Jelani Remy and more to star in Smokey Joe's Cafe off-Broadway revival

Smokey Joe's Cafe begins performances at Stage 42 on July 6, 2018.

Casting is now complete for the upcoming off-Broadway revival of Smokey Joe's Cafe, which is set to begin previews at Stage 42 on July 6, 2018, before an official opening on July 22.

The nine-member ensemble cast includes Dwayne Cooper, Emma Degerstedt, John Edwards, Dionne D. Figgins, Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, Kyle Taylor Parker, Jelani Remy, Max Sangerman and Alysha Umphress.

Broadway's longest running musical revue was co-conceived by Stephen Helper and Jack Viertel, and this revival production is directed and choreographed by Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Joshua Bergasse.

The Grammy Award winning and Tony Award nominated musical revue celebrates the best songs of the legendary song writing duo, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Their generation-defining songs climbed the Billboard charts and provided hit after hit for icons like Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, The Coasters, and The Drifters. With themes of love won, lost and imagined, their songs touched global audiences with wit and emotion. Audiences will be treated to more than 30 show stopping tunes including classics like "On Broadway," "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," "Love Potion #9," "Spanish Harlem," and "Stand by Me."

The creative team behind Smokey Joe's Cafe features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Alejo Vietti, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Peter Fitzgerald, original vocal arrangements by Chapman Roberts, orchestrations by Steve Margoshes, and music supervision, new arrangements and orchestrations by Sonny Paladino.

The production is also scheduled to play The Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine from May 16 through to June 9.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is produced off-Broadway by the show's original producers Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel and Tom Viertel.

The original Broadway run of Smokey Joe's Cafe officially opened at the Virginia Theatre on March 2, 1995, following previews from February, and finally closed on January 16, 2000, after a total of 2,036 performances.

Smokey Joe's Cafe Tickets are available now for performances from July 6, 2018 through to January 6, 2019.

^{(Photo courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown)}