Smokey Joe’s Cafe

The musical Smokey Joe’s Cafe really isn’t. A musical, that is. It’s actually a string of hits by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, presented by an eight-member song-and-dance team with no dialogue or storyline. Backed up by a seven-member live band, the musical numbers will transport Runaway Stage Productions’ audiences back to the duo’s hit-making days of the 1950s and ’60s.

There are more than 40 songs in this production, covering the careers of those Leiber and Stoller made famous, including Elvis Presley, the Drifters, the Coasters, Peggy Lee and Perry Como. Nearly all the songs are part of the melodic vernacular of American music, such as the instantly recognizable “On Broadway,” “Hound Dog,” “Stand By Me,” “Love Potion No. 9” and “Yakety Yak.”

The songs are presented as little skits, mostly with a humorous slant. The performers give it their all, though some clearly were chosen for their vocal chords, not their footwork. Tristan Rumery, Tina Day and Lorraine DeArco are standouts, able to deliver both singing and dancing laced with personality plus.