paulkuritz.com

A June 23,2013 visit to beautiful and historic Cain Park to see Smokey Joe’s Cafe – a musical revue so good it made us forget the heat and me forget how many years since I first heard Leiber and Stoller’s tunes. Seamless collaboration between director Scott Plate and choreographer Gregory Daniels produced an all-singing/all-dancing ensemble in which each of the great talents (Kelly Autry, Ellis C Dawson III, Katherine Deboer, Julia Rose Hines, Darryl Lewis, Eugene L. Sumlin, Nicole Sumlin, Malik Victorian and Nyla “Saved” Watson) had their own show-stopper. The songs have been imaginatively reinterpreted, through musical director Nathan Motta, to stunning effect – the originals are either forgotten or pale in comparison. As a result, by the time “Stand By Me” wafts over the stage, the audience has no choice but to stand, clap, and cheer a magnificent show.