Smokey Joe's Cafe (1995), a musical revue by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller (music, lyrics). [ Virginia Theatre, 2,036 perf.] Pop songs from the 1950s and 1960s, such as “Fools Fall in Love,” “Treat Me Nice,” and “Hound Dog,” were the appeal in this spirited revue that was small in scale (nine singers, seven musicians) but a giant at the box office, going on to become the longest‐running Broadway revue on record. Jerry Zaks directed the production that featured thirty‐five songs from the Leiber‐Stoller catalogue, none of which were written for the theatre but nevertheless were now, as one number stated, “On Broadway.”
Smokey Joe's Cafe
| American Theater Guide: Smokey Joe's Cafe |
| Wikipedia: Smokey Joe's Cafe |
| Smokey Joe's Cafe | |
| The Songs of Leiber and Stoller | |
 |
|
| Original Cast Recording | |
|---|---|
| Music | Jerry Leiber Mike Stoller |
| Lyrics | Jerry Leiber Mike Stoller |
| Book | Revue |
| Productions | 1995 Broadway 1996 West End |
Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller won a Grammy award in 1995.
After a Los Angeles tryout, the revue opened on Broadway in 1995, running for 2,036 performances, and had a London run in 1996.
Contents |
Synopsis
In revue format with no unifying theme the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs ("Charlie Brown"), romantic ballads ("Spanish Harlem") and infectious melodies ("There Goes My Baby").[1]
Songs
Lyrics and music by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (unless otherwise noted)
|
|
Productions
Smokey Joe's Cafe was conceived by Stephen Helper, Jack Viertel, and Otis Sallid.[2] Presented in a revue format with no unifying theme, it showcases 39 songs, sung by members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue.[3] The musical had its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles where it ran from November 1994 to January 22, 1995.[4]
The revue opened on Broadway on March 2, 1995 at the Virginia Theatre and closed on January 16, 2000 after 2,036 performances. Directed by Jerry Zaks with choreography by Joey McKneely, the nine person cast featured Brenda Braxton, Victor Trent Cook, B. J. Crosby, and DeLee Lively. Throughout its run, there were special appearances by many popular singers, including Pam Tillis (April 1999), Gladys Knight (May 1999), Tony Orlando (June 1999), Lou Rawls (April 1999),[5] Gloria Gaynor (August 1999)[6] and Rick Springfield (October 1999).[7] Gladys Knight also appeared in the tour when it played Boston in February 2000.[8] The final performance was filmed and later released on DVD in 2001.
It premiered in the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre on October 1, 1996 and ran through January 1, 1997. Zaks directed and McKneely choregraphed, with some of the Broadway cast (Cook, Lively and Crosby) repeating their roles.[9][10][11]
Response
The theatre critic for the magazine Variety, in reviewing the Los Angeles tryout, noted that "the songwriters, director Jerry Zaks and choreographer Joey McKneely don't do enough packaging of the material, don't go far enough taking songs first heard on transistor radios and re-imagining them for the stage...There are a couple of halfhearted attempts at structure. The show opens and closes with the 1974 obscurity "Neighborhood," which suggests this will be a scrapbook of memories."[4]
Ben Brantley, the theatre critic for The New York Times wrote that the revue "is a strangely homogenized tribute to one of popular music's most protean songwriting teams...There has obviously been a decision not to go for literal period nostalgia, so the songs are freed from their distinctive original contexts...Too often, though, the performers are simply singing into space without any ostensible reason for being there."[12]
The theatre critic for the The Guardian (London), noted that the London cast consists of "acting singers rather than singing actors, which suits a show where there's almost no acting to be done. Whew - no pesky plot development or subtexts, just a glut of glowing pop tunes...There's no attempt at chronology, or even biography."[10]
According to the theatre critic for the Washington Post, Peter Marks, the revue "never quite attained smash-hit status", but it made popular the musical fashioned on the existing work of "pop composers already beloved by baby boomers."[13]
Awards and nominations
- 1995 Tony Award nominations
- Tony Award for Best Musical - Produced by Richard Frankel, Thomas Viertel, Steven Baruch, Jujamcyn Theaters (James H. Binger: Chairman; Rocco Landesman: President; Paul Libin: Producing Director; Jack Viertel: Creative Director), Rick Steiner, Frederic H. Mayerson, Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre (Gordon Davidson, Artistic/Producing Director)
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Victor Trent Cook
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Brenda Braxton, B.J. Crosby, DeLee Lively
- Tony Award for Best Choreography - Joey McKneely
- Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - Jerry Zaks
The original cast recording won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 1996.
References
- ^ Stoudt, Charlotte."Review: 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at El Portal Theatre",L.A. Times, December 16, 2008
- ^ "Internet Broadway Database listing, Smokey Joe's Cafe, 3/2/1995 - 1/16/2000"ibdb.com, accessed August 24, 2009
- ^ Stoudt, Charlotte."Review: 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at El Portal Theatre",L.A. Times, December 16, 2008
- ^ a b Taylor, Jonathan. "Legit Reviews: Smokey Joe's Cafe", Variety, November 21, 1994 - November 27, 1994, p. 45
- ^ Feldberg, Robert. "Broadway seeks out big names", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin), April 5, 1999, Section: Cue & Jump p. 3
- ^ Barron, James. "Public Lives", The New York Times, August 5, 1999, p. B2
- ^ Edel, Raymond. "People", The Record (Bergen County, NJ), September 23, 1999, p. A2
- ^ "Gladys Knight to star in touring version of 'Smokey Joe's Cafe'", The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA), December 11, 1999, p. 40
- ^ Chronology of London Shows, 1996guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed August 22, 2009
- ^ a b Sullivan, Caroline. "First Night: Air Of Nostalgia At Smokey Joe's", The Guardian (London), October 24, 1996, p.2
- ^ Benedict, David. "Theatre: Smokey Joe's Cafe Prince of Wales Theatre, London", The Independent (London), October 25, 1996, p. 19
- ^ Brantley, Ben. "Theatre Review: 'Smokey Joe's Cafe', The Song's the Thing: A Leiber-Stoller Revue", The New York Times, March 3, 1995, p. C1
- ^ Marks, Peter."'Smokey Joe's Cafe': Same Old Same Oldies",Washington Post, April 12, 2008
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Learn More
 | The Best of the Robins, Vol. 3 (Album by The Robins) |
| Heidi Landesman-Ettinger (American theater) |
| Jerry Zaks (American Theater) |
 | Why are smokey mountains smokey? Read answer... |
| Who is Smokey from Friday? Read answer... |
| What rhymes with smokey? Read answer... |
Help us answer these
 | Where can I find the Sheet Music to 'Teach Me How To Shimmy' from 'Smokey Joe's Cafe'? |
| Smokey Joe's Cafe who performed original songs? |
| A score of Don Juan baby from Smokey Joe's cafe? |
Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:
Copyrights:
 |
 | American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
 |
| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Smokey Joe's Cafe". Read more |
Related answers
- Who is ''Smokey'' Joe Williams?
- Where can I purchase Smokey Joe's clothing?
- What was smokey's car in smokey and the bandit?
- What is a cafe?
ADVERTISEMENT
Answer these
- How much are the rights for a college production of smokey joe's cafe?
- Smokey Joe's Cafe in warrenton va?
- Was there a cowboy name smokey joe?
Mentioned in
- The Best of the Robins, Vol. 3 (Album by The Robins)
- Heidi Landesman-Ettinger (American theater)
- Jerry Zaks (American Theater)
- Don't It Sound Good: The Great Atlantic Vocal Groups (1995 Album by Various Artists)
- Yakety Yak [Rhino] (1993 Album by The Coasters)
- Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller (2001 Theater Film)
- Smokey Joe's Cafe: Songs of Leiber & Stoller (1995 Album by Original Cast)
- Gently (1996 Album by Liza Minnelli)
- Smokey Joe's Cafe (2006 Album by Robins)
- The Coasters [Atco] (1958 Album by The Coasters)
- Annette Aguilar (Jazz Artist)
- The Doo Wop Box, Vol. 2 (1996 Album by Various Artists)
- Leiber & Stoller Present the Spark Records Story (2001 Album by Leiber & Stoller)
- Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974, Vol. 3 (1955-1958) (1985 Album by Various Artists)
