Smokey Joe's Cafe

Smokey Joe's Cafe
The Songs of Leiber and Stoller
Original Cast Recording
Music	Jerry Leiber Mike Stoller
Lyrics	Jerry Leiber Mike Stoller
Book	Revue
Productions	1995 Broadway 1996 West End

Smokey Joe's Cafe is a musical revue showcasing 39 pop standards, including rock and roll and rhythm and blues songs written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Original Broadway cast recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs Of Leiber And Stoller, won a Grammy award in 1996.

After a Los Angeles tryout, the revue opened on Broadway in 1995, running for 2,036 performances, making it the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history. It also had a London run in 1996.

In revue format with no unifying theme, the 39 songs are presented by various members of the cast in various combinations, with no dialogue. There are novelty songs ("Charlie Brown"), romantic ballads ("Spanish Harlem"), and infectious melodies ("There Goes My Baby").

Music and lyrics for all songs are by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, unless otherwise noted. The song "Smokey Joe's Cafe" is not performed in the show, although a brief instrumental excerpt is used in Act II as transitional music.

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 Doolittle 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.