SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE Comes to the Harris Center, Jan 2-3

The 20th Anniversary National Tour of 'Broadway's longest running musical revue,' Smokey Joe's Café, rocks its way to Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom opening January 2, 2015. This toe-tapping musical features some 38 Billboard hits from the legendary team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. This show, billed as 'the hottest joint in town', is directed by Tony Award nominee Chet Walker and features the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame group, The Coasters. The full Smokey Joe's Cafeì cast of fourteen singers and dancers perform to a live on-stage musical ensemble.

Smokey Joe's Cafeì made its Broadway debut on March 2, 1995 at the Virginia Theatre. During the show's milestone run of 4 years and 11 months, the production became Broadway's longest running musical revue, playing 2,036 performances. The New York Daily News calls Smokey Joe's Cafeì "wildly infectious" and Time Magazine says, "It sails and soars!"

Smokey Joe's Cafeì: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller plays Friday, January 2, 2015 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 2 and 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $39-$59; Premium $69. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Smokey Joe's Cafeì features songs made famous by rock 'n roll pioneers like The Drifters and Elvis Presley. Throughout his career, Presley recorded more than twenty Leiber and Stoller hits. Show songs include "On Broadway," "Hound Dog," "Fools Fall in Love," "Spanish Harlem" and the show stopping "Jailhouse Rock." The musical's soundtrack recording won a Grammy Award in 1996.

As an added bonus, this National Tour features beloved rock 'n roll ensemble The Coasters, who also recorded over twenty Leiber and Stoller songs from "Dance with Me," "Searchin," "Poison Ivy," and "Love Potion #9." In Smokey Joe's Café many of their songs are spread throughout the show with such fun numbers as "Charley Brown," "Yakety Yak" and the title song "Smokey Joe's Café." The Coasters were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 - fittingly, alongside songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

"Smokey Joe's Cafeì" is a superb tribute to these legendary songwriters. They ushered in the era of rock 'n roll, by penning numerous songs that rose to Billboard charts in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Stylistically, their songs ranged from humorous high-energy tunes, to more somber ballads - all grounded in rhythm and blues. As lyricists, the team became known for their storytelling ability and wit, as well as their depictions of teenage life during the era.

Tony Award nominee Chet Walker directs and choreographs this production. Walker received a 2013 Tony Award nomination for the revival of Pippin, directed by Diane Paulus and still winning nightly ovations on Broadway. He won the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Astaire Award for his choreography of the Steven Schwartz musical. Walker, a longtime associate of Bob Fosse, conceived the choreography for Fosse, winner of the 1999 Tony Award for Best Musical.

The Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million facility built with a combination of state, regional, local and private funds. Harris Center has three intimate theaters, an art gallery, a recording studio, elegant teaching spaces, plenty of safe parking and all the other amenities of a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. The Harris Center presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

The Harris Center for the Arts (formerly Three Stages) is named to honor Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the capital region, including the vision and leadership he provided in opening this regional arts center.

DETAILS:

Smokey Joe's Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller

When: Friday, January 2, 2015 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, January 3, 2015 at 2 and 7:30 pm

Where: Harris Center for the Arts at Folsom Lake College, 10 College Parkway, Folsom, CA 95630

Price: Tickets are priced at $39-$59; Premium $69

Tickets are available online at www.HarrisCenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time.