There will be music and passion at the Lindley Church Amateur Operatic Society’s production of Copacabana – as well as plenty of glitz and glamour.

After two years without a major musical show the amateurs are, in the words of chairman Jane Pritchard, “coming back with a kick”.

As she explained: “We didn’t have a show last year because of casting difficulties and financial considerations. We had planned to do The Pyjama Game.

“I’d just made the decision that we couldn’t do it and the first song I heard on the radio in my car was Copacabana.

“I thought that if we were going to come back the following year then this was the one to do.”

And so on Tuesday, June 9, the company opens a five-night run at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield with the much-loved Barry Manilow stage musical.

It will be the amateurs’ 76th production since the society’s foundation in 1934 – it celebrated its 80th anniversary last year – and will feature a cast of 28, including dancers.

The show promises lavish costumes and scenery and is costing the company around £25,000 to stage – money that has been carefully squirrelled away.

As Jane says, amateur dramatic and operatic groups are facing a difficult future as the cost of staging shows is often prohibitively high.

Andrew Lockwood, playing Tony and Rachel Clegg, who will be playing Lola in Copacabana for Lindley Church Amateur Operatic Society

“It’s getting to the point where we can’t afford to do a big show every year, we all budget to make a loss. I have to run the society as a business. So last year we had a concert to celebrate our 80th and to raise funds. Now we’re in a position to put on a show.”

In the past few years the group has staged a number of contemporary and all-time popular musicals – from The Full Monty and Sweeney Todd to The King and I and Below Stairs – and has an enthusiastic core membership who fundraise with small concerts and reviews at St Stephen’s Church in Lindley.

The 80th anniversary concert featured songs from shows past, present and future, including numbers from Copacabana, which became a West End stage musical in 1994.

Copacabana has a storyline involving an aspiring young songwriter who hopes to pen a new musical.

His show features wannabe singer Lola who meets songwriter Tony and goes to work at the Copacabana nightclub in New York.

Lola is spotted by Italian gangster Rico, who drugs her and flies her to Havana to work in his own establishment, where she is rescued by Tony.

It is a tale of love and sacrifice with a score of lively music and ballads that include the famous title song Copacabana.

Lindley CAOS, which has been rehearsing at Lindley Liberal Club, has chosen semi-professional singer Rachel Clegg for the leading role of Lola – she was also in the society’s successful production of The Full Monty .

The part of Tony is being played by Andrew Lockwood, who was in a past production of Sweeney Todd.

The show is directed by Martin Saxton.

Tickets are from £9.50 to £14.50 from www.thelbt.org or 01484 430528.