BWW Reviews: SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Swings and Shimmies into Theatre By The Sea

Smokey Joe's Cafe, the longest running musical revue in Broadway history, kicks of the summer season at Theatre by the Sea. The show is a solid and energetic spectacle, but drags in certain sections, and seems hemmed in by the small size of the stage and the sound of the live band.

The show includes 39 rock and R&B classics written by the songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including "Jail House Rock", "Stand By Me", "Spanish Harlem", "Love Potion #9" and "Yakkity Yak". The songs are presented in no particular order, with no dialogue from the cast. Music direction by Mike Moise rounds out a bustling and whirlwind two hours of song and dance.

The show begins is a neighborhood set reminiscent of New York in the 1950s. The band are set to the back of the stage behind glass that reads Smokey Joe's Cafe. In the foreground of the stage, the nine main cast members sing and dance their way from song to song with nary a rest in between. It's a frenetic and almost exhausting to watch spectacle, but is punctuated with good humor and light audience participation.

The songs are old and familiar, but the choreography is unique to this show. Despite the small size of the stage, several songs and performances didn't quite manage to command the space as well as was expected, and some were just outright bad. Unfortunately, Patrick Graver's "Jailhouse Rock" was the least rocking song of the evening, but other standout performances by Kevin Curtis in "D.W. Washburn", Brittany Walters in "Don Juan" and Kevin Curtis, Malcolm Armwood, Israel R. Hillery and Darrell T. Joe in "Keep on Rollin" managed to entertain and surprise the crowd. By far the standout performance of the night was Mary Claire King's dancing in "Teach Me How To Shimmy". Clad in a hot pink fringed flapper dress, she writhed and shook and absolutely stole the show from her co-performers.

Alana Cauthen also deserves a special mention. Her vocals were the strongest of the evening and brought a soulful and heartbreaking edge to the songs "Saved" and "Hound Dog" that might have otherwise sounded a bit generic.

This is certainly a show that appeals more to the Baby Boomer generation, but still has something for music lovers of all ages. Unfortunately, despite the energy of many of the performances, watching people sing and dance for two hours without any kind of story arc or cohesion between songs is initially a little jarring, and can get old rather quickly. The cast does well at keeping momentum high, but can't do anything to give the show a structure.

Theatre By The Sea's production of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, runs through June 21, 2015. For tickets and information call (401) 782-8587, visit www.theatrebythesea.com, or visit the box office in person at 364 Cards Pond Rd., Wakefield, RI.

Brittany Walters, Kendall Hope, Mary Claire King, and Alan Cauthen in 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at Theatre By The Sea thru June 21. Photo by Steven Richard Photograpy

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