Copacabana by WLOS

Copacabana
Copacabana by WLOS

I feel ashamed to admit that I’ve never seen Copacabana and after seeing WLOS’ production I was gutted that I had left it this long. Copacabana tells of songwriter, Stephen who disappears into his imagination. We meet Lola who is desperate to be a Copa girl and Tony who is keen to impress Lola. However in musical theatre the course of true love never runs smooth and Lola gets kidnapped by Rico and taken to Havana. It is up to Tony and his friends from the Copacabana to save the day.

Copacabana is unashamedly outrageous and camp and WLOS rise to the occasion brilliantly. The costumes are bright and dripping in sequins and the showgirls feathers are large, exactly what the show calls for. However it isn’t all dressing and there is a lot of solid talent within the cast and production team which gives this froth backing.

Lola is played by Connie Nash and she has a great mix of innocence combined with a flirty front when performing as a Copa girl. She also had a voice perfectly suited to this era of musical theatre. Playing opposite her as Stephen/Tony was Alexander McKiven. He had a nice charm about him and danced very well. The moments when he was dancing with Lola were well choreographed and nicely executed.

The supporting cast also deserve praise. Conchita was played by Sarah Grey and she had a cheeky likeability about her. Her number ‘Welcome To Havana’ was bursting with energy and a joy to watch, making me want to join in with the party vibe they created.

The technical side of the show also impressed me with the lighting adding to the party atmosphere. There was the occasional moment where the band overpowered the soloists however.

The featured dancers throughout were all well choreographed by Kim Findlay. She utilised her dancers well with kick lines and nice formations but also ensured that the rest of the ensemble were kept busy with appropriate movement. Across the board a very solid standard of dance.

The main thing that impressed me about Copacabana was the party atmosphere they managed to create on stage. A combination of the talented cast, bright costumes, fun choreography and a huge amount of energy made Copacabana a really enjoyable night out.

If you want to find out more about WLOS then visit their website. 

If you like this review you might also like my review of West Side Story by PLOS, Pippin by SEDOS and A Murder Is Announced by Cygnet Players.

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