Copacabana Palace, the Musical
I wish I could curb my enthusiasm but “Copacabana Palace, the Musical, “which opened Thursday evening at—where else—the Teatro Copacabana Palace, is the best theatrical I have seen in a very long time on the local stage.
The Mayor of Rio or Brazil´s tourism agency Embratur should immediately hire a plane and send the whole cast to Broadway, London´s West End theater district or even or Orlando, to promote the positive side of Brazil and sometimes marvelous Rio de Janeiro.
Never mind that the theatrical is in Portuguese: opera companies have simultaneous translations beneath stage so why not a Brazilian musical?
Starring veteran actress of stage, screen and TV Suely Franco,83, as the legendary hotel´s founder Mariazinha Guinle, the musical is flawless and truly a Brazilian musical.
Vannessa Gerbelli, Mouhamed Harfouch, Saulo Rodrigues, Ana Velloso among Other shining stars are absolutely scintillating.
Move over Broadway!
“Copa “ honors the colorful history of a French-style hotel which will celebrate 100 years of being very much alive this August without refurbishing to become one of these impersonal, skyscraper-like modern hotels where you can’t open your window and your floor has impersonal rooms which all look the same.
It´s famous swimming pool on the ground floor has hosted some of the world´s top celebrities.
The musical features 15 actors-singers-dancer brings back onstage such legendary Brazilian figures the one-and-only Carmen Miranda, crooner Cauby Peixoto, Hollywood´s Orson Welles, among others who contributed to the colorful history of a hotel which has put up the crème de la crème of visitors to Rio including British royalty, Leonard Bernstein, Roman Polanski to the Rolling Stones and been a center for legendary Carnaval parties and romances.
So really the Belmond Copacabana Palace, as it is known today, is a monument to Cidade Maravilhosa / Marvelous City which is worth singing, tap dancing and shouting about!
Personally (there he goes again!) I know the Copacabana Palace from my setting up for British photographers a surprise (?!)shooting opportunity from a rented apartment/ flat nearby the hotel of the late Princess Diana swimming in its pool at 6am, or an interview with Polish-French film director (“The Pianist, “Rosemary’s Baby,” etc.) Roman Polanski, or a town meeting with the now downfallen Prince Andrew with the local British community.
I also recall meeting the then Prince Charles and ex-Prime Minister John Major at the hotel (where an English friend of mine had the cheek to invite the P-M for tea which was immediately and politely turned do)
Besides Ms. Franco the the all-star cast is simply dynamic onstage directed by Gustavo Wabner and Sergio Modena in a tight script not only about the hotel but about a changing (not necessarily for the better) Brazil by Ana Velloso and Vera Novello.
Never mind your Portuguese is not perfect!
Go see “Copacabana Palace, the Musical.”
