My admiration for Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is second to no one's. The revue Smokey Joe's Café gathers together many of their most popular songs, and almost anyone will find some numbers here that they really enjoy. It was worth the trip to Millburn, NJ to hear the cast's standout vocalist, E. Clayton Cornelious—who has a truly lovely voice and sings with great sincerity—dig into "Stand By Me," "There Goes My Baby" and "Love Me." The nine-member ensemble has fun with such novelties as "Yakety Yak" and "Charlie Brown," evoking the playful feel of the original recordings. Felicia Finley shines on a more thoughtful Leiber & Stoller rarity, "Pearl's a Singer," and the cast brings energy to such familiar favorites as "Jailhouse Rock" (well choreographed by Denis Jones), "Baby, That Is Rock & Roll," "Love Potion Number Nine" and "Saved." Mark S. Hoebee has directed the show with professionalism and flair, and the performers skate over the surfaces of many songs with ease. For me, however, the show wore out its welcome well before it was over. There are forty-two musical numbers—many with a similarly cheery feel—unrelieved by any dialogue. I yearned for some breathing room—some spoken words, some quieter, more touching songs. I found myself counting how many of the musical numbers remained. For me, hearing so many lively songs back-to-back—often done well, but not nearly as effectively as I've heard them done before—grew old. I know there were audience members who enjoyed the show far more than I did. Some told me at intermission that the show was bringing back a lot of memories. But I found myself remembering artists like LaVern Baker and Peggy Lee who'd first sung some of these songs with much greater authority, conviction, sense of personal style, and attitude than could be found here.
(Pictured: E. Clayton Cornelious. Photo by T. Charles Erickson)
Chip Deffaa
Cabaret Scenes
April 23, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org
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