The company Dancing Fool Theatrical, in association with Harlow Playhouse, is presenting a new tour of Barry Manilow’s Copacabana, beginning in October. The iconic musical will tour to a variety of theatres across the autumn. More casting and dates for the following year will follow, however the touring venues for 2014 include Harlow Playhouse, Southsea Kings, Buxton, Jersey Opera House. Bournemouth Pavilion, Newcastle Mill Volvo, Blackpool Grand and Billingham Forum.
The new production will star Jon Lee (of S Club 7, Les Miserables and Jersey Boys fame) as Tony Starr, Richard Grieve (who has performed in Emmerdale and Priscilla Queen of the Desert) as Sam Silver and the tour will introduce Jennifer Harding as Lola. The musical tells a tale of romance and stardom, featuring aspiring songwriter Tony working as a pianist in a bar when he meets Lola, who is determined to make it in ‘showbiz’. Quickly falling for Lola, Tony does everything he can to assist her attempts to find stardom. At Manhattan’s Copacabana Lounge both start to find fame, before fate steps in and Lola is swept away to Havana to work in a splashy night club where Lola’s new mentor and boss Rico demands a price for putting her name in lights.
The musical, written by Manilow and his longtime collaborators Bruce Sussman and Jack Feldman, has not been seen in the UK for ten years and will begin its production tour at Harlow Playhouse on Thursday 2 October 2014 (press night Friday 3 October). This new production will reimagine the original stage version of Copacabana, which was first performed in the US in 1991 and has never been seen in the UK before. The iconic musical will feature all the Manilow hits including ‘Dancin’ Fool’, ‘Who Needs to Dream’, ‘Welcome to Havana’ and the Grammy Award-winning ‘Copacabana (At The Copa)’.