SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Extends; CLOSER THAN EVER Announced At The Landor

The Landor Theatre's acclaimed production of ‘Smokey Joe's Cafe' is to extend its record-breaking run by three weeks. The first major production of the musical since its West?End run at the?Prince of Wales Theatre in 1996, will now play until Sunday September 12. It had been booking to August 12.

Melanie La Barrie has now joined the cast, replacing 80s disco diva Kym Mazelle, who left on Sunday July 25, as advertised, due to prior work commitments in the USA. The cast also includes ‘Over the Rainbow' semi-finalist Steph Fearon.

Smokey Joe's?Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll, rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

Melanie La Barrie has just completed the workshop production of ‘Matilda' for the RSC. Other theatre credits include: Mrs Fezziwig in ‘A Christmas Carol' (Birmingham Rep); Mama Euralie in ‘Once On This Island' (Hackney Empire);Ma Rainey in ‘Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (Liverpool Playhouse); The Nurse in ‘The Sunshine Boys' (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Desdamona in ‘Rue Magique' (King's Head), Mme Thernardier in ‘Les Miserables' (Queens), Pearl in ‘Daddy Cool' (Shaftesbury), Mrs Corry in ‘Mary Poppins' original cast (Prince Edward), Woman Of The World in Blues In The Night (West Yorkshire Playhouse), and Miss Sherman in Fame (National Tour).

With a cast of major West End stars - Clare Burt, Michael Cahill, Ria Jones and Glyn Kerslake - CLOSER?THAN?EVER promises to be one of the most exciting musical theatre events of the year.

CLOSER?THAN?EVER will run at the Landor Theatre from Tuesday 14 September to Saturday 9 October.

CLOSER?THAN?EVER is a joyous, award-winning musical revue, featuring 25 memorable songs by composers Maltby and Shire, in which they turn an unblinking and frank spotlight on lives and loves, relationships and fantasies, wicked satire and the ache of love unrequited or dimmed by time. The result is truly a revue for today.