Singer/songwriter Barry Manilow's musical, based his Grammy-winning late-'70s hit "Copacabana (At the Copa)," will tour U.S. theatres this summer.
"Barry Manilow's Copacabana" will make its U.S. premiere
June 15, at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, where it will run through July 2. The musical will then launch a national tour, for which dates are being booked through summer 2001, according to tour spokespeople.
Set amid the swinging nightclub scene of the 1940s, the production follows the song's narrative, about the entangled lives of three characters and how it leads to love, jealousy and murder.
"It's a two-act musical based on Tony, Lola and Rico," Manilow said Monday at Arista Records' 25th anniversary party, where he performed a medley of his biggest hits, including "Copacabana"(RealAudio excerpt) and "I Write the Songs" (RealAudio excerpt). "It's touring the country for 50 weeks; it's great entertainment."
The play premiered in London in 1994 and ran for two seasons before going on tour in the UK for more than a year. The idea of the musical came from Dick Clark, who approached the song's writers — Manilow, Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman — about adapting the tune into a musical film for television.
The production's Latin-themed score features the songs "Copacabana," "Lola, Who Needs to Dream?" "Sweet Heaven" and "Ay Caramba!"
"Copacabana" originally appeared on Manilow's Even Now (1978).
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