"Her name was Lola... She was a showgirl..."
That's the first line of the hit Barry Manilow song about iconic New York City nightclub Copacabana, which saw the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Lena Horne, Desi Arnaz, and Sam Cooke (to name just a few) performing on its stage.
The sultry, tropical-themed nightclub made it seem as if a swinging
Havana showplace had been set down in the middle of Manhattan. The Copa
was a star itself, with many movies,
including Goodfellas, Raging Bull, and Carlito's Way, using the club as a setting.
The club, established in the early 1940s, remained open in some form or
another for more than 50 years before finally closing down.
Copacabana
New York reopened in 2011 in Times Square by new owners, who purchased
the rights to the name. Now, the Copacabana is opening another location
on Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, at the former Laffing Matterz
space.
The supperclub and lounge will feature live music, acts,
and the famous Copa girls. The Fort Lauderdale menu has not yet been
released, but the New York club offers a prix fixe menu (with show) for
$45. A bar menu is also available to go with the club's specialty
cocktails with names like the tango, mambo, conga, and lambada.
The
Copacabana Fort Lauderdale is scheduled to open in September. We're
hoping it will revive the days when "music and passion were always the
fashion..."
Enjoy this scene from Goodfellas, where Henry and Karen get a little special treatment at the Copa:
Here's the classic song:
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