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 Interactive map of Copacabana | |
| Address | 625 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019 New York City United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°46′02″N73°59′43″W / 40.7672628°N 73.9953767°W /40.7672628; -73.9953767 |
| Type | Nightclub |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 10, 1940; 85 years ago (November 10, 1940) |
| Reopened | 1976; 1992; 2001; July 2007; July 12, 2011; February 5, 2022 |
TheCopacabana is a New York Citynightclub that has existed in several locations. In earlier locations, many entertainers, such asDanny Thomas,Pat Cooper, and the comedy team ofMartin and Lewis, made their New York debuts at the Copacabana. TheBarry Manilow song "Copacabana" (1978) is named after, and set in, the club. The nightclub was used as a setting in the filmsGoodfellas,Raging Bull,Tootsie,The Purple Rose of Cairo,Carlito's Way,Lonely Boy,The French Connection,Martin and Lewis,Green Book,Beyond the Sea,The Irishman, andOne Night in Miami. It was also used in several plays, includingBarry Manilow'sCopacabana. Also, the musical filmCopacabana (1947), starringGroucho Marx andCarmen Miranda, takes place in the Copacabana, as doesthe made-for-television film based on the Manilow song, in which Manilow himself starred.
The Copacabana (named afterCopacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro) opened on November 10, 1940,[2][3] at 10 East 60th Street in New York City. Although the name of Monte Proser was on the lease, he had a powerful partner: mob bossFrank Costello. Proser (1904–1973), a native Englishman, was a well-connected nightclub owner and press agent whose various clients includedWalt Disney,Maria Montez,Mary Pickford, and theZiegfeld Follies.[4] Costello putJules Podell on the scene to look after his interests; Podell had a police record and would not have been an acceptable front man for the business, and indeed, the club faced tax problems and aracketeering investigation in 1944. However, by 1948, such pressure had lessened; Proser was out, and Podell was the official owner.[5]
The Copacabana had Brazilian decor and Latin-themed orchestras, while the menu featured Chinese food.[6] The club was also known for its chorus line, "The Copacabana Girls".[7][8] As early as 1945 it also featured performances of "sweet"big-band music byShep Fields and his Rippling Rhythm Orchestra which were broadcast live on theWOR Radio Network.[9][10][11]
Podell originally had a strict "no blacks" policy. In 1944,Harry Belafonte, then a member of theU.S. Navy, was denied entry with a date. Eventually, Podell was persuaded to change his policy and Belafonte returned in the 1950s as a headliner at the club.Sammy Davis Jr. shattered attendance records with his run in May 1964 andSam Cooke performed there on July 8, 1964, resulting in the LPSam Cooke at the Copa. In July 1965,the Supremes made their debut there, resulting inMotown Records bookingthe Temptations,Martha and the Vandellas, andMarvin Gaye to perform at the Copa over the next few years.The Supremes also recordedThe Supremes at the Copa, a live album, there in 1965 that just missed the Top 10, peaking at #11.Marvin Gaye also recorded a live album, as did The Temptations. The Supremes, who proved to be the most successful of all the Motown acts, releasedThe Supremes: Live at the Copa Expanded Edition in 2012, featuring the much-sought-after original repertoire.[12][13]
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were frequent performers at the club and performed their last show there on July 25, 1956, which can be seen in the TV movieMartin and Lewis (2002).
This nightclub achieved a degree of notoriety due to a May 16, 1957, incident involving members of theNew York Yankees. On that evening, teammatesMickey Mantle,Whitey Ford,Hank Bauer,Yogi Berra,Johnny Kucks, andBilly Martin, along with the wives of all but Martin, arrived at the nightclub to celebrate Martin's birthday. Sammy Davis Jr. happened to be the headliner. During the performance, a group of apparentlyintoxicated bowlers started to interfere with Davis' act, even hurlingracial slurs at him. This behavior incensed the Yankees, especially Martin, since his roommate wasElston Howard, the first black player to join the Yankees. Tensions erupted between the two groups, and the resulting fracas made newspaper headlines. Several of the Yankees were fined. One of the bowlers, a Bronx deli owner, ended up with a concussion and a broken jaw, and sued Bauer foraggravated assault; the case was thrown out for insufficient evidence. Martin was later traded from the Yankees to theKansas City Athletics, with this incident cited as a main cause.[14]
Until 1972, mafiosoJoe Gallo operated the venue.[15] After Jules Podell died in 1973, it was closed for three years.[16] It reopened in 1976, at the height of thedisco era, and operated as adiscothèque.[17]Barry Manilow's hit 1978 song "Copacabana (At The Copa)" referred to the club; the song later became the basis forthe made-for-television film in which Manilow himself starred; as of February 2021, it was not known how much of the film's shooting used it as an actual location.
In 1992, then-owner Peter Dorn moved the club from its original location to 617 West57th Street. Dorn charged landlord Nicola Biase with "not liking Hispanics", the stated reason for the move.[18]
In 2001, the club was forced to move for a third time to 560West 34th Street andEleventh Avenue on the west side ofManhattan, when its landlord terminated its lease early to build office towers on the site. Since then it has presented mostlyhip-hop andsalsa acts.[16]
On January 20, 2007, the club announced that it would have to move by July 1 because its current location was condemned due to the construction of the extension of the7 line of theNew York City Subway, as well as the construction of the now-cancelledWorld Product Center.[19] June 30 of the same year was the last night the club was open, withEl Gran Combo performing there.[citation needed] From late 2007 until the club reopened in 2011, the club was sharing space with the Columbus 72 nightclub, which shares the same owners.[citation needed]
In April 2010, the club owners were approved for aliquor license to operate the club in a new location at 760–766 8th Avenue, on the second and third floors.[20] In November 2010, the club owners were granted permission to allow dancing by restaurant patrons as well as the general public, not limited to private parties and catered events.[21] On July 12, 2011, the club re-opened to the public inTimes Square at 268 West47th Street. The first performer at the new location was world-renownedsalsa musicianWillie Colón.[22]
On May 26, 2020, the club announced that it had closed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, and that it planned to reopen in 2021 at another location.[23] It eventually reopened in February 2022 at 625 West 51st Street under the direction of Ruben Cabrera.[24]
A second Copacabana—the first outside New York—was readied for a grand opening inFort Lauderdale, Florida on September 13, 2012, in the historic Las Olas District at 219 S. Andrews Avenue. On January 24, 2013, the location closed.[25]
Shep Fields is set for the Copacabana
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