BYU NewsNet - 'Smokey Joe's' Playing at SCERA

The longest-running Broadway song and dance revue, "Smokey Joe's Café: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller," is playing at the SCERA Center for the Arts from now until April 28.

"Smokey Joe's Café" is set in the 1950s and celebrates many great rock n' roll and pop songs. Stacey Bills, the choreographer for the performance, said many of the songs are well-known.

"The music is amazing," Bills said. "Some of the songs will be very familiar to people and they will be surprised that many of the songs they know are actually from 'Smokey Joe's café.'"

Some songs include "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," "Love Potion No. 9" and "Standy by Me," which will be performed by 15 vocalists and 25 dancers from Orem's Center Stage Performing Arts Studio.

The director, Shawn Mortensen, said that the high quality of the performers from Center Stage was a reason for Bills and himself to choose to do "Smokey Joe's Café"

at the SCERA.

"The caliber of the singers is definitely professional," Mortensen said. "A lot of the dancers are from pre-professional teams from Center Stage, and we both felt that the dancers were really professional. We felt they could handle the performance required for the show, and so we decided to work with them."

Bills said the show would be very enjoyable and said the show's "story-line" is very interesting.

"It's a show that's made so that everyone of all ages can enjoy it," Bills said. "We've been rehearsing for two months now, and the set is absolutely amazing. As for the story, there is no real story. It's a music review with songs and music, and that's what's fun about it. It's mindless entertainment."

"Smokey Joe's Café" will play Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Reserved-seat tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for seniors (65+), students (w/ID) and children (3-11). Visit www.scera.org for more information.