Smokey Joes Cafe Oakbrook Terrace Tickets

Smokey Joe’s Café

Smokey Joe’s Café is a revival of the Broadway 1995 musical celebrating the rock and roll hits of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The original revue, conceived by Stephen Helper, Jack Viertel and Otis Sallid, had a cast of nine singers, 39 great songs and fantastic choreography. It premiered at the Doolittle Theater in Los Angeles, CA, before opening on Broadway in March 1995. Jerry Zaks directed the show, with choreography by Joey McKneely. It also played at the Virginia Theatre for nearly five years, racking up more than two thousand performances.

One of the interesting aspects of the Broadway run of Smokey Joe’s Café was the number of popular rock and R&B singers who made special guest appearances. Tony Orlando, Lou Rawls, Gladys Knight, Gloria Gaynor and Rick Springfield are some of the singers who paid tribute to Lieber and Stoller’s contribution to rock and roll music.

Nominated for seven Tony Awards, Smokey Joe’s Café won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. It became a hit and today many theater companies, high schools and other groups are mounting productions of the show.

Leiber and Stoller

Jerry Leiber (1933-2011) and Mike Stoller (b. 1933) were music producers and songwriters that started during the early years of rock and roll. They were responsible for creating more than 70 chart hits. They wrote chart-busting songs for Elvis Presley (“Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock”), Ben E. King (“Stand By Me”), The Drifters (“On Broadway”),  Peggy Lee (“I’m a Woman” and “Is That All There Is?”) and The Clovers (“Love Potion No. 9”; though a bigger hit for The Searchers later). The team wrote 24 chart-topping hits for The Coasters alone, including “Young Blood,” “Yakety Yak,” “Searchin’” and “Charlie Brown.”

They made a deal with Atlantic Records in the 1950s that effectively made the team the first independent record producers.

Oakbrook Terrace Tickets

The Drury Lane Theatre is in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, in one of Chicago’s favorite venues for business conferences and performances. The over 900-seat theater is close to Highways 38, 56 and 83. It is also close to I-88 and I-294. There is free on-site parking. There are also hotels adjacent to the theater. The theater itself boasts a lounge and restaurant and the hotels also offer dining options.

Check out the performance schedule and purchase tickets with confidence on StubHub. The StubHub Advantage FanProtect™ Guarantee backs every order. Another event that may be of interest for you at the Drury Lane Theatre is Saturday Night Fever.