 COPACABANA
Music by Barry Manilow; Lyrics by Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman; Book
by Barry Manilow, Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman
Opened at the Palace Theatre Manchester, 5 May 1994
Transferred to Prince of Wales Theatre, London - 23 June, 1994
Story
The show opens in with a dreamlike sequence set in an elegant
but other-wordly nightclub circa 1940.
Act I
Stephen is a songwriter suffering writer's block. He also acts as narrator
but also becomes part of his imaginary settings and as a character in
his forthcoming musical, that of leading man Tony.
Stephen's wife, Samantha, reminds him that their parents are coming for
dinner which momentarily takes Stephen away from his imaginary world.
He turns to his drum machine as he begins to visualise the way his musical
is going to take shape. It will be about a showgirl performing at the
famous Copacabana in 1947. We are whisked to Grand Central Station where
his heroine is about to arrive. Her name is Lola and she hails from Tulsa,
Oklahoma. She is not alone, there are other would-be showgirls from St.
Paul, or Fargo or Billing. Together they march down glittering, glorious
Broadway.
Back to the 1990s and Stephen's musical is beginning to take shape. His
leading man will be called Tony - a songwriter by day and at night he
works in the famous Copacabana nightclub.
Stephen becomes Tony and then, it's showtime. Tony and the Copa boys
lead the entertainment before introducing the fabulous Copa girls.
After the show, Tony commiserates with Gladys, a worldly-wise cigarette
girl, about the less glamorous side of showbusiness. Lola enters looking
for a job and Tony is immediately head-over-heels in love. He and Gladys
persuade Sam Silver, the Copa's hard-headed owner, to give Lola the chance
to audition for the show the following afternoon.
Tony is desperate to have his songs published and auditions them for
music publishers while Lola does the rounds of theatre producers. They
both arrive at the Copa tired and exhausted, Lola fully expecting to fail
this audition also. People who audition for the Copa are expected to arrive
with their own pianist but Tony comes to the rescue and together with
Gladys transform Lola - and her song - into star material.
Lola gets the job at the Copa and she and Tony obviously hit it off.
Tony hadn't reckoned, however, with the arrival of Rico, the local
Godfather, and his goons. He immediately takes a shine to Lola and
invites her to his table for champagne. He tells her off his own magnificent
nightclub, the Tropicana in Havana - the world's largest outdoor nightclub.
Persuasion by word doesn't get Lola to come to Rico's nightclub but
a drugged drink means he can kidnap her and transport her to Havana
on his ocean clipper and thence to his opulent lair in Cuba.
Act II
Realisation dawns that Lola has been kidnapped. Tony vows to rescue her
with the aid of Willy, one of the Copa's waiters. Sam Silver also offers
to help but vacillates between his desire to help and his fear of Rico's
machine-guns.
Meanwhile, in Havana, Lola is coming round from her drug induced sleep.
Conchita, Rico's moll and the one ousted from favour by Lola, puts Lola
firmly in the picture and a plan to help Lola escape begins to take shape.
Conchita returns to the Tropicana to rehearse her number for
the show that evening and Rico decides that they should revive one
of Conchita's past hits, only this time to star Lola. Conchita is furious
and despite her protestations Rico is firm in his decision. More than
ever Conchita decides that Lola must escape. Sam and Tony have by this
time arrived in disguise and seek Conchita's help.
During the big Tropicana production number, Lola's escape is engineered
and she and Tony finally melt into each other's arms.
Thus, the fantasy is over and Tony becomes once again, Stephen. Stephen
is dejected now that his fantasy has been completed and it is then that
he realises that his fictitious Lola is none other than his wife, Samantha.
All ends happily. |
