The final offering of the 2016 season at the Drayton Festival Theatre is a high energy musical review.
Smokey Joe’s Café pays homage to a songwriting duo who churned out a string of hits made famous by a parade of popular artists through the ‘50s and ‘60s.
The show, which highlights the music of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, is a straight up musical review which, unhindered by any significant effort at story-telling, provides a lightning-paced stroll through the duo’s chart-topping hits, including several by the King of Rock and Roll himself.
All told, Leiber and Stoller wrote 20 songs for Elvis Presley, including Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock, which provide two of the more memorable numbers in this show.
Smokey Joe’s Café also features iconic tunes such as On Broadway, Yakety Yak, Fools Fall in Love and Spanish Harlem. Love Potion Number Nine is among the show stoppers, with Lee Siegel taking the lead and Mark Cassius providing some intriguing vocals as well.
Saved, with Aurianna Angelique leading the company through a raucous gospel-style number, closes out the first act with the audience left excited for what’s still to come.
The nine-member cast also features Michael Clarke, Graham Scott Fleming, Kira Guloien, Jenn Kee, Shahi Teruko and David Lopez, all first-rate singers with powerful voices that do justice to the classic tunes they are provided.
By the time they deliver a stirring rendition of Stand By Me, the opening night audience was spellbound and applauding by the opening strains of each number.
While cast members were clearly chosen for their vocal talent, they did an astounding job of providing non-stop dance action, especially with the number of costume changes required to keep this type of show flowing. Each cast member got at least a turn or two in the spotlight and at no point did any of them disappoint.
Director and choreographer Mike Jackson expertly propels the cast through a show that moves seamlessly from number to number with plenty of action and flair.
Music director Michael Barber leads a six-piece band that lets cast members show off their vocal powers and set designer Samantha Burson creates a glittery stream of locations for them to spin through.
Costumes and lighting, designed by Adrienne Vranckaert and Jason Hand respectively, were showy and perfect for a production that calls for style and flash, although on a couple of occasions it might have been possible to provide backlighting to a number without shining a spotlight right in the eyes of those seated at the orchestra level.
Smokey Joe’s Café delivers just what it promises, plenty of fun and the feel of a night at the hottest joint in town.
The show runs until Sept. 3 at the Drayton Festival Theatre. Tickets are $44 for adults, $26 for youth under 20 years of age and $36 for groups of 20 or more.
Tickets may be purchased online at draytonentertainment.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment box office, or by calling toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
