"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.
