Smokey Joe’s Café – Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Frankel and Thomas Viertel; Direction and Choreography by Stephanie Pope Lofgren; Music Direction by Milton Granger; Scenic Design by Kyle Dixon; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Lighting Design by Jack Mehler; Sound Design by Don Hann. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Road, Beverly through June 19th
by Mike Hoban
The first act of Smokey Joe’s Café, now playing at the North Shore Music Theatre, is a little baffling. Not only is the show not set in a café (or even a nightclub), more importantly – given the prolific body of work of the songwriting team of Lieber and Stoller on whose work the show is based, as well as the obvious skill of the singers – the songs and performances lack any real smoke.
The arrangements, while pleasantly sung, are surprisingly uninspiring, and just before intermission, my partner leaned over and whispered, “None of this really moves me,” she said, articulating perfectly what I was feeling myself. Happily, our disappointment was short-lived, as the cast and band rebounded and came out roaring in Act II, cranking out the songs of the 50’s and 60’s hitmaking duo with a renewed vigor, belting out a slew of classic gems that allowed cast members to strut their stuff, both literally and vocally.
Smokey Joe’s Café is more of a concert performance than a jukebox musical. The production features a minimal set (a courtyard in the first act and some café tables and chairs in the second), no dialogue between songs, and no real structure or context for the material. What it does deliver is a full chapter out of the book on the early days of rock n’ roll, many of the tracks now standards in the American songbook. Lieber and Stoller are best known for their collaboration with Elvis, penning twenty of his songs (until a falling out with Colonel Tom Parker ended that relationship), including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Treat Me Nice,” and “Hound Dog”, first recorded by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in 1953 before Elvis turned it into a worldwide hit in 1956.
“Treat Me Nice” and “Hound Dog” were two of the highlights of the evening, with the singers truly making the songs their own. Christopher Brasfield brings a seductive quality with his silky smooth rendition of “Treat Me Nice,” while Mariah Lyttle tears through an authoritative version of “Hound Dog” that would have made Big Mama proud. The hits extend well past the Elvis catalog for Lieber and Stoller, and the talented cast does a great job with numbers like the Drifters’ “There Goes my Baby” and “On Broadway”, the Coasters’ “Charlie Brown”, “Yakkity Yak” and “Poison Ivy” (starring the blonde Bailey Purvis as the title character, who also ripped it up with a burlesque dance in “Teach Me How to Shimmy” in addition to some strong vocal performances), and oft-covered “Stand By Me” (made famous by Ben E. King) was sung beautifully by David Hughey. Some of the lesser known numbers were standouts as well, including Nicole Henry’s sultry version of “I’m a Woman”.
The strong second half of “Smokey Joe’s Café” makes up for the show’s slow start, and it’s a good night of entertainment, particularly for lovers of 50s and 60s classics. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.nsmt.org/
