Coco June – Page 4 – Memphis Flyer

I’m coming to realize that when viewing a play, I often start out tepid. I think this might be an effort on my part to remain objective, to let go of any preconceived notions and simply take in what’s about to unfold. If Playhouse on the Square’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe found me lukewarm at the top of Act One, then know that by the end of Act Two I was fully in love. This is a production that will win you over entirely.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe is a revue, and in case you’re unfamiliar with the theatrical term, let me explain. A revue has no plot or storyline. There are no characters to follow, no dialogue to keep track of. Smokey Joe’s Cafe is a revue that feels as though your favorite golden oldies playlist manifested itself onstage in a perfect paracosm of feel-good music. The music, all works by Jerome Leiber and Mike Stoller, is the central theme running through the show. Rich ensemble harmonies and outstanding solo numbers are rife throughout, and as an audience member, there is nothing asked of you except to sit back and experience pure, unadulterated entertainment.

The music in the show is what my parents would have grown up listening to on the radio. During intermission, my friend, Maggie Fyfe turned to me and said, “My mom would love this.” Because I grew up listening to ’60s hits, the songs were almost all familiar and comforting to me, as well, despite my millennial age. The general feeling in the audience was one of joy. I often found myself smiling underneath my mask, and every time I glanced around, everyone else was grinning as well. The occasional breaking of the fourth wall invites the audience in, and the atmosphere this show creates as a result is convivial.

I typically admire dressed-down set design, and Ryan Howell’s scenic configuration was no exception. By the second half of the show, where the cast really seemed to find their stride and turn up the energy, I was admiring it because it stayed out of their way. The elements of this show — the costumes, the live band onstage, the giant neon sign bearing the title of the play — come together seamlessly without distracting the viewer from the true point of the show: the musical performances.

Each member of the cast had an opportunity to shine, from Kylan Owens’ taking the spotlight in Daniel Stuart Nelson’s choreography, to Breyannah Tillman belting out “Hound Dog” like you’ve never heard before in your life — even in Memphis, Tennessee. Maggie and I paused on our way out after seeing the show to hash out our favorite moments. At one point she asked me, “Are you just gonna write about how sexy it was?” While it is difficult to refrain from gushing over Cleavon Meaborn IV crawling downstage during “Little Egypt” for the rest of this column, I will do my best to remain professional. (I think it was “Little Egypt.” I was so absorbed that my note-taking admittedly began to suffer.) Memphians will be pleased to note that the several Elvis songs throughout the show are performed without feeling campy or impressionistic, with each performer bringing distinct personality to the numbers.

The most powerful moment of the night, in my opinion, took place in Act Two. The female members of the company came together to sing “I’m a Woman,” and, being a woman of child-bearing age in the midst of current headlines, this one hit different for me. Brooke Papritz in particular took no prisoners, her voice ringing out with rage, passion, and pride. There were several times that Maggie and I glanced at one another with the raised-eyebrow expression that universally translates to an impressed, “Damn!” “I’m a Woman” contained one such moment.

Personally, I needed this show at this time in my life. Not every play or musical can offer you a chance to truly turn off your brain, forget your stress, and be uplifted. Smokey Joe’s Cafe offers up comedy alongside performances of some of the biggest hits of the 20th century. I walked out in a better mood than when I went in, which is the best praise I can give.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe runs through Sunday, May 29th, at Playhouse on the Square.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Courtesy Playhouse on the Square)

Imagine you’re attending a musical when all of a sudden, the curtain drops unexpectedly in the middle of a scene. Clearly something is wrong, but you don’t know what the issue might be. You might expect an audience to get impatient or angry in that kind of situation. But that wasn’t the case during opening night of The Band’s Visit at The Orpheum Theatre. Sitting in the orchestra section of the Orpheum, I was struck by the atmosphere in the room after the stage manager informed the audience that there was a problem with the sound board and that the show would resume shortly. It was a mark of how invested in the story the audience was that everyone remained relaxed. We were willing to wait. This show was worth our patience.

The break in the show happened at an opportune moment, and the scene after our unanticipated intermission opened with actor Billy Cohen sweeping onto the stage in roller skates while disco music thumped through the theater. The audience immediately took the opportunity to show their support, clapping with the rhythm of the beat and cheering wildly. The brief interlude and temporarily disabled sound board were entirely forgotten. Sasson Gabay, who reprised the role of Tewfiq after having played it in the initial film and for a year on Broadway, told me over the phone that sometimes the audience can be uplifted by such an event. “They feel like they are experiencing something rare, something original, something unique.” It was the kind of unexpected moment every theatergoer longs to see. That kind of shared magical moment can only be found during a live performance. It was a beautiful thing to witness and to be a part of. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The 10-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical, The Band’s Visit, based on the 2007 Israeli film of the same name, takes place over the course of one night in the small town of Bet Hatikva, not to be confused with the larger city of Petah Tikva. (That’a a joke, because a mix up between the names of the two places is what starts the entire show.)

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, led by Colonel Tewfiq, accidentally ends up taking a bus to the wrong town after the ticket clerk misunderstands the Egyptian accent of Haled, one of the younger members of the band. The orchestra finds themselves stranded for the night in Bet Hatikva, a town described by the locals as “the middle of nowhere.” The beautiful yet jaded cafe owner, Dina — played by Janet Decal in a sensuous, wonderfully sardonic performance — takes in Tewfiq and Haled. Other members of the band are graciously taken in by various citizens of the small community.

Joe Joseph, Sasson Gabay, Janet Dacal. (Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade)

The show follows several natives of the town, intimately highlighting the everyday stories in a way not usually seen in a Broadway musical. In fact, there were many things about this show that I wouldn’t normally associate with a Broadway musical. I think that’s why I loved it so much. The pacing is deliberately languid, matching the low-key energy of a place where everyone is perpetually waiting for something — anything — to happen. Here is a musical that highlights the stories of people that everyone can relate to, transforming commonplace themes from mundane to lovely. Gabay commented that he was taken aback by how people related to the production. “I was always surprised and really astonished that the audience in Broadway, which is mainly a lot of New Yorkers and also many people from all over the world, related to a story which is so remote from them.”

Within the first two seconds of the show, I jotted down the note, “Wes Anderson vibes.” A moment later, my sister-in-law, who accompanied me to the performance, leaned over and whispered, “It has Wes Anderson vibes!” We were both immediately struck by the stylization of the play, from the first moment when captions appear on a scrim and David Yazbek’s music, which Gabay describes as “Arabic, mediterranean music mixed with American jazz,” begins. The choreography, done by Patrick McCollum, is elegantly understated, harmonizing with the live instrumental performances of the collective character called “The Band.”

The Band’s post-curtain call performance, “The Concert,” is like an exclamation point at the end of the show. Seeing these musicians rocking out on clarinet and handheld drums is yet another aspect of this musical that sets it apart from anything I’ve ever seen onstage.

From the overture to the incredibly moving penultimate number, “Answer Me,” The Band’s Visit was a delight. Gabay beautifully describes the effect the show has on people as having “a hypnotic influence … which penetrates slowly like drops, you know, of water, into the heart of the audience. It doesn’t promise anything it doesn’t fulfill.”

The Band’s Visit runs through Sunday, April 17th, at The Orpheum Theatre. Visit orpheum-memphis.com for tickets or for more information.