DWAYNE COOPER is pleased to make his debut at Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway: Hairspray, Motown; National Tours: Showboat, Seussical The Musical, Smokey Joe's Cafe; Regional: Jesus Christ Superstar; Film/TV: "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," "Law and Order," "The Get Down," "The Deuce," "RuPaul's Drag Race;" Principal Singer aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines and founding member/bass singer of The Doo Wop Project. Special thanks to Mike Stoller, the SJC NY and Ogunquit Team for believing in me, my partner Stas, family and friends. I dedicate my performances to former Coaster and fellow "svelte bass singer" the late great, Ronnie Bright. Don't give up on your dreams because your map is yours only. Be a star wherever you are in the world. www.thedoowopproject.com

EMMA DEGERSTEDT is thrilled to make her Ogunquit Playhouse debut! She was recently seen originating the lead role of Susanna in the hit Off-Broadway musical, Desperate Measures. Previously she starred as Ariel in The Little Mermaid at the MUNY. TV/Film: "Unfabulous" on Nickelodeon (Maris, Young Artist Award), "The Big Bang Theory," "Hannah Montana," "Life," "Monk," "Samantha Who?," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button;" Theatre: Legally Blonde (Elle Woods, Los Angeles Ovation nomine), 13 (originated Kendra, Mark Taper Forum), A Chorus Line (Cassie, Val), Company (April), Xanadu (Kira), Footloose (Ariel), Rocky Horror Show (Janet), and Sleeping Beauty (originated Aurora, Pasadena Playhouse). Love to Mom, Dad, John, DGRW, and Tara Rubin Casting. IG: @officialemmadegs

JOHN EDWARDS is so excited to be in a part of this incredible company! Theatre credits include: Jersey Boys (Hal Miller/others, Broadway and National Tour), I Am: Anne Hutchinson/Harvey Milk starring Andrew Lippa and Kristin Chenoweth (Castro Soloist/choir member), In The Heights at the Kennedy Center, Rock of Ages (Mayor/Ja'Keith), Hairspray (Seaweed, National Tour), Dreamgirls (Jimmy Early), Five Guys Named Moe (Little Moe); Member of the Grammy-nominated gospel choir Broadway Inspirational Voices. Special thanks to GOD, my family and friends. Peace Love and Light. IG: @therealjohnedwards

DIONNE D. FIGGINS is pleased to make her debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway: Motown (OBC, U/S Diana Ross, Lunt-Fontaine), Leap of Faith (Assistant Choreographer, St. James Theatre), Memphis (OBC, Asst. Dance Capt., Shubert Theatre), Hot Feet (OBC, U/S Kalimba, Fox Theatre); Off-Broadway: Trip of Love (Jennifer, Stage 42), Soul Doctor (U/S Nina Simone, NY Theatre Workshop); Regional: Happy Hour the Musical: Prohibition Edition (Madame Lulu White, Co-Choreographer, NCL), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Brenda, El Portal Theatre, Ovation Nominee), Chicago (Velma, New Theatre); Film: "Across the Universe" (East Village Denizen), "Louis" (Muse); TV: "Flesh and Bone" (Yasmine), "Power," "She's Gotta Have It," "Glee," "House;" Former member of Dance Theatre of Harlem and Guest Artist with Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Co-Founder of Broadway Serves. Figgins Tribe Forever! IG: @ddfiggs

NICOLE VANESSA ORTIZ originally from New Jersey, is a Vocal Major Alumni of Arts High School of Performing Arts in Newark, NJ and has been exposed to many genres of music such as: Gospel, Blues, Jazz, DooWop, Disco, Soul, R&B, Pop, Rock, Classical, as well as Musical Theater. In 2017, she made her debut as the leading lady in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway parody, Spamilton. Today she currently stands as the 1st Grand Prize Winner of Empire City Casino Lucky Break Season 1, 1st Grand Prize Winner of "Wendy's Next Great Voice" 2012 on the "Wendy Williams Show," 2012 Super Top Dog Finalist of Amateur Night at the Apollo, 1st Place winner of Amateur Night Goes to London at the Apollo and a Top 45 finalist of "American Idol" Season 5. She is incredibly grateful to be in the Smokey Joe's Cafe cast and gives thanks to God, her family and friends for the continued love and support!

KYLE TAYLOR PARKER Recently seen on NBC in "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert." Known for his work in the original Broadway casts of Kinky Boots and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Other credits include: Off-Broadway: Finian's Rainbow; Tours: Kinky Boots (Lola), In the Heights; Regional: Dreamgirls, Hair, I Left My Heart; Solo Concert: "The Soul Session." IG @ktpway.

JELANI REMY is thrilled to be making his Ogunquit Playhouse debut in Smokey Joe's Cafe! Broadway: The Lion King (Simba), National Tours: High School Musical (Chad), The Lion King (Simba); Regional: High School Musical 2! (Chad), Parade (Jim Conley), Cabaret (Bobby), The Lion King (Swing); A New Jersey native who has a passion for directing, choreography and teaching. Thanks to God, his family and friends and this incredible cast and crew! "Be the change that you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi. IG: @itsjelaniremy

MAXIMILIAN SANGERMAN is so pumped be making his Ogunquit and Stage 42 debut. NY Theatre: Blue Man Group, SPUN: A new rock musical, The Lightning Thief (First National Tour), The Shakespearean Jazz Show, God Lives in Glass (LPAC); Other Theatre: The 12 (Denver Center of Performing Arts), The Buddy Holly Story, Rocky Horror (Bucks County Playhouse); B.F.A. in Musical Theatre Emerson College. Thanks and love to DGRW, Tara Rubin Casting, my friends and my beautiful family. @maxsangs

ALYSHA UMPHRESS is pleased to make her debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Broadway: On The Town (Hildy), American Idiot (OBC), On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Bring it On!; Off-Broadway: Make Me a Song (The Music of William Finn); Regional: Dallas Theatre Center: Hood (Meg), Paper Mill Playhouse: Pump Boys And Dinettes (Rhetta Cupp), Signature Theatre: Beaches (Cee Cee Bloom, Helen Hayes nomination Best Leading Actress in a Musical); TV: "The Climb" (Misty), "Law and Order SVU," "Nurse Jackie," "Royal Pains;" Recordings: I've Been Played; Alysha Umphress swings Jeff Blumenkrantz (available on iTunes and Amazon). Most recently, Alysha played Ruth in Wonderful Town with the London Symphony Orchestra. That recording will be released on the LSO label and will be available on iTunes. Thanks to Josh. Love to Joby and Lele. IG: @alyshaumphress

SHAVEY BROWN (Standby) is pleased to make his debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. National Tours: Dreamgirls (Curtis Taylor Jr., Korean Tour); Off-Broadway: The Fantasticks (El Gallo, Jerry Orbach Theatre), The Battles (Botticelli, Gym at Judson); Regional: The Scottsboro Boys (Swing, The Old Globe, American Conservatory Theatre, Center Theatre Group-Ahmanson), Annie (Lt. Ward, Papermill Playhouse), South Pacific (Johnson, Walnut Street Theatre), The Producers (O'Houlihan, Maine State Music Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre); Film: "The Only Living Boy In New York" (Amazon Studio); TV: "Vinyl" (HBO). Thank you to Tara Rubin (Kaitlin), Josh, Sonny, Roster, WAM, my friends and family, and God! Let's rock 'n' roll!

ANTOINETTE COMER (Standby) is so excited to be making her debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse! Broadway: Mamma Mia! (u/s Ali, Ensemble); Off-Broadway: Sistas: The Musical (Gloria); National/International Tours: Dreamgirls (Lorrell Robinson), Mamma Mia! (Lisa); Regional: Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier, Palace Theater), A Bronx Tale (Swing, Paper Mill Playhouse); Grateful to God. She thanks all of her friends and family (Mom, Dad, Dominique, Nick, Colette, the unicorn, and Koby) for all their love and support. Special thanks to Take 3, Encompass Arts and the entire Smokey Joe's team! Philippians 4:6.

DAN DOMENECH (Standby) Broadway: Rock of Ages (Drew); Off-Broadway: Heathers: the Musical (Hipster Dork); Tour/Sitdowns: Rock of Ages (1st National Tour), Rent, Sister Act, Wonderland, Kinky Boots; Other roles include PSF's Evita (Che), DTC's Rocky Horror (Frank n Furter), Tuachan's Aladdin (Aladdin), as well as guest appearances on "Glee" and "Gotham" on FOX. When not in theater, Domenech can be seen singing around the country with the Symphony and Neil Berg. Shout out to the "PureBreads" and my incredibly supportive family.

BRONWYN TARBOTON (Standby) is pleased to make her debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. National Tour: A Chorus Line (Maggie); Regional: Annie, Mary Poppins, and Oliver! (Paper Mill Playhouse), A Chorus Line (MUNY, North Carolina Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company), Smokey Joe's Cafe, Anything Goes, and How to Succeed (Stages St. Louis), and Grease, The Little Mermaid, and Hairspray (Tuacahn Amphitheater); BFA Music-Dance-Theater from BYU. IG: @btarboton

JERRY LEIBER AND MIKE STOLLER Over the course of a 61-year partnership, Jerry Leiber (d. 2011) and Mike Stoller created enduring classics in a variety of genres including rhythm & blues, pop, country, jazz, cabaret, and-perhaps most notably- rock 'n' roll. They wrote the Elvis Presley hits "Hound Dog," "Loving You," and "Jailhouse Rock" as well as all of the Coasters' hits, including "Searchin'," "Young Blood," "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Along Came Jones," "Poison Ivy" and "Little Egypt." In 1955, Atlantic Records signed Leiber and Stoller to the first independent production deal, forever changing the course of the record industry. Leiber and Stoller's songs and productions were constantly on the charts during the next decade. Aside from the Coasters' many hits, there were Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" and "I (Who Have Nothing)"; The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby," "Dance With Me," and "On Broadway"; LaVern Baker's "Saved"; and Ruth Brown's "Lucky Lips." During this same period, while Leiber and Stoller were producing the Clovers ("Love Potion # 9"), Jay and the Americans ("Only In America"), and Chuck Jackson ("I Keep Forgettin'"), other artists were having hits with Leiber and Stoller compositions. There was Wilbert Harrison with "Kansas City," the Drifters with "Fools Fall In Love," Dion with "Ruby Baby," Peggy Lee with "I'm A Woman," "Is That All There Is?," and Edith Piaf with "L'Homme est la Moto." Elvis Presley recorded more than 20 songs written by Leiber and Stoller, including "Love Me," "Treat Me Nice," "Don't," "(You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care," "Bossa Nova Baby," "Santa Claus Is Back In Town," and "Trouble." Leiber and Stoller have received countless awards and honors, including: induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985) and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1987), having their star placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and their handprints embedded into the Hollywood Rockwalk (1994), receiving a Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album for Smokey Joe's Cafe (1995), a NARAS Trustees Award (Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, 1999), a Johnny Mercer Award (National Academy of Popular Music, 2000), and a Songwriters Hall of Fame Towering Song Award for "Stand By Me" (2012). In 2009, Simon & Schuster published Hound Dog: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography. In 2010, Leiber and Stoller celebrated their 60th anniversary as a songwriting team. In April of 2011, the musical The People in the Picture, with music by Mike Stoller and Artie Butler and book and lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart, opened on Broadway at Studio 54 and was nominated for a Tony Award, three New York Drama Desk Awards, a New York Outer Critics Circle Award and two New York Drama League Awards.

JOSHUA BERGASSE (Director/Choreographer) most recently choreographed Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His other Broadway choreography credits include the acclaimed revival of On The Town (for which he received an Astaire Award and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Circle Award nominations), and the revival of Gigi. As a director/choreographer, Joshua co-directed and choreographed the acclaimed Bombshell on Broadway concert at the Minskoff Theatre, and directed and choreographed Hazel, a new musical at the Drury Lane Theatre last spring. His other New York choreography credits include Cagney (Drama Desk, Astaire, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations) and Sweet Charity starring Sutton Foster at The New Group (Chita Rivera Award, Lortel Award nomination). He also received an Emmy Award for his choreography on NBC's musical drama "Smash."

SONNY PALADINO (Music Supervision, New Arrangements, and Orchestrations) most recently served as Music Supervisor for the new Broadway musical, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Music Director for the upcoming new Broadway musical, Getting the Band Back Together. Associate Conductor for The Last Ship (written by 16 time Grammy Award winner, Sting), and the TONY winning best revival, Pippin; Other Broadway credits: Jesus Christ Superstar, Billy Elliot, Grease, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!, Promises, Promises, The Addams Family, and Women on the Verge; Music Supervisor for Disney's High School Musical (Milan/Italy tour.) 1st National Tours: Disney's High School Musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Grease. Arrangements and orchestrations for The Indianapolis, Baltimore, Vancouver, Detroit and Jacksonville Symphony Orchestras. As a composer: The Return of the Blue Cat (with poet F.D. Reeve.) TV: "The X-Factor" (Australia), and "The Next Big Thing." Sonny is also a founding member and arranger of the hit group The Doo Wop Project, which tours the country performing classic Doo Wop music and contemporary songs in that style. B.F.A. in Jazz Piano from CUNY City College.

BEOWULF BORITT (Scenic Design) Broadway: Act One (Tony Award), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony Nomination), Therese Raquin (Tony Nomination), Come From Away, Meteor Shower, A Bronx Tale, Prince Of Broadway, Sunday in the Park with George, Hand To God, On The Town, Sondheim On Sondheim, ...Spelling Bee , LoveMusik, Rock Of Ages, Chaplin, Bronx Bombers, Grace, and The Two And Only; Off- Broadway: 100 shows including The Last Five Years, Sleepwalk With Me, and Miss Julie; He has designed for The NYC Ballet, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and around the world in England, Russia, China, Australia, and Japan. 2007 OBIE Award for sustained excellence.

ALEJO VIETTI (Costume Design) New York: Holiday Inn, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (West End, Olivier Nomination, National tour, Japan and Australia), Allegiance (Drama Desk Nomination), Amy and the Orphans (Roundabout), Nightingale (MTC), Grace (MCC Tryst, Storefront Church (Atlantic Theatre), Old Jews Telling Jokes. City Center Encores. Regional: Alley, Goodspeed, Guthrie, Hartford Stage, Paper Mill, Shakespeare Theatre, and Old Globe among others. Opera: NY City Opera, Chicago Lyric, Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap and Donesk Opera (Ukraine). Other: Radio City Rockettes, Ringling Brothers Barnum & Baileyís . TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award.

JEFF CROITER (Lighting Design) Broadway: Bandstand, Falsettos, Holiday Inn, Something Rotten, Disaster, Penn and Teller, Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher (Tony Award), Mothers and Sons, A Time to Kill, Soul Doctor, Jekyll and Hyde, The Anarchist, The Performers, The Pee-wee Herman Show, Next Fall and Kiki & Herb; Off-Broadway: The Jerry Springer Opera; Tiny Beautiful Things; F-king A; Cost of Living; Good For Otto; Sweet Charity; Head of Passes; The Robber Bridegroom; King Lear; Loves Labors Lost; Fly By Night; Last Five Years; A Lie of the Mind; Ordinary Days; The Internationalist; Cam Jansen; Old Jews Telling Jokes; Love, Loss and What I Wore; Almost Maine and The Voysey Inheritance; Other credits: The Big Apple Circus; Penn & Teller at The Rio in Las Vegas; Rufus Wainwright's Judy concert; Family Guy Sings; and Jennifer Muller The Works; Jeff has received Tony, Hewes and Bass awards and has been nominated for Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, Ovation, IRNE and Audelco awards.

PETER FITZGERALD (Sound Design) His most recent designs include: John Lithgow's Stories by Heart, China Doll, Trip of Love, Sylvia, Penn & Teller on Broadway and the acclaimed production of Into the Woods at the Hobby Center in Houston. Mr. Fitzgerald designed the sound for All the Way, Old Jews Telling Jokes, The New York Philharmonic's productions of Sweeney Todd and Carousel, Will Farrell's You're Welcome America, Billy Joel's Movin' Out, Gypsy; Paul Simon's The Capeman, The Will Rogers Follies, 42nd Street, La Cage Aux Folles, City of Angels, Hello Dolly!, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, to name a few. Noted plays: Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow, Blithe Spirit, The Odd Couple, M. Butterfly, The Beauty Queen of Leenane. President of Sound Associates, Inc., a leading provider of sound and video systems to the entertainment and business communities. Peter and wife Maritza are the proud parents of daughters Lori and Mallori.

CHARLES G. LAPOINTE (Wig Design) Over 50 Broadway shows including: On Your Feet, Hamilton, Doctor Zhivago, The Color Purple, Of Mice and Men, Violet, Sideshow, Elephant Man, After Midnight, Beautiful, Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Motown, Jekyll and Hyde, Clybourne Park, Bring It On, Newsies, The Mountaintop, Memphis, Lombardi, Fences, In the Heights, Jersey Boys, and A Raisin in the Sun. Emmy nominee for The Wiz Live!

STEVE MARGOSHES (Orchestrations) composed the score for Fame: The Musical. Fame has played worldwide for 25 years, and is still going strong. He has orchestrated many Broadway musicals, including Big River (Drama Desk Award), The Who's Tommy (Drama Desk Award), Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, and Soul Doctor (Drama Desk nomination). He has contributed to many Jim Steinman recordings including Bat Out of Hell, and orchestrated Steinman's musical Tanz der Vampire (directed by Roman Polanski) and still running in Germany and Austria after 20 years; he has also written special symphonic arrangements for Andrew Lloyd Webber. With Hair authors James Rado & Gerome Ragni, he composed the musicals Sun and Jack Sound. Steve has composed an extensive body of 'pops' pieces for Symphony Orchestra, recorded by the Budapest Symphony on Hungaraton & Albany Records.

TARA RUBIN CASTING (Casting) Selected Broadway: King Kong (upcoming), Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, The Band's Visit, Prince of Broadway, Indecent, Bandstand, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, A Bronx Tale, CATS, Falsettos, Disaster!, School of Rock, Les Miserables, The Heiress, The Phantom of the Opera, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Spamalot, ...Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys; Off-Broadway: Jersey Boys, Here Lies Love, Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Selected Regional: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Asolo Rep. www.tararubincasting.com

JOHN MILLER (Music Coordinator) Broadway: over 120 shows, including: Summer, Beautiful, Waitress, Jersey Boys, Once on this Island, Hello Dolly, Rock of Ages, Miss Saigon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Indecent, The Great Comet of 1812, A Bronx Tale, Something Rotten, Les Miserables, Pippin, Once, Newsies, Elf; Studio Musician (bass): Leonard Cohen, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bette Midler, Peter, Paul and Mary, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Carly Simon, BB King, Mose Allison, Portishead, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan. www.johnmillerbass.com

PAMELA EDINGTON (Production Stage Manager) is delighted to make her debut and be a part of the Smokey Joe's Cafe team here at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Representative/favorite credits from over the years would include for Broadway/Production Touring: The Weir, Prelude to a Kiss, Three Mo' Tenors, and Coastal Disturbances; Off-Broadway: Murder Ballad, Falling, The Last Smoker in America, Fifty Words, Collected Stories (with Miss Uta Hagen), Always, Patsy Cline; Regional: Rock And Roll Man, Jacques Brel..., Flight of the Lawnchair Man, Wings; Special thanks to Frankel Green Theatrical Management.

CHRISTOPHER FLORES (Assistant Stage Manager) is pleased to make his debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Off-Broadway: The Boy Who Danced On Air, Cleopatra, and 3 Kind of Exile; Select Regional: Rock And Roll Man, After A Hundred Years, Ebenezer Scrooge's Big Playhouse Christmas Show, Million Dollar Quartet, Company, The Divine Sister; Tours include Mamma Mia! and Encore.

STEVEN BARUCH, MARC ROUTH, RICHARD FRANKEL, AND TOM VIERTEL (New York Producers) have produced and managed a wide range of productions for the past 32 years including, among others, the original Broadway productions of The Producers, Hairspray, Young Frankenstein, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Angels in America, Penn & Teller, The Weir, The Encounter, Swing!, and most recently Beau Willimon's The Parisian Woman starring Uma Thurman. Their notable revivals include Gypsy with Patti LuPone and Laura Benanti, The Norman Conquests, A Little Night Music with Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury and later Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch, John Doyle's groundbreaking productions of Sweeney Todd with Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris and Company with Raul Esparza, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Nathan Lane and later Whoopi Goldberg, Damn Yankees and the first-ever Broadway revivals of The Sound of Music and Little Shop of Horrors. Notable Off-Broadway premieres include Driving Miss Daisy, Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Cocktail Hour, Love Letters, Oleanna, Jeffrey, Marvin's Room and Stomp. They've mounted many national tours and productions in London, Australia, Canada, Europe, and throughout Asia. This season they are co-producing The Band's Visit and Angels in America on Broadway and Young Frankenstein in the West End. Their productions have received dozens of awards including two Pulitzer Prizes, four Grammy Awards and two Olivier Awards for Best Musical. Their six Tony Awards include all four Best categories: play, musical, revival of a play and revival of a musical. They own and operate the acclaimed Broadway-themed nightclub/cabaret Feinstein's/54 Below, which presents over 700 performances each year and has set a new culinary standard for New York City entertainment venues.

STEPHEN HELPER (Original Concept) has conceived, written, directed and/or produced quality theatre productions for 40 years from Broadway to numerous productions at the Sydney Opera House. His work ranges from major musical revivals of Fiddler on the Roof (nominated for the "Best Revival" Tony Award), musical revues (Co-Conceiver of the worldwide smash Smokey Joe's Cafe), FOLLIES in Concert at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, to developing original works. These include his acclaimed play A Sign of the Times; Syncopation by Allan Knee (touring 40 theatres throughout Australia); the ground-breaking musical works including Café Rebetika! set in a rundown café in Piraeus, Greece and new Aboriginal work: The New Black, a sensational musical about a young Aboriginal man trying to climb the corporate ladder and The Adventures of Namakili. In Sydney, Steve is about to present an all-star revival of a legendary Australian musical, Lola Montez for which he has rewritten the book and has plans also for Pal Joey. In New York, Stephen is developing productions of A Sign of the Times and a new play, Waiting for the Ball to Drop by celebrated New York writer David Simpatico, starring Mario Cantone. Stephen, a graduate of Yale, got his start by assisting Jerome Robbins, Ruth Mitchell, Arthur Laurents and Richard Matlby Jr.

JACK VIERTEL (Original Concept) is currently the Senior Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns and operates five Broadway Theaters, currently presenting The Book of Mormon, Springsteen on Broadway, Kinky Boots, Mean Girls and Frozen. He is also the Artistic Director of New York City Center's Encores! series, which is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year and presenting Hey, Look Me Over!, Grand Hotel, and Me and My Girl. He spent two years as Dramaturg of the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, and from 1980 to 1985 was the drama critic and arts editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. He was the original conceiver and co-producer of Smokey Joe's Cafe, and the conceiver of After Midnight. He helped shepherd six of August Wilson's plays to Broadway, as well as Tony Kushnerís Angels in America, the original production of Into the Woods, City of Angels, Jelly's Last Jam and Hairspray, among many others. His first book "The Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows are Built" was published in March 2016. He spent ten years as an adjunct professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, teaching musical theater structure, and began his career playing National Steel-body guitar behind Bonnie Raitt, Son House and the Pointer Sisters. Mr. Viertel is a certified Memphis-in-May contest

barbecue judge.

SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING established in 1995, is the world's leading music publisher. Sony/ATV Music Publishing owns or administers more than 3 million copyrights, including those of EMI Music Publishing and iconic music catalogs such as Leiber & Stoller, Mijac Music, Motown and Famous Music. Sony/ATV also controls many of the best known songs ever written such as "New York, New York," "Hallelujah," "All You Need Is Love," "Youíve Got a Friend," "Moon River," "Jailhouse Rock," "The Mission Impossible Theme," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Over the Rainbow," "Stand By Me," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "Singin' in the Rain." Sony/ATV represents copyrights of such legendary artists as The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Willie Nelson, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among many others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Cardi B, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Calvin Harris, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Pink, Shakira, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

ALISON SOLOMON (Associate Choreographer) Associate Credits: Broadway: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gigi, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical; NY/Regional: Sweet Charity, Bandstand, The Honeymooners, Bull Durham; TV: Acer Electronics, NFL Super Bowl "Dirty Dancing," Lord & Taylor, "The View," "Dora's Explorer Girls." Performance: Finding Neverland, Billy Elliot, In the Heights, Swing!, "Boardwalk Empire," and more!

www.alisolomon.com

MATT OESTREICHER (Associate Conductor) is pleased to make his debut at the Ogunquit Playhouse. Matt is a graduate of Tufts University and New England Conservatory of Music. He is a long-time member of The Apollo Theater Amateur Night Band where he plays keyboards and guitar. Broadway: Beautiful: The Musical (Guitar). TV: "Showtime At The Apollo" (house band, keyboards/guitar), "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Night of Too Many Stars." Matt has performed with: Stevie Wonder, Anita Baker, Ben E. King, Dionne Warwick, Snoop Dogg, Blue Man Group, Jon Bon Jovi, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Krishna Das, and many more. Films: "We Cause Scenes," "Carvalho's Journey," "Handsome Harry." Matt is a co-founder of the arts non-profit Yourtime2shine.org. Matt thanks his wife Alisa, his parents and siblings.

ED ROMANOFF (Production Manager) Ed brings to the Playhouse an extensive career in live entertainment: lighting, scenic design, theatrical rigging, stage management, and audio; the latter amassing 20 years on television talk shows, news networks, and special events. He has been the Production Manager at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center, Sugar Loaf, New York, overseeing the 689- and 200-seat proscenium theatres, art gallery, and 3500-seat outdoor amphitheater. As company manager, he toured with Mame starring Loretta Swit, The Sound of Music starring Debby Boone, Guys & Dolls starring Vic Damone, and New York Voices. Television Audio: Montel Williams, Sally Jessy Raphael, Robert Klein, Judge Hatchett, Dr. Joy Browne. He has been a rigging foreman for I. Weiss, and assisted Stephan Weiss in fabricating the original scenic draperies for Broadwayís Phantom of the Opera. An accomplished guitarist, he has performed with folk legends Pete Seeger, Tommy Makem, and Maineís own Schooner Fare. Recordings: Annie: 30th Anniversary CD, The Most Happy Fella (1992 Broadway revival), Up In Arms puppet musicals: Helping Drew, Monster Intelligence, and Welcome Park. Gloriously married to (Ogunquit Playhouse Company Manger) Joyce A. Presutti, theyíve moved here to his home state for new adventures in Show Business.

GEOF DOLAN (Technical Director) is excited to be returning for his 12th season as the Ogunquit Playhouse's Technical Director and Scenic Coordinator. Immediately prior to Ogunquit, he served as Technical Director for Worcester Foothills Theatre. He has done supplemental design work for several shows. He is also the Technical Supervisor for the Children's Theatre program. Geof began his technical career working backstage for both of his parents who are theatre directors and began his professional career at Sierra Repertory Theatre in California. For five years, he split his seasons between Maine and Florida, working the same technical areas for the Orlando Shakespeare, but now stays with the Playhouse year-round. His wife Cheryl (Scenic Charge Artist at the Playhouse for ten seasons) has designed award-winning parade floats and designs many of the Childrenís Theatre shows. His daughter Ash is an aspiring writer and artist who can definitely call the Playhouse her

second home.

CHERYL DOLAN (Resident Scenic Charge) is excited to be returning to the Ogunquit Playhouse for her 11th season. After taking over as Resident Scenic Charge eight years ago, she has designed several Children's Theatre sets, as well as added her artistic eye to many of the main stage productions. In the off-season, Cheryl is a Scenic Charge and Prop Master for The Good Theater in Portland, Maine. Since falling in love with the Ogunquit Playhouse, Cheryl, her husband Geof Dolan (the Ogunquit Playhouse Technical Director) and their daughter Ash, who is a budding writer, have made the Seacoast their home year-round. Cheryl considers the staff at OP her family and hopes that her love and passion for theater is translated through the productions to all of you.

KENT BRIDGES (Managing Director) is a seasoned business leader with 30 years of experience in business administration, finance and strategic planning both in the private sector and as an independent consultant. He joined Ogunquit Playhouse in the fall of 2017. Working with the board of directors, the executive artistic director, dedicated managers and staff, the community, and the organization's business partners, Kent's focus is to strengthen the theatre's financial position, guide its long-term future, and ensure its rich and well-respected legacy is firmly secured. A native of Presque Isle, Maine, Kent returned to the state in late 2014 after a successful career in the Washington, DC metro area. He is excited to be back in Maine and to call Ogunquit his home.

BRIAN J. SWASEY (Associate Producer) Originally from South Portland, ME and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. After moving to NYC in 1995 and focusing on pursuing a career as an actor, he changed focus and became the Founding Artistic Director of The Astoria Performing Arts Center, followed by the Associate Producer position at Queens Theatre in the Park in Flushing, NY. There he was involved in producing the 20th Anniversary Revival of Closer Than Ever starring Sally Mayes and Lynne Winterstellar. Prior to coming to Ogunquit, he was the Managing Director for The New York Theatre Barn. NYC developmental projects have included: the rock musical The 12 and a new holiday musical entitled Tim and Scrooge. As a Director/Choreographer, Brian has had the pleasure of directing such shows as Pump Boys and Dinettes, Hairspray, Chicago, A New Brain, and Altar Boyz. He was the Assistant Director for the NYC Revival of Die, Mommie, Die! starring Charles Busch. At the Playhouse, Brian directed the TYA productions of The Berenstain Bears and The Cat In The Hat. In addition, Brian has been involved with booking cabaret entertainment at The Triad in NYC, as well as bringing such artists as Christina Bianco and Bruce Vilanch to MaineStreet in Ogunquit, ME.

BRADFORD T. KENNEY (Executive Artistic Director) is an artistic director, producer, stage and film director, and artist. Since joining the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2005, the Playhouse has tripled its audience growing from a single season summer stock theatre into one of the America's pre-eminent regional theatres with a three-season performance schedule and year round operation. During his stewardship, the Playhouse has garnered a number of awards and honors including the Moss Hart Trophy, Regional Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement in the American Theatre from the New England Theatre Conference, multiple IRNE Awards and a number of BroadwayWorld Awards including Best Musical and others. Mr. Kenney is also noted for his work at Carnegie Hall including directing the holiday special The Christmas Rose starring Jane Seymour and producing An American Christmas Carol with Tim Janis. Mr. Kenney's film work includes the upcoming movie musical "Buttons" starring Dick Van Dyke, Jane Seymour, and Charles Shaughnessy. In New England, Mr. Kenney has been proud to be associated with a number of different theatre companies. He was also formerly the Artistic Director of the Foothills Theatre and Wachusett Theatre Companies in Massachusetts. He is a fourth generation plein air landscape artist, having studied with Beth Ellis and at Rhode Island School of Design, Heartwood College of Art, and Maine College of Art.

THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR MUSICAL THEATRE founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization serving the musical theatre community. Our mission is to advance musical theatre by nurturing the creation, development, production and presentation of new and classic musicals; providing a forum for the sharing of resources and information relating to professional musical theatre through communication, networking and programming; and advocating for the imagination, diversity and joy unique to musical theatre. Their 200 members, located throughout the U.S. and abroad, are some of the leading producers of musical theatre in the world, and include theatres, presenting organizations, higher education programs and individual producers.

ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) founded in 1913, represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. AEA is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark of excellence. www.actorsequity.org

For Immediate Release:

April 17, 2018

Cheryl Farley, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Patron Services

cfarley@ogunquitplayhouse.org

New York Bound Smokey Joe's Cafe Set to Open the Ogunquit Playhouse 2018 Season!

Ogunquit, ME – The Ogunquit Playhouse kicks off its 86th season with the all-new incarnation of the sizzling song and dance celebration Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller on stage May 16 to June 9. This exuberant production of the record breaking Broadway smash hit is directed and choreographed by Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award-nominee Josh Bergasse who will bring new life to more than 30 classic songs including “Stand by Me,” “I'm a Woman,” “Hound Dog,” “Fools Fall In Love,” “On Broadway,” “Yakety Yak,” “Pearl's a Singer,” “Treat Me Nice,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Love Potion #9,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Spanish Harlem.” The all-new production heads to Stage 42 (422 West 42nd Street, NYC) following its Ogunquit run.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the original producing team to create this fantastic show,” stated Executive Artistic Director, Bradford Kenney. “It has been our honor to work with Jack Viertel who conceived Smokey Joe’s Cafe with Stephen Helper and the New York producers, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, and Marc Routh, who have made this collaboration possible. It has also been our honor to bring this incredible creative team to Ogunquit led by Director/Choreographer Josh Bergasse and Tony Award-winning designers Beowulf Boritt and Jeff Croiter as well as Costume Designer Alejo Vietti and Sound Designer Peter Fitzgerald.”

Individual tickets are on sale now with prices starting at $52. Subscription packages are also available and guarantee the best seats for the best price. Prices start at only $247 for a five-show package and $147 for a three-show package. Gift certificates are also on sale. Tickets are available online at www.ogunquitplayhouse.org and through the Box Office located at 142 Main Street, Ogunquit or 207-646-5511.

The original production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller made history as Broadway’s longest running musical revue, earned a Grammy Award and multiple Tony Award nominations. The show celebrates the best songs of the legendary songwriting duo, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and their generation-defining songs that climbed the Billboard charts and provided hit after hit for icons like Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, The Coasters, and The Drifters.

The cast of this all-new production features Broadway and Off-Broadway veterans including, Dwayne Cooper, who appeared on Broadway in Motown and Hairspray, and the National Tours of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Showboat, and Seussical The Musical; Emma Degerstedt who was most recently seen in the lead role in the Off-Broadway musical, Desperate Measures; John Edwards, whose credits include the Broadway production and National Tour of Jersey Boys, In the Heights at The Kennedy Center and the National Tour of Hairspray; Dionne D. Figgins, who began her career as a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and has been seen on Broadway in Hot Feet, Memphis, Leap of Faith, and Motown. Also joining the cast are Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, who made her theatre debut as the leading lady in the Off-Broadway parody, Spamilton; Kyle Taylor Parker, who was most recently seen on NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” and the original Broadway productions of Kinky Boots and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; Jelani Remy, who most recently starred as “Simba” in Broadway’s The Lion King; Max Sangerman, who starred in the first National tour of The Lightning Thief, as well as Blue Man Group Off-Broadway; and Alysha Umphress, who performed on Broadway in On the Town, American Idiot, and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, among others.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe is directed and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse and 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, and orchestrations by Steve Margoshes and Sonny Paladino. Music Supervision and new arrangements are also by Mr. Paladino.

The powerhouse ensemble is led by director/choreographer Joshua Bergasse, who most recently choreographed Broadway’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and received an Astaire Award and Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Circle Award nominations for his choreography on the acclaimed revival of On the Town. As a director/choreographer, Joshua co-directed and choreographed the acclaimed Bombshell on Broadway concert at the Minskoff Theatre, and directed and choreographed Hazel, a new musical at the Drury Lane Theatre last spring. His other New York choreography credits include Cagney for which he received Drama Desk, Astaire, Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, and Sweet Charity starring Sutton Foster at The New Group for which he received a Chita Rivera Award and a Lortel Award nomination. He also received an Emmy Award for his choreography on NBC’s musical drama “Smash.”

Scenic design for Smokey Joes Cafe is by Tony Award-winner Beowulf Boritt, whose many Broadway credits include Act One (Tony Award), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony Nomination), Therese Raquin (Tony Nomination), Come From Away, Meteor Shower, A Bronx Tale, Prince Of Broadway, Sunday in the Park with George, Hand To God, On The Town, Sondheim On Sondheim, Rock Of Ages, Chaplin, Bronx Bombers, Grace, and The Two And Only. Off-Broadway he has designed 100 shows including The Last Five Years, Sleepwalk With Me, and Miss Julie. He has also designed for The NYC Ballet, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus and around the world in England, Russia, China, Australia, and Japan. In 2007 he received the OBIE Award for sustained excellence.

Costume Design for the production is by Alejo Vietti, who is a New York based costume designer born in Argentina. His credits include Broadway’s Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, Allegiance for which he received a Drama Desk nomination and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (also National Tour and West End, Olivier nomination, Australia, Japan and UK tour). His other New York credits include works for the Radio City Rockettes, City Center Encores, Roundabout, NYC Opera, Atlantic Theatre, and Irish Rep, among others. He has also designed for many regional and international theatres including Chicago Lyric Opera, Donesk Opera (Ukraine), Goodspeed, Guthrie, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, Ford’s Theatre, Long Wharf, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Pasadena Playhouse. He is a recipient of the TDF Irene Sharaff Young Master Award.

Tony Award-winner Jeff Croiter, joins the creative team as Lighting Designer. His many Broadway credits include Bandstand, Falsettos, Holiday Inn, Something Rotten, Disaster, Penn and Teller, Newsies, and Peter and the Starcatcher for which he won a Tony Award. Off-Broadway he has designed the lighting for The Jerry Springer Opera; Tiny Beautiful Things; F-king A; Cost of Living; Good For Otto; Sweet Charity; Head of Passes; The Robber Bridegroom; King Lear; Loves Labors Lost; Fly By Night; Last Five Years; Old Jews Telling Jokes; Love, Loss and What I Wore; Almost Maine and The Voysey Inheritance. He has also designed for The Big Apple Circus; Penn & Teller at The Rio in Las Vegas; Rufus Wainwright’s Judy concert; Family Guy Sings; and Jennifer Muller The Works. Jeff has received a Tony Award, Hewes Design Award and Bass Award, and has been nominated for a Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Lortel, Ovation, IRNE and Audelco awards.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe sound design is by Peter Fitzgerald whose recent designs include: John Lithgow’s Stories by Heart, China Doll, Trip of Love, Sylvia, Penn & Teller on Broadway and the acclaimed production of Into the Woods at the Hobby Center in Houston. Mr. Fitzgerald designed the sound for: All the Way, Old Jews Telling Jokes, The New York Philharmonic’s productions of Sweeney Todd and Carousel, Will Farrell’s You're Welcome America, Billy Joel’s Movin’ Out, Gypsy; Paul Simon’s The Capeman, The Will Rogers Follies, 42nd Street, La Cage Aux Folles, City of Angels, Hello Dolly!, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas to name a few. Noted plays: Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow, Blithe Spirit, The Odd Couple, M. Butterfly, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane.

Sonny Paladino returns to the Ogunquit Playhouse as Music Supervisor. Mr. Paladino was last in Ogunquit for the 2015 production of Saturday Night Fever. He most recently served as Music Supervisor for the new Broadway musical, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and is the Music Director for the upcoming new Broadway musical, Getting’ the Band Back Together. He was the Associate Conductor for The Last Ship (written by 16-time Grammy Award-winner, Sting), and the Tony Award-winning best revival, Pippin. Mr. Paladino’s other Broadway credits include, Jesus Christ Superstar, Billy Elliot, Grease, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!, Promises, Promises, The Addams Family, and Women on the Verge.

Over the course of a 61-year partnership, Jerry Leiber (d. 2011) and Mike Stoller created enduring classics in a variety of genres including rhythm and blues, pop, country, jazz, cabaret, and—perhaps most notably—rock ‘n’ roll. Elvis Presley and the Coasters are only two of the many acts whose careers skyrocketed because of Leiber and Stoller’s creative partnership. The original Broadway production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller comprised of 39 Leiber and Stoller songs, was nominated for seven Tony Awards and still holds the record as the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history. Leiber and Stoller’s many honors and awards include Grammy Awards for Lifetime Achievement and for the Smokey Joe’s Cafe original cast album. They have also been inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Ogunquit Playhouse season has four additional musicals slated for its stage in 2018: Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! on stage June 13 to July 7 celebrating its 75th Anniversary since opening on Broadway; the first regional production of the sumptuous new musical An American in Paris hitting the Ogunquit stage July 11 to August 4; and the U.S. premiere of the hilarious new musical Grumpy Old Men the Musical on stage August 8 to September 1 just in time to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the classic 1993 Warner Brothers film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. Closing out the season is the Regional premiere of the multi-Tony Award-winning, international sensation Jersey Boys on stage September 5 to October 28. Elf the Musical will be produced for The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire just in time for the holidays November 28 to December 16, 2018. Tickets for Elf the Musical are available through The Music Hall at www.themusichall.org. For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org.

About the Ogunquit Playhouse:

The Ogunquit Playhouse, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization listed on the National Historic Register, is located on Route One in Ogunquit, Maine and produces the finest Broadway musicals each season with performances Tuesday through Sunday, from May through October. Follow the Ogunquit Playhouse on Facebook (facebook.com/OgunquitPlayhouse), Twitter (@OgunquitPH) and Instagram (@ogunquitPH) for behind-the-scenes info, photos and fun throughout the season. For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org.

Item descriptiIt is rare to find a set of creative collaborators who have reached the popularity and longevity of success that Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller experienced in their musical career. Rarer still, is for this harmonious partnership to have lasted a lifetime, with both creators never lacking in passion or ideas to bring forth one genre-defying smash hit after another, until the recent passing of Jerry Leiber in 2011. The legendary collaboration began in 1950, when the two were both 17, living in the hot bed of music innovation, Los Angeles. Jerry Leiber was a natural wordsmith, crafting line after line of lyrics ready to be set to music. Mike Stoller on the other hand, was a classically trained composer, but both shared a deep love for jazz and R&B that heavily influenced the creators’ music style.

Set in a time of civil, political and cultural unrest that punctuated the 1950s and 1960s, Leiber and Stoller found a way to cut through the differences and opposition to produce sounds and lyrics to dazzle, delight, and perhaps even help distract the masses. With wars raging across seas in Vietnam and the arms race between the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War, to the battles faced at home against segregation and inequality, the American people were divided and downtrodden. By dabbling in music from different backgrounds—ranging from rhythm and blues, jazz, country and gospel—Leiber and Stoller helped spur a movement and sound that captured the energy and desire for change that the American people desired.

The song that arguably put the songwriting and record producing duo on the map was the electrifying tune “Hound Dog” in 1953. The song was originally performed and inspired by the 350-pound “blues belter,” Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton in 1956, and upon meeting and hearing Big Mama Thornton, the duo frantically wrote the song in twelve to fifteen minutes, desperate to capture her brusque attitude and voice in song. Leiber scribbled out the lyrics as fast as his hand could write, while Stoller created a rhythm banging on the car while driving, and the song was written that same afternoon upon meeting her. Unbeknownst to Stoller and Leiber, “Hound Dog” would reach new levels of fame when it was performed by Elvis Presley in 1956, jump-starting the rock ‘n’ roll revolution. “Hound Dog” enjoyed a seat at the top of the charts for 11 weeks—unheard of in those times. Presley would go on to record more than twenty Leiber and Stoller songs. But this King of rock ‘n’ roll wasn’t the only star to have recorded Leiber and Stoller songs, the impressive list includes: The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, James Brown, Little Richard. Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Bill Haley and the Comets, Barbra Streisand, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Tom Jones, Edith Piaf, Bobby Darin, Chet Atkins, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, B.B. King, and Otis Redding, to name a few.

The creative genius that inspired and fueled Leiber and Stoller’s work appear to have never stopped, churning out record-breaking hits that have resulted in accolades ranging from the induction into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1985, the Record Producers' Hall of Fame in 1986 and eventually the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Their independent record label, Red Bird Records, highlighted their eye for talent resulting in ten out of their first thirty singles making it to the Top Forty—an amazing feat for a record label so young and new.

The original Broadway production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller proved its enduring value by becoming Broadway’s longest running musical revue with over 2,000 performances between the years 1995 to 2000, as well as earning critical acclaim through a Grammy Award and multiple Tony Award nominations. This production will breathe new life into the much beloved show. The Ogunquit Playhouse is honored to re-introduce Smokey Joe’s Cafe and work with the original producing team conceived by Jack Viertel, Stephen Helper, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, and Mike Stoller himself, to create a production that is sure to have audience members singing and dancing in their seat. What’s more, the show will feature more than 30 classic songs including “I’m a Woman,” “Hound Dog,” “On Broadway,” “Stand By Me,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Love Potion #9.” Smokey Joe’s Cafe is the perfect embodiment of the legacy Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller gave, and continues to contribute, to the rock ‘n’ roll music scene and beyond. Following the run of Smokey Joe’s Cafe here in Ogunquit, the production and cast will transfer to New York City this summer as the Big Apple welcomes Smokey Joe’s Cafe back for the first time since the original production closed almost 20 years ago.on

Whenever I begin work on a new musical, I start with what most directors start with: research. I can assure you that I’ve never had more fun in my entire career than doing my research for this show. Since Smokey Joe’s Cafe is a musical review of rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues hits by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, my research consisted of spending dozens of hours listening to the extraordinary songs of this songwriting duo. There are so many different versions of these classic songs. Of course there are the versions that we’re all familiar with, but then when you keep digging you find there are other recordings of the same songs from artists that you’ve never heard of, even new recordings from current artists. It was then that I began to realize just how deeply these songs are woven into our culture; some of them have been recorded by artists throughout the last seven decades. But these aren’t just songs, they were the soundtrack of a generation, of multiple generations, and that’s why artists today are still recording this music, and why we love to listen to it.

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller changed the trajectory of both rock ‘n’ roll and rhythm and blues in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Their music not only revolutionized popular music but also influenced popular culture. They were a driving force in the crossover of blues and R&B into popular music. Among the artists they regularly wrote for were The Drifters, The Coasters, Elvis Presley, Ben E. King and Peggy Lee to name a few, and the song writing team has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

We knew that by reviving this show we were going to need to make some changes. The very successful original production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe was developed with the unique and astounding talents of that original cast. We knew we couldn’t replicate those performances, so instead we searched for a new cast that would be unique and astounding in their own ways, and we would build this production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe specifically for them. And luckily, we’ve had a secret weapon to help us achieve our goal: Mike Stoller. One of the most wonderful aspects of this experience for the entire company, myself included, has been to have Mr. Stoller in rehearsal with us. He’s been able to coach us through each song so we have the right feel for the sound and right understanding of the lyrics. He’s also been able to work with our Music Director Sonny Paladino and the rest of the band to help us develop this production with incredible authenticity. I can confidently speak for everyone on the team when I say, ‘Thank You, Mike! You are a gentleman, a prince, a genius and a national treasure.’