Copacabana - Costume Rentals

Barry Manilow

COPACABANA Set in 1940s New York at the world famous Copacabana nightclub, this multi-sensual musical extravaganza transports us back to an era when 'music and passion were always in fashion'. Email enquiry The story unfolds through the imagination of an aspiring present day songwriter. While creating the worlds next big hit, he conjures up the heart-warming tale of hopeful showgirl Lola Lamar as she is launched into the path of stardom as a Copa girl, with the help of Tony Starr, a bartender with dreams of his own. However, the course of true love runs far from smooth, since the villainous Rico has other plans for her, whisking Lola away to be the star of his Tropicana club in Cuba. Sassy New York is replaced by sultry Havana, as love and romance

Copacabana

become embroiled in jealousy and murder. The action comes alive amidst vibrant costumes, spectacular sets, and sensational choreography. With glitz and glamour aplenty, the show-stopping numbers and thrilling musical score make for an unforgettable evening of good old-fashioned feel-good entertainment. Critics say Manilow's musical is flamboyant fun and gorgeous silliness, just plain fun and a good night out. Described as a loving colorful tribute to the Technicolor movies of Hollywood's early days, the show is filled with beautiful costumes, beautiful people and beautiful voices. The dialog is often clever and funny, but song and dance numbers dominate the action. The story line is typical boy meets girl -- boy and girl fall in love. But the tale then takes a twist when the girl is kidnapped by a crazy Cuban nightclub owner. While creating the world's next big hit, Stephen, an aspiring songwriter, is carried back to an era when "music and passion were always the fashion" at the world famous Copacabana nightclub in New York City. In his dream, Lola Lamar, a hopeful showgirl, is launched on the path to stardom as a Copa Girl with the help of Tony Starr, a bartender with dreams of his own.

lola

Captivated by Lola's performance, the villainous Rico whisks her away to the Tropicana nightclub in Havana. From this exotic, distant new world, a tale of old-fashioned love, jealousy, and murder in the entangled lives of Lola, Tony and Rico unfolds amidst dazzling costumes, sets and choreography. Glorious technicolor is almost an understatement for this dazzling production of Barry Manilow's musical. There are more feathers on stage than a turkey farm at Christmas and if it moves, it sparkles. Like the old MGM films it parodies, it is sheer escapism but the comedy is antidote for the sentiment it oozes from every pore. The choreography is exuberant and fast-moving, as performed by the brilliantly plumaged troupe. Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre - Pat Ashworth, The Stage 'a gloriously soppy love story just like the Technicolor 1950s MGM musicals which Manilow openly wanted to endorse, the energetic dance routines and constant stream of hits keeps everything on the boil. The packed Empire audience threw their enthusiasm into proceedings, even booing and hissing whenever dastardly villain Castelli came on stage. With more feathers than a herd of ostriches, more colour than Jackson Pollock let loose in a paint shop and more sugar than a candy-shop this is certainly a feel-good musical. I stood up to be counted during the lengthy standing ovation. I had to - because every single member of the audience was on their feet' Liverpool, Empire Theatre - Jenny Watson, Liverpool Echo FEATHERS AND FRILLS GALORE. EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES. More camp numbers than Matthew Bourne could ever dream of' Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre - Michael Edmonds, Birmingham Post GLAMOUR, GLITTER AND FEATHERS GALORE. YOU WILL LOVE COPACABANA. COPACABANA IS A GLITZY, LIVELY PRODUCTION AND A REAL CROWD PLEASER, WITH REALLY GREAT SONGS WHICH YOU WILL BE SINGING ALL THE WAY HOME' Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre - Rebecca Shipley, icBirmingham ANTHONY WILLIAMS DESERVES CREDIT ALONG WITH THE WHOLE, COLOURFUL CAST OF COPACABANA WHO WERE EXCELLENT. THE AUDIENCE LOVED THE RAZZLE AND THE DAZZLE AND THE FEATHERED COSTUMES' Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre - Steve Onions, Theatreworld Internet Magazine THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT MUSICALS WITH SPECTACULAR SONG AND DANCE AND SOME GREAT CHARACTER PARTS. This is a big production - a visually impressive picture - and judging by the audience applause they certainly enjoyed the show. THE COPA BOYS AND GIRLS FILLED THE STAGE WITH THEIR GLAMOUROUS, STYLISH AND VERY PROFESSIONALLY DELIVERED DANCE ROUTINES' Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre - Clive Fuller, Encore Magazine Set in 1940s New York at the world famous Copacabana nightclub, this multi-sensual musical extravaganza transports us back to an era when 'music and passion were always in fashion'. The story unfolds through the imagination of an aspiring present day songwriter. While creating the worlds next big hit, he conjures up the heart-warming tale of hopeful showgirl Lola Lamar as she is launched into the path of stardom as a Copa girl, with the help of Tony Starr, a bartender with dreams of his own. However, the course of true love runs far from smooth, since the villainous Rico has other plans for her, whisking Lola away to be the star of his Tropicana club in Cuba. Sassy New York is replaced by sultry Havana, as love and romance become embroiled in jealousy and murder. The action comes alive amidst vibrant costumes, spectacular sets, and sensational choreography. With glitz and glamour aplenty, the show-stopping numbers and thrilling musical score make for an unforgettable evening of good old-fashioned feel-good entertainment. Copacabana, Female Copacabana, Male Rumba Party Female Rumba Party Male South of the Border Female Costume Male Costume Fiesta Costumes Her Name Was Lola Barry Manilow's Copacabana, is based on Manilow's hit song "Copacabana." The show's plot involves a songwriter working on a composition about the Copacabana. He dreams up Lola, a girl who wants to be a star. In addition to the bright lights, big city of New York, Lola's exploits take her to Havana, where she encounters lusty pirates and "pirattes." Costume designer says he watched many 1940s movie musicals to "get the feel of the Technicolor world and reflect it through our modern times." He adds that the Copa city scene costumes have sophisticated city colorations, while Havana scenes feature "frighteningly garish" costumes. Copacabana also features several show numbers--"Sweet Heaven," where girls parade in lit-up constellation costumes, and "El Bravo," featuring those lusty pirates. Barry Manilow's sensational musical, COPACABANA! "Her name was Lola . . ." the unforgettable opening line of Manilow's 1978 Grammy Award winning song inspired this exciting and passionate musical, after having been developed as an Emmy Award winning movie in 1985, and glitzy Vegas-style show in Atlantic City. British producers convinced Manilow and his team to create a full-length musical production, which eventually enjoyed a 4-month, pre-London tour, and an 18-month sold out engagement in London's West End, followed by a two-year tour through the United Kingdom. Copacabana The Copacabana tale is set in the heart of the swinging nightclub scene of the 1940s. While creating the world's next big hit, Stephen, an aspiring songwriter, is carried back to an era when "music and passion were always the fashion" at the world famous Copacabana nightclub in New York City. In his dream, Lola Lamar, a hopeful showgirl, is launched on the path to stardom as a Copa Girl with the help of Tony Starr, a bartender with dreams of his own. Captivated by Lola's performaeet Heaven," and "Welcome to Havana." Surely you must know the story of what happened between Tony, Rico and a showgirl named Lola at the Copacabana? Rico went too far, Tony sailed across the bar, someone got shot, and when it was all over, Lola had lost her youth, her mind and Tony. It had all happened "30 years ago" when Barry Manilow first sang the lyrics to his million-selling single "Copacabana (At The Copa)" back in 1978. So do the math, subtract those 30 years, and get ready a bevy of extravagantly clad showgirls and vintage post-war fashions when Manoa Valley Theatre produces Manilow's big stage musical version of his song. "Copacabana" is more than a recycling of the dark and cryptic story Manilow first sung in 1978. He wrote an additional 18 songs for the musical, and collaborated with lyricists Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman in fleshing out the story. The main character of Stephen is a young songwriter stuck in a stagnant relationship and struggling to write America's next smash hit. He's tuned out his girlfriend in order to work on the song when he recalls the days when "music and passion were always the fashion." Stephen then visualizes himself as the romantic lead in a love triangle involving a handsome young nightclub bartender, a showgirl named Lola, and a suave but very dangerous Cuban nightclub owner named Rico. As Stephen continues to imagine their adventures, he falls in love with his perfect woman and finds himself becoming involved in the story. The Manoa Valley Theatre cast stars Elitei Tatafu as Tony/Stephen, Zenia Zambrano as Lola and Gene DeFrancis as Rico. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- post-war American and Cuban fashions, been doing the costume design work at You see the actors in rehearsal in their street clothes and their tennis shoes, and then they put on their costume and totally become their character." expect to be a theatrical costume designer, let alone experience as a wardrobe intern for a degree in textiles and apparel management Copacabana features a Latin-themed score including Copacabana, Ay Caramba!, Lola, Who Needs to Dream? and Sweet Heaven, against a back-drop of dazzling costumes, spectacular sets and sensational choreography, as it tells its glamorous tale of old-fashioned love, jealousy, and murder in the entangled lives of Lola, Tony and Rico. The music is by Barry Manilow, lyrics by Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman, and a book the result of the collaborative effort of all three. Copacabana has

musical

staging and

choreography

by Wayne Cilento, direction by David Warren and is designed by Derek McLane, with lighting by Donald Holder,

costumes

by David C. Woolard, and the musical supervision of Andy Rumble. "There was blood and a single gunshot, but just who shot who?"