preparation H, I think I’ll sing.”)

And it must be said that if there was a vocal equivalent of being on steroids, Congress would be calling Manilow for an explanation: He’s got more power and as much range as 30 years ago, as his versions of “Mandy” and “Could It Be Magic” in tandem with a 1975 video proved. And a stripped-down, piano-only (and not even that on the last chorus) version of “Somewhere Down the Road” was a highlight of the second half.

Opener Culbertson was that rare bird who actually admits to being a smooth jazz artist, though the keyboardist-trombonist could get away with denying it. His brief opening set of mostly instrumental tunes owed more to the gentler side of, say, Earth, Wind and Fire.

rmassimo@projo.com