BWW Blog: Auggie Rodriques - Smokey Joe's Café Woodlawn Theatre

When I saw Smokey Joe's Café on Woodlawn's 2014 list, I just knew I had to audition! The show, full of crooning from the talented Leiber and Stoller, brings me back to my childhood where we'd gather around the record player and listen to such groups as The Coasters and The Drifters.

Woodlawn Theatre, a historic building itself, helps us as performers really feel the nostalgia that comes with each song we perform. Unlike most castings where several people are singing the same part, Smokey Joe's has certainly been the most challenging as each performer sings his or her own lines, leaving no room for error.

The cast, full of some of the most soulful singers in San Antonio, still has me in awe each rehearsal, as we get closer to opening night.

In typical Woodlawn fashion, the set and lighting really helps take us performers and the audience to a place where music trumped television and doo-wop reigned supreme.

For me, this is one show I will never forget and one that brings me back to a time full of four-part harmonies and singing in the streets for one shiny dime. It is a must-see for the whole family, and is guaranteed to have you leaving the theatre singing and dancing all the way home!

Smokey Joe's Café runs August 15 to September 14 at the historic Woodlawn Theatre, 1920 Fredericksburg Rd., in San Antonio's historic Deco District.

Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.woodlawntheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 210-267-8388. Prices are $15 for students and children, $20 for seniors and military, and $23 for adults.

Special dates:

There will be no show on Saturday, September 6, as the cast of Smokey Joe's Café will be performing at the Woodlawn Theatre's first-ever gala. For more info on that, visit http://www.woodlawntheatre.org/gala.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Medina