Connecticut Repertory Theatre Presents SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE 6/24-27

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT), the professional producing arm of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, continues its Nutmeg Summer Series with the Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller musical revue, Smokey Joe's Café, playing June 24 through July 4, 2010 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. The Nutmeg Summer Series will conclude with Endurance, a world premiere play presented by movement theatre artists, Split Knuckle Theatre, running from June 24 through June 27 in the Nafe Katter Theatre. Tickets are now available for both productions by calling the Jorgensen Box Office at 860-486-4226 or visiting www.crt.uconn.edu.

THE PRODUCTION

Smokey Joe's Café - The Songs of Leiber & Stoller
Words & Music by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
June 24 - July 4
Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre

One of Broadway's smash hits, Smokey Joe's Café is full of stunning song-and-dance performances of show-stopping tunes such as "Yakkety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Hound Dog," "Love Potion #9," "Jailhouse Rock" and many more.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, and rhythm and blues songs - all written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. After a Los Angeles tryout, the production opened on Broadway in 1995, running for 2,036 performances, and had a London run in 1996. The Original Broadway cast recording won a Grammy award in 1995.

Caption for photo provided with press release: CRT's production of Smokey Joe's Café
Cast members Rachel Rosado and James Frisby from Connecticut Repertory Theatre's production of Smokey Joe's Café. The Broadway song-and-dance revue begins performances June 24 and plays through July 4 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu. Photo by Bob Copley.

Smokey Joe's Café performances will take place in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Single ticket prices for Smokey Joe's Café range from $15 to $37. The Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre is located on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, and offers air-conditioned comfort and convenient free parking in Lot 9 and X Lot. Paid parking is available in the North Garage. Children must be at least 4 years old to attend CRT productions. Not all productions are suitable for young children; please call 860.486.1629 for more information. CRT's Corporate Sponsors for the Nutmeg Summer Series are Hamilton Sundstrand, Tim Hunter Design and Leyland Alliance. CRT's Community Partners for the Nutmeg Summer Series are Mansfield Community Center, Nathan Hale Inn, UConn Dairy Bar, WHUS 91.7FM and Willimantic Chronicle.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

B. Peter WestERHOFF (Director/Choreographer) is a Professor at Oklahoma State University, where he is Head of Performance and Graduate Advisor. During his tenure at OSU, he has directed over 70 productions including Our Town, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Urinetown, The Visit, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Crazy for You, Comedy of Errors and Into the Woods. He has directed and choreographed over seventeen musicals for Connecticut Repertory's summer season, including the 2002 Smokey Joe's Café, Over Here!, Bye, Bye Birdie, 1940's Radio Hour, Forever Plaid, Sweet Charity, Lady Be Good!, Tintypes and Pirates of Penzance. In New York City, he recently directed the Kennedy conspiracy play, Why We Shot John for Cinna Productions at the 29th Street Repertory and Table Manners for the ACC, the Amateur Comedy Club, the oldest continually producing theatrical organization in the country. He directed the American Premiere of Exchange by Yuri Tifanov, translated by Michael Frayne for the Blue Heron Theatre, NYC.

Michael Anania (Scenic Designer) has Broadway credits that include Laughing Room Only starring Jackie Mason, A Change in the Heir, Run for Your Wife, Canterbury Tales, The View From Here, and The Gathering starring Hal Linden. He also designed New York City Opera productions of H.M.S. Pinafore, The Merry Widow, La Boheme, A Little Night Music, and The Desert Song (all 'Live from Lincoln Center'), as well as Wonderful Town, 110 in the Shade, The Most Happy FeIIa, Pajama Game, and The New Moon. Michael has worked on national tours of Applause, Heartstrings and The Wizard of Oz (star ring Mickey Rooney). He was nominated for Australia's Tony Award, the 2002 Helpmann Award for Singin' in the Rain and Dallas Theater League's Leon Rabin Award for My Fair Lady.

THE CAST

Curtis Wiley (Victor) is a member of Actors' Equity Association and was last seen in NYC as Bill in The Last Word, and also played in The Wild Party (Columbia Stages), The Dudley's and the new musical, Sunfish. Regional roles include Wig Out (Sundance), Aida, Miss Saigon, Ragtime, Five Guys named Moe, The Hot Mikado and Ain't Misbehavin', as well as the National Tour of Disney's The Lion King. Curtis has also been seen in numerous concerts including Sondeim: The Birthday Concert at Lincoln Center.

JAMAl Lee HARRIS (Ken) is a member of Actors' Equity Association and originally from Los Angeles. Now living in New York City, Jamal's favorite credits include Once On This Island, The Wiz, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Big River. He is also experienced working on the creative side of the process, serving as Director and/or Choreographer for many regional productions including Les Miserables (Northern Stage) and The Full Monty (Circa 21). He has a BFA from Ithaca College.

Nicholas Ward (Frederick) is a member of Actors' Equity Association. He was born in Oakland CA, raised in Niceville, FL and currently resides in New York City. Nicholas recently returned from the Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Jade where he performed while cruising the Mediterranean and all of Europe for two years. He has performed in the national tour of Show Boat, as well as the European tour of Porgy and Bess. Other favorite roles include Booker T. Washington in Ragtime, and the Voice of the Plant in Little Shop of Horrors.

KAITLIN MONTE (Pattie) is a member of Actors' Equity Association, a native of Rochester, NY, and currently resides in New York City. Her credits include The Seagull, High School Musical 2, Rent, The Hole, and Little Women. Most recently, she co-hosted New Year's Eve in Times Square for the international webcast. Kaitlin graduated the University of Tampa at age 19 with a B.A. in Performing Arts and with secondary studies in Public Relations and Visual Analysis. She worked at Busch Gardens Tampa as part of the original cast of Critter Castaways as a vocalist and trainer. Kaitlin is a former Miss Tampa and currently tours with the USO Liberty Bells performing for our men and women in uniform.

A'Lisa D. Miles (B.J.) is a member of Actors' Equity Association. Her NYC and regional credits include The Flood at Prospect Theater Company, Big River at Goodspeed Musicals and ECU/Loessin Summer Theater; Dessa Rose at New Repertory Theatre; Caroline, or Change at SpeakEasy Stage, Ain't Misbehavin' at Huntington Theatre and Trinity Rep, Beehive! at Ogunquit Playhouse and Foothills Theatre Company (Worcester, MA); The Sunshine Boys (with Dick Van Patten) at Foothills; and A Christmas Carol (with Stacy Keach) at Trinity Rep. She has been featured in jazz festivals around the world, including Boston Jazz Week, Phoenix Jazz Festival (Kobe, Japan) and Istanbul Jazz Festival. A'Lisa is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and is on the Summer Performance Program faculty there.

RACHEL ROSADO (Brenda) is a recent graduate of UConn, and received her BFA in Acting. Her previous credits include: Rent, The Who's Tommy, The Comedy of Errors, Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party, Hair, The Skin of Our Teeth, The Threepenny Opera and Thin Air: Tales from a Revolution at CRT; The Lost Colony at Historic Waterside Theatre in Manteo, NC; Doubt: A Parable, Sarah Plain and Tall and Kiss Me Kate at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre in Holland, MI; and Wider Than the Sky at UConn in collaboration with the Lark Theatre Development Project of NYC.

CHELSEA GIDDEN (DeLee) is a senior Musical Theatre major at Baldwin-Wallace College and a native of Baton Rouge, LA. She was most recently seen in CRT's production of Rent, as well as in Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party directed by Victoria Bussert and in Crimes of the Heart. Last summer, she appeared in Sweet Charity with the Mac-Haydn Theatre in New York. Her additional regional credits include A Christmas Carol at Great Lakes Theatre Festival; and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, High Society, and Hello Dolly at Mac-Haydn Theatre. Chelsea has also been seen in The Pajama Game, A Chorus Line, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Cats.

JAY FRISBY (Adrian) is originally from Columbia, MD and just received his BA in Theater Studies from Yale University. He was a member of the Yale Whiffenpoofs and recently finished a six continent world tour with the singing group. Credits include Ragtime, The Last Five Years, Sideshow, Batboy, Big River, Aida, Angels in America, Tick, Tick, Boom..., West Side Story, and Pippin among others. Jay has spent many years choreographing, and debuted a new work in dance theatre, That We Are, this past fall.

BRANDON MOORHEAD (Michael) hails from the small town of Vinta, OK and recently graduated Oklahoma State University with a BA in performance. His credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Urinetown, Sweet Charity, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Brownstone, Our Town, and The Shape of Things. Professionally, he has worked in Tahlequan, OK with the River City Players in variety shows. His directing credits include As You Like It with the Vinnie Ream Little Theater, The Sandbox with the Frontiers Music Ensemble, and two original productions: Reset and Stop Making Sense.

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