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 CaféSmokey 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.
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.Videos