Play Review
'Smokey Joe's Café' a rockin' good revue
By Cary Ginell Special to The Acorn

SMOKIN'- From left, Nataly Wright, Karen McClain, Leslie Spencer Smith and Niles Rivers star in "Smokey Joe's Café," a five-time Tony-nominated musical review. The fun-filled musical journey is presented by Cabrillo Music Theatre at the Fred Kavli Theatre in the T.O. Civic Arts Plaza through April 1.

The musical revue has been around as long as there have been Broadway shows, and "Smokey Joe's Café," the musical homage to songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller now being presented at the Civic Arts Plaza's Kavli Theatre, is a prime example of how good a revue can be.

How can you miss, when you can mine the rich lode of early rock 'n' roll, R&B, and torch ballads written by the pair mostly during the 1950s and '60s? Since its Broadway debut in 1995, the show (named for a song the two wrote for vocal group the Robins) has been nominated for a basketful of Tonys, won a Grammy and holds the record for the longestrunning revue (2,036 performances) in Broadway history.

In a revue, songs aren't necessarily written for the production and are usually accompanied by a threadbare plot, if any. Original director Paul David Bryant wisely chose not to include a story line in this fastmoving mixture of Leiber and Stoller favorites and undeserved obscurities.

Cabrillo Music Theatre, always faithful to original productions, does a masterful job of bringing the show off, casting nine superbly talented performers in the nameless roles. With no plot, minimal sets and props, a small band seated on an upstage riser and nonintrusive lighting effects, the songs are left to speak for themselves, and the result is immensely entertaining.

Both Leiber and Stoller were born on the East Coast but met as teenagers in Los Angeles in 1950. The hits started coming almost immediately, with the pair writing songs that were short, snappy and a perfect fit for the burgeoning new world of Top 40 AM radio.

The lyrics, unlike the workmanlike songs from Tin Pan Alley, reflected the language, feelings and exuberance of teenagers, both white and black. Their 1953 song "Hound Dog" made a star of an earthy blues singer from Alabama named Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. From there, the sky was the limit, as Leiber and Stoller crafted hit after hit for dozens of R&B and early rock 'n' roll performers- most notably, Elvis Presley and the Coasters.

Although it doesn't have a plot, "Smokey Joe's Café" did offer ingenuity in the presentation of the songs- in particular, a marvelous medley of "Love Me" and "Don't," two early Elvis hits; a segue from The Monkees' "D.W. Washburn" into the LaVern Baker gospel shout, "Saved," in which members of the cast attempt to convert "derelict" Niles Rivers; and another charming Baker number, "You're the Boss," a wry battle of the sexes between Michael Shepperd and Nataly Wright.

In addition to the L&S songs everyone knows from oldies radio ("Yakety Yak," "Love Potion #9," "On Broadway"), the show also includes some delectable, yet forgotten, gems, such as "Keep on Rollin'" (a rare flop by the Coasters from 1961), the raucous "Teach Me How to Shimmy" (Isley Brothers, also from 1961), and the sultry "Some Cats Know," a 1975 offering by Peggy Lee.

Of course, the standout classics were those made famous by Elvis and the Coasters. Thankfully, the producers chose to resist temptation by not parodying Presley, and other than an occasional "thank you, ma'am" here and leg twitch there, songs made famous by The King emphasized the song rather than the hit maker, including an excellent "Jailhouse Rock" by cast member Alistair Tober.

As for the quintessential L&S hit, "Hound Dog," it was the 1953 Thornton bumpandgrind version that was presented (lustily sung by Thornton look-alike Karen McClain), rather than the watered down arrangement devised for Elvis three years later. The cast had the most fun with the Coasters' hits- the silly but infectious novelties that brought L&S their greatest fame.

Before the Beatles began writing their own songs and changed rock 'n' roll forever, Leiber and Stoller were the standard bearers of the genre. "Smokey Joe's Café" puts an exclamation mark on both their genius and their impact on American popular music.

Cabrillo Music Theatre's presentation of "Smokey Joe's Café" continues through April 1 at the Civic Arts Plaza's Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Performance times are Thurs. and Fri., March 29 and 30 at 8 p.m.; Sat., March 31 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sun., April 1 at 2 p.m.

Individual ticket prices are $23 to $52. For more information, visit the Civic Arts Plaza box office or cabrillomusictheatre.com.