“Copacabana (At the Copa)” debuted in 1978, but became a hit for singer-songwriter Barry Manilow in 1985. The song weaves the tale of a showgirl named Lola who falls in love with the bartender across the club, Tony. At some point, a wealthy mobster, Rico, enters the bar and calls Lola over after she is finished with her show. It is implied in the song that Rico gets a little too personal with Lola, so Tony “sail[s] across the bar” and picks a fight with him. A gun is fired, but it is a matter of “who shot who.” It later becomes apparent that Tony has died, causing Lola to spiral for the remaining years of her life. This may seem far-fetched, but it may not be that far from the truth.
Now, the song itself is not based on one specific event, but rather an amalgamation of different stories. The Copacabana is a real place located in New York City, a nightclub that originally hosted big-band music, chorus lines, Latin music, Latin dancing and burlesque. The joint eventually transformed into a “discotheque,” which is a disco, just like how the song states. The club boasted famous regulars like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Walt Disney. It was known for its glamorous decor and feel, which attracted many wealthy figures, like Sinatra and Disney, but also the mafia and the mob. Because of such a high crime density, murder and wreckage are bound to happen. Youth was lost, minds were lost and maybe a Tony was lost as well.
One night, Manilow heard one of these stories and ended up talking about it with a co-writer of his, Bruce Sussman. Later down the road when visiting the club, Manilow and Sussman wound up discussing whether or not there was a song called “Copacabana,” and eventually assumed there was not. Manilow later suggested that Sussman and his other co-writer, Jack Feldman, write a song for him about the Copacabana. The song became Manilow’s most popular hit, earning him a Grammy and a gold and silver rating in the U.S. and the U.K., respectively.
Eventually, the song inspired a made-for-television musical film, unsurprisingly called “Copacabana,” which starred Manilow himself as Tony, and Annette O’Toole as Lola. The film was Manilow’s first and only major acting performance, though he has appeared as minor roles multiple times in several other movies. The song also got its own stage musical, called “Barry Manilow’s Copacabana,” often shortened to just “Copacabana,” which featured all of the same music from the 1985 film plus four new songs, only one of which came out before the musical. It starred Sean Sullivan as Tony and Hillary Turk as Lola. Both the film and the musical obviously include the original and iconic “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow.
While the real story of “Copacabana” may be less adventurous than expected, its legacy may be ingrained in society forever. From references to the actual song, “Copacabana” seems to be everywhere.
