Town Hall Theatre's SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Showcases Local Talent

Town Hall Theatre Company (THT) is excited to announce the next show in its 2016-2017 Season, the show-stopping, Tony-nominated musical revue, SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ - The Songs of Leiber and Stoller.

SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ will have 12 performances, including two previews, March 2 through March 25, 2017, atTown Hall Theatre Company, 3535 School Street, in Lafayette, CA. Tickets are $20 - $32, and are available through the Box Office at (925) 283-1557 or online at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

THT will host three Special Events for SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ: Opening Night, March 4, 2017, we invite you to meet and greet THT's new Artistic Director Susan E. Evans before the show, with a wine tasting offered by The Henry Wine Group and music from the Campolindo Singers. On March 10, 2017, we invite Lamorinda businesses and individuals involved in the arts community to gather in our lobby before the show and meet members of the Lamorinda Arts Council. On March 19, 2017, members of Clayton Valley, Lamorinda and Walnut Creek Villages are invited to attend the 2:00pm matinee performance and meet volunteers from the Village Network who will share the Network's wide array of membership services.

THT's production of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ is directed by Lauren Rosi and features an impressive ensemble of local performers, all of them new to the Town Hall stage: Natalie Buster, Elizabeth Curtis, Jamail Davis, Jacqueline Dennis, Cadarious Mayberry, Branden Thomas, Erica Richardson and Glen Riggs.

"SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ tugs at my heartstrings," says Director Rosi. "This show is filled with the music my parents listened to, music I was raised on. And now, while walking around my own neighborhood, I hear the opening number, 'Neighborhood', in my head. The soundtrack perfectly combines elements of my past and my present."

SMOKEY JOE'S cast member Elizabeth Curtis starred in Center Rep's just-closed It Shoulda Been You at the Lesher Center. Fellow cast member Erica Richardson shared the stage with Director Rosi in the wildly successful2011 CCMT production of Hairspray.

"To the baby-boom generation, the songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are as sacrosanct as George Gershwin is to their parents." -- The New York Times

Grammy Award-winning SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ is the longest-running musical revue to play Broadway, featuring some of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's best known rock 'n' roll hits, including "Hound Dog," "Stand by Me," "Yakety Yak," "Jailhouse Rock," "Spanish Harlem," "On Broadway," "Kansas City," "Love Potion #9," "Fools Fall in Love" and more. Called "wildly infectious" by The New York Daily News, each compelling song is a complete story - of love, romance, dreams won and lost -- told with a little humor and style and a lot of heart.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Lauren Rosi's Bay Area acting credits include CalShakes, OMG I Love That Show Productions, California Conservatory Theater, Contra Costa Civic Theater, Contra Costa Music Theater, New Conservatory Theater, Ross Valley Players, Berkeley Playhouse, B Street Theater, Woodminster Summer Musicals and Town Hall Theatre Company where she is acting Board President. She has served as a teaching artist, choreographer, and director at Ray of Light Theater (BATCC Award), Town Hall Theatre, Diablo Theatre Company, Berkeley Playhouse, and the Young Conservatory @ the American Conservatory Theater where she received the 2012 Distinguished Artist Mentor Award. Ms. Rosi currently serves at the Director of the Theater Department at St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda.

ABOUT TOWN HALL THEATRE COMPANY

Established in 1944 as the Dramateurs, Town Hall Theatre turned 72 this year, making it the oldest continuously active theatre in Contra Costa County. Town Hall Theatre was awarded Best Theatre Troupe 2016 in Diablo Magazines, Best of The East Bay, and is the past recipient of numerous Shellie Awards. THT received four regional 2016 Theatre Bay Area Awards, and is currently nominated for eight Shellie Awards. THT is also home to an extensive children's educational program, twice voted the Best Children's Theatre Company by Bay Area Parent Magazine. THT's 102-year old historical building is managed by the Lafayette Association (LIA).

The Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday, 4:00 to 6:00PM and Saturday 2:00-4:00 pm and can be reached at925.283.1557. Information is also available at www.TownHallTheatre.com.

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