BWW Reviews: Stages St. Louis' Rollicking Good Time at SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE

Stages St. Louis opens their 29th season with an all out party, with their audience-pleasing presentation of Smokey Joe's Cafe, which celebrates the musical collaborations of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Now, if you want to know their backstory, then read their autobiography, "Hound Dog", but if you just want to have a blast of an evening, then sit back and enjoy this imaginative musical tribute to 39 of their songs, keeping in mind that's just the tip of the iceberg for these Brill Building wonders who had 70 charted hits over the course of their writing partnership. Stages really pulls out all the stops to make sure that each number is unique in its own way, and when they aren't seriously rocking the house, they are either scorching hot, or just plain hilarious. You won't want to miss this rollicking revue!

For those who are curious, Jerry Leiber (lyrics) and Mike Stoller (music and occasional lyrics) worked with some of the hottest writers (Doc Pomus, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil,and others) and artists, although most people know them best for their associations with Elvis Presley, The Drifters, Ben E. King and The Coasters. But, their stuff crossed over to all genres, equally at home on the rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop charts, with their clever and catchy tunes and production work. Smokey Joe's Cafe celebrates that legacy with an irresistibly infectious enthusiasm.

Every performer in this show makes an impression, and each get moments that allow them to shine. Josh A. Dawson (Ken), Kent Overshown (Adrian), J Nycole Ralph (Brenda), Richard Crandle (Victor), Keisha Gilles (B.J.), Emily Afton (Pattie), Bronwyn Tarboton (Delee), Brent Michael Diroma (Michael), and Jason Samuel (Fred) all do superior work vocally, contributing wonderful harmonies when backing up one another, and sparkling when they get the opportunity to take the lead. Each brings plenty of attitude and sass when required, but they can also produce a sound as smooth as glass. Personal favorites include some rarely heard songs like "Pearl's A Singer", "Ruby Baby","Don Juan", and "Shoppin' for Clothes", as well as "Some Cats Know". However, there were also plenty of wonderfully sung standards like "On Broadway", "There Goes My Baby", "Spanish Harlem", "Stand By Me", the fiery "I'm A Woman", and many, many others.

Stephen Bourneuf's work directing, staging, and choreography (with Peggy Taphorn) lends each musical selection its own colorful identity. This is enhanced greatly by James Wolk's cool, retro scenic design, and Matthew McCarthy's lighting, which both act to set the various moods depicted. Brad Musgrove's costume designs are just terrific, changing palettes with just about every number, and Lisa Campbell Albert's musical direction is superb, as always.

Lieber and Stoller wrote some fantastic material over their career, and Stages St. Louis' production of Smokey Joe's Cafe captures their magic in an absolutely delightful show that the whole family can enjoy. Catch it through June 28, 2015!