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Hi Kristin, My
name is Jessica and I found your website .when
I was trying to look up a date at the Copacabana. I was wondering
if you would know when Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin performed there.
My grandma saw them in June for her prom one year, I thought 1952, but
I can't find any sites listing detailed performance histories. I'd
love to find a copy or recording or anything from it, and having the year
would sure help! Any direction you can give would be much appreciated.
.. Hi Jessica, .. Thanks for contacting me. I included a couple of images of Dean and Jerry at the Copacabana on the website, as a matter of fact. I have befriended one of the Copa Girls who was in the line when they first appeared, 1946. The headliner was Vivian Blaine, but Dean and Jerry stole the show; after opening night they were billed as co-stars with Blaine. Everyone came out to see who the new upstarts were and the Copa did a landslide business. They headlined there for the next ten years, making their last appearances as a duo at the Copa on the night of July 24, 1956. If you can get your grandma to pinpoint the year that she was there for her prom, I might have some old clippings to share with you. .. Best wishes, Kris August 8, 2010 . . Hi Kris, . Thank you so much! She saw them in June 1950. I didn't ask her for the day, but I can if that would be helpful. It sounds like they'd been there many times that month, huh? She was telling me the story of how before her prom (she went to an all girls school) they all went and had dinner there - they just made sure not to serve them alcohol! What an amazing prom, right? I think they got to go to the Hawaiian Room (or something like that) and had virgin daiquiris, etc., before the dance, too. . Thank you again so much, Jessica August 10, 2010 . . Hi Jessica, . Martin and Lewis opened at the Copa on Thursday, May 4, 1950, with Betty Bruce, singer Toni Arden, Harrison & Kay, Russ Emery, Mike Durso & Fernando Alvares orchestras. Prices were $3 weekdays and Sundays, $4.50 Saturdays and holidays, minimum. Dinners ranged from $2.50 to $5.50, a la carte entrees from $1.25 to $6.50. Among the highlights of the Martin and Lewis show were a Pinza burlesque bit, Martin's indulging in a couple of saucy asides, like the "Wild Goose" and the "Roomful of Roses" (panned by the critics as being in bad taste), the usual "Italian stuff," and a smattering of Lewis' Yiddishisms. . I can't tell you off hand how long Martin and Lewis played the Copa that prom season, but it was most likely four weeks, a typical stint back then. If I have any reviews of that show, they are not accessible to me at the moment, so I can't give you any further details. There was an upstairs lounge but no Hawaiian Room. Maybe the names of the other acts will ring a bell for your grandma. Toni Arden received a lot of good publicity; her voice was amazing - always a hit at the Copa and other clubs. She's living in Florida now. . If it's OK with you, we'll post your comments on the Copa website's guest book. If your grandma has any reflections or special memories, we'd love to include those, too. . Best, Kris August 11, 2010 |