BWW Interviews: T. Oliver Reid Talks Rockin' SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE at Miller Outdoor Theatre

Keeping with tradition, TUTS presents its annual free summer show at Miller Outdoor Theatre, where the internationally renowbed theater company humbly began in 1968. BroadwayWorld.com talks to actor and singer T. Oliver Reid about his role in the sizzling summer production, SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, a Tony Award-nominated and Grammy Award-winning 39-song revue that features hits by legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

---

BroadwayWorld: How are you and the musical director approaching your songs?

T. Oliver Reid: It's a bit of a collaboration and paying a little bit of an homage to the songs and to the original Broadway performers. But for each of the songs and for all of us, it's also about us finding what is true to us and the lyrics. Each character has its own life and personality.

SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE has a very loose structure. That seems like it would put quite a lot of weight on the performers.

Absolutely, [but] I think it's different for each person. Doing my own solo shows has been helpful with [focusing on] the strength of the voice and being able to get through an hour and a half or two hours of straight singing without much of a break. But everyone seems to be doing really well with it on top of allergies and the heat of Houston. [Laughs]

Does it help that many of the songs are narrative driven?

I think it always does. If there is a clear narrative and clear story, it just helps us in every way to tell our stories and to act them and sing them.

What are some of your favorite songs to perform from the show?

"Stand by Me" without a doubt. It's just one of-- I don't even know how to explain it. It's kind of genius that it is placed at the end of the evening and it just wraps up everything in a tidy little bow. And the lyrics are perfection. That is my favorite of the songs I sing, but I love them all.

What are some of your favorite to listen to?

Of the other songs, "Spanish Harlem" is one of my favorites. "I Who Have Nothing" is one of my favorite songs that Shirley Bassey sings. It's and the person who sings it is going to knock your socks off in this show as well. [Pauses] Honestly-and this is not me saying this because I'm in the show [I Laugh]-there really aren't any clunkers in the show.

Well, they're all hits.

Even the ones that you don't know or ones you wouldn't necessarily find yourself moving towards, you go "Oh, yeah. That's a great song!" All the songs are really enjoyable and great in their own way. There are a few that, when I came in I said, "I've never heard this song in my life." But they're great songs, nonetheless.

OK, so besides the fact that it's the summer-time for fun-and it's a free show. Why should Houstonians flock [I Laugh] to see SMOKEY JOE'S?

Because I'm in it. [Laughs] It's a great show. It is a great show, and it's been put together well. I don't know that you're ever going to hear these songs as well as you're going to hear them sung [this weekend]. The group that's been put together is a powerhouse group that will give you everything that you need to hear from each of these songs.

That's a huge promise. You better deliver.

It's a huge promise, but I don't think anyone will feel they've been misled in any way. It will be a feast for the ears, no doubt.

---

For more information about T. Oliver Reid, please visit http://www.toliverreid.com/.

SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, TUTS' 48th consecutive summer show at Miller Outdoor Theatre, runs through this weekend. Performances are at 8:15 p.m. at Miller Outdoor Theatre, 6000 Hermann Park Drive. Tickets are FREE.*** To pre-order tickets, please visit TUTS.com/DonateNow or call 713.558.2651.

***Free reserved tickets for the covered seats are available on the day of performance between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Miller Theatre Box Office. Tickets are limited to four per person and ticketholders are asked to arrive early, as any unfilled seats will be released to the general public at 8 p.m. As always, free seating on the hill is on a first-come, first-served basis.

To post a comment, you must register and login.