Starring Barry Manilow, Annette O'Toole, Joseph Bologna, and Estelle Getty
Directed by Waris Hussein
Music and Lyrics by Barry Manilow
Tonight's venture into 1940's nostalgia has a few things in common with Queen of the Stardust Ballroom. Queen and Copacabana were TV movies that were big hits on CBS at a time when nostalgia for the mid-20th century was at an all-time high. They both won Emmys, despite musicals being passe on the big and small screens. They were also love stories with sudden tragic endings, although at least the end of this one was obvious from the beginning if you watched the opening and know the song it's based on. In most other ways, this one is a much different beast, with a familiar star and a slightly larger budget. How different is it from Queen and its intimate ballroom? Let's begin at the disco club Copacabana with the tattered, tragic Lola LaMarr (O'Toole) before flashing back to when she met her beloved Tony (Manilow) in 1948 and find out...
The Story: Lola and Tony meet when they both compete on a popular radio game show to win a spot at the famous Copacabana night club in New York. Tony wins, but it turns out to be a bartender job. He's still happy to have his foot at the door, even if his mother Bella (Getty) wants better for him. Tony finally finds Lola working in a dime-a-dance joint. He manages to get her a job as a Copa Girl when he reworks her dark ballad as a show-stopping dance routine. Owner Sam Silver (Ernie Sabella) eventually gives Tony a better job playing blues ballads on the piano too when the pianist is fired.
Tony and Lola have fallen head-over-heels for each other when she catches the eye of Rico Castelli (Bologna), a gangster based out of Havana, Cuba. He convinces Lola she'll become a big star in his Tropicana nightclub, even getting his current mistress Conchita (Silvana Gallardo) to prepare her for their opening act. Tony gets his own major act at the Copa with the help of the wealthy, amorous Pamela Deveraux (Andra Akers). Pamela eventually gets Tony to Havana to rescue Lola and Conchita when he finds out what Tony does to his lovers. Even when Tony gets the ladies out, Rico still follows them back to the Copa...and tragedy comes along with him, leaving Lola heartbroken for 30 years.
The Song and Dance: Manilow and O'Toole make a charming couple in this mostly delightful salute to vintage musicals. O'Toole in particular is a revelation, hilarious when pushing her dark ballad "Man Wanted," adorable and sweet with Manilow in the lovely "Who Needs to Dream?"Manilow surprisingly isn't bad either. Bologna makes a great nasty gangster too, and Getty has some nice moments as Tony's nagging mama. There's a nice production for a TV movie from this era too, with gorgeous gowns for the Copa Girls and the Havana dancers, lavish tuxes for Manilow and Bologna, and a nice recreation of late 40's New York and Havana in a Los Angels backlot. Director Hussein won an Emmy for his seamless melding of song and dance; "Who Needs to Dream?" is especially good here.
The Numbers: We open with the last part of the title song in that 1978 disco as we see what became of Lola before flashing back to 30 years before. After the radio show, our first full number is actually three. Tony is "Changing My Tune," and changing the style of the song every time a publisher complains it isn't "now" or "tomorrow" enough. "Let's Go Steppin'" is the first chorus number for the Copa Girls, giving us the lavish, glamorous world of the nightclub Tony and Lola both badly want to work at. Lola originally performs "Man Wanted" as a dark ballad sung on top of a piano. Tony reworks it into a brassy showstopper that gets her the Copa Girl job.
Tony starts "Lola" as a number on his piano, but he can't finish it until he encounters the real Lola at the dance hall. They dance together as Tony explains that his "big job" at the Copa wasn't so big after all. Walking home, he starts "Lola" on the accordion, which then segways into "Who Needs to Dream?" They're so delightful as they dance and play, everyone in the apartment buildings surrounding them ends up giving them deserved applause.
"Aye Carrumba" is the second Copa chorus number and Lola's first. The Copa Girls go tropical in frilly dresses and huge Carmen Miranda hats as Lola leads the dance corps. "Call Me Mr. Lucky" is Tony's first song on the piano after he switches to playing. It becomes "Big City Blues" when Lola leaves for Havana. He gets another promotion to lead singer for "Sweet Heaven." This one has him with the Copa Girls, circling him in white and silver. "El Bravo!" is the big chorus number at the Tropicana in Havana. Lola is the damsel in distress in this swashbuckling spoof; Tony is the title hero in the second version. The movie ends with the start of the title song, as we see exactly what happened to kill Tony and break Lola's heart and mind.
Trivia: Copacabana has twice been made into a stage musical. The original one-act version debuted at Caesar's Palace in Atlantic City in 1991. This was expanded into a full musical that played London's West End from 1994 to 1996. Though it went over well in London and has toured and occasionally appeared in regional theaters in the US, it has yet to play Broadway.
What I Don't Like: First of all, as a big Manilow fan since childhood, I know the song ends tragically...but I don't think the movie should have. As with Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, Tony's sudden death in the finale doesn't really work with the mostly lighthearted romp that came before it. The stage versions have Rico as the one on the other end of that fatal bullet, and frankly, that makes more sense with the story seen here. My other problem is, like the vintage film musicals this is imitating, this is incredibly campy. If you're not a fan of vintage musicals, Manilow, or camp, this is no place for you.
The Big Finale: If you're a fan of 40's musicals or are a big Manilow fan like me, you'll want to track down "the hottest spot north of Havana."
Home Media: The DVD is out of print and prohibitively expensive at press time. You might be able to find it for a half-decent price used, but you're better off watching the decent copy currently on the Internet Archive.
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