Productions
Smokey Joe's Cafe was conceived by Stephen Helper, Jack Viertel, and Otis Sallid. Presented in a revue format with no unifying theme, it showcases 39 songs, sung by members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. The musical had its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, where it ran from November 1994 to January 22, 1995.
The revue opened on Broadway on March 2, 1995 at the Virginia Theatre and closed on January 16, 2000 after 2,036 performances. Directed by Jerry Zaks with choreography by Joey McKneely, the nine person cast featured Ken Ard, Adrian Bailey, Brenda Braxton, Victor Trent Cook, B. J. Crosby, Pattie D'Arcy Jones, DeLee Lively, Frederick B. Owens, and Michael Park. Throughout its run, there were special appearances by many popular singers, including Ben E. King (December 1998), Pam Tillis (April 1999), Gladys Knight (May 1999), Tony Orlando (June 1999), Lou Rawls (April 1999), Gloria Gaynor (August 1999) and Rick Springfield (October 1999). Gladys Knight also appeared in the tour when it played Boston in February 2000, and a production at Caesar's Palace Circus Maximus, Las Vegas in March–June 2000. The final Broadway performance was filmed and later released on DVD in 2001.
It premiered in the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre on October 1, 1996 and ran through January 1, 1997. Zaks directed and McKneely choreographed, with some of the Broadway cast (Cook, Lively, and Crosby) repeating their roles.
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