SJC_v2

Smokey Joe’s Cafe

JULY 26 – AUGUST 1

Ben E. King, The Coasters, Elvis Presley, Peggy Lee and The Drifters – what do they have in common? Besides being some of the most popular artists of the 50s and 60s, their hits, and over 35 others, are the bread and butter of Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Set in St. Louis’ historic Gaslight Square, Broadway’s longest-running musical revue includes Grammy Award-winning favorites such as “Yakety Yak,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “On Broadway” and “Love Potion No. 9.” With this generation-defining Muny premiere, audiences will be dancing in the aisles.

Muny Premiere!

Performances begin at 8:15 p.m.

Run Time: 2 hours, 11 minutes including intermission (estimate)

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Cast

CharlBrown

Charl Brown

is thrilled to be appearing on The Muny stage for the first time and at this historic moment for theatre. He was nominated for a Tony Award for the role of Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical and reprised this role opening the West End production. This winter, he is slated to appear as Brick in Virginia Stage’s production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Other Broadway/tour: Jersey BoysSister ActHair. Select regional: The Who’s Tommy (Denver Center, Kennedy Center), Ever After (Paper Mill Playhouse), Johnny Baseball (American Repertory Theater), DreamgirlsRagtimeSix Degrees of SeparationJesus Christ SuperstarA Chorus Line. Select television: FBIEvilMadam Secretary. When not in an acting role, Charl tours the globe with his group, The Doowop Project, including venues such as The Blue Note Beijing, Disney Symphony Hall, Ottawa Symphony, City Winery Nashville and many others worldwide.

MichaelCampayno

Michael Campayno

originated the role of Rob Camilletti in The Cher Show and also starred as Fiyero in the hit musical Wicked on Broadway. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, he made his television debut as Rolf in the NBC live telecast of The Sound of Music starring Carrie Underwood and can be heard on the cast recording. His other credits include Lancelot in Camelot starring Robert Sean Leonard and Barry Bostwick, productions at Pittsburgh CLO, and in concert with the Phoenix Symphony and Carolina Philharmonic. Television: The Other Two (HBOMAX), The Good Fight (CBS). Proud member of SAG, AFTRA and AEA. Follow @michaelcampayno

MykalKilgore

Mykal Kilgore

is an award-winning actor and a Grammy and NAACP Image Award-nominated singer/songwriter. His debut album, A Man Born Black, is a gumbo of American roots and modern feels that highlight his ability to go from Broadway showtune storytelling to soul and jazz scatting to gospel. Mykal most recently starred in his online special, Mykal Kilgore Live… on the Innanets! Broadway: Motown: The Musical and Hair. National tour: The Book of Mormon. Other select credits: The Witch in Into the Woods at Barrington Stage Company, The Who’s Tommy at The Kennedy Center, Songs for a New World at Encores! Off-Center. TV/Film: NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in ConcertThe Wiz Live! and Collateral Beauty. Mykal has racked up 10M+ views on social media with his videos, including his viral Reclaiming My Time video. #blacklivesmatter #translivesmatter #loveoneanother MYKALKILGORE.COM

TiffanyMann

Tiffany Mann

Broadway: Be More ChillWaitress. Off-Broadway: Jerry Springer: The Opera (Lucille Lortel Award), Invisible ThreadCabin in the Sky. Other select theater: Dreamgirls (Effie), Live from Lincoln Center: Sweeney Todd in Concert. TV: New Amsterdam and Rise for NBC, Orange Is the New Black. @iamtiffanymann

HayleyPodschun

Hayley Podschun

Originally from Kansas, Hayley returns to The Muny after playing Dainty June in the 2018 production of Gypsy. Broadway: Wicked (Glinda, national tour), Hello, Dolly!Something RottenChaplin (Mildred Harris), Anything GoesPal JoeySunday in the Park with GeorgeHairspray (Broadway, national tour) and The Sound of Music. Off-Broadway: Freckleface Strawberry (Freckleface, original cast). Select regional credits: Holiday Inn (Linda Mason, Paper Mill Playhouse), I Married an Angel (Anna Murphy, NY City Center Encores!), The Royal Family of Broadway (Gwen, Barrington Stage, world premiere), Holiday Inn (Lila Dixon, Goodspeed, world premiere) Crazy for You (Polly, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival), Peter Pan (Peter Pan, Artpark), Legally Blonde (Elle Woods, Arvada Center). Film/TV: Hairspray (Tammy), The BlacklistLouieIsn’t It Romantic and Hail, Caesar; You can also find Hayley on QVC as a guest host for Zodiac Shoes. IG: @hayley_podschun or www.hayleypodschun.com for more!

RoscioliDee

Dee Roscioli

is so excited to be making her Muny debut!! Most notable is her seven-year record-breaking run as the green-skinned heroine of Wicked, Elphaba, on Broadway, in Chicago, San Francisco and the first national touring companies. Most recently, Dee was seen on Broadway in The Cher Show as the standby for Star and Lady. She can be heard on the original cast recording of John Kander’s newest musical Kid Victory, where she created the role of Emily. Dee also had the privilege of joining the 2015 revival of Fiddler on the Roof as Fruma Sarah. In addition to her theatre credits, she has twice headlined with the prestigious Philly Pops Orchestra and has performed as a soloist with various symphonies across the US and Europe. She has also guest-starred on various TV series. Follow her on Instagram @deeroscioli

ChristopherSams

Christopher Sams

is ecstatic to join The Muny and Marcia Milgrom Dodge in turning up the summer heat with Leiber and Stoller’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Broadway credits feature Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King. National touring credits include The Lion King (Ensemble, u/s Mufasa), The Color Purple (Ensemble/Grady/Buster), Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr.) and Rock of Ages (Ensemble/Ja’Keith). Became a proud AEA member doing Smokey Joe’s Cafe with Ms. Dodge in 2016 and this is Chris’ third time rocking through the neighborhood.

NasiaThomas

Nasia Thomas

was most recently seen as Cathy in Out of The Box Theatrics version of The Last Five Years. In the fall, she can be seen as The Radio in the upcoming revival of Caroline, or Change on Broadway. Most recently seen in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations on Broadway. Broadway: Little Eva in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. National tour: Beautiful. Regional: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (Berkeley Rep, Kennedy Center, Center Theatre Group, Mirvish Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (TUTS), Hairspray, (Muny). BFA Musical Theatre, Elon ‘15, The Governors School for the Arts ‘11. Member at DGRW Talent. IG: @nasiathomas.

JasonVeasey

Jason Veasey

Jason is happy to be back in one of his favorite cities making his Muny debut! Theatre credits include the Broadway and national touring companies of The Lion King, the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Strange Loop and a couple visits to Smokey Joe’s Cafe! He’s been at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Denver Center and The Public in New York. TV/Film credits include High MaintenanceChicago FireLittle VoiceDash & LilyFlatbush Misdemeanors and I’m Not Him.

The company will also be joined by

Creative Team

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Marcia Milgrom Dodge

Director

is a Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominated director and choreographer for her stirring and lovingly staged Broadway/Kennedy Center revival of Ragtime (three Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Director). Muny: CinderellaMeet Me In St. LouisThe Little MermaidYoung FrankensteinThe Buddy Holly StoryThe Addams Family. TV/Video: Disney+ Encore!, Sesame Street, Elmo’s Wild West. Her bold new approaches to classic plays and musicals include national tours of Curious George and Seussical (TheaterWorksUSA); Cookin (Broadway Asiaand Ragtime (Phoenix Entertainment). Teaching: @DirectingMusicals. MMD is also a wife, a mother, an Edgar Award-nominated playwright (Sherlock Holmes & The West End Horror written with Anthony Dodge) and a proud member of the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society (SDC). More:  https://linktr.ee/mmdny

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Josh Walden

Choreographer, based on Original Choreography by Marcia Milgrom Dodge

Muny: Cinderella (2019), Meet Me In St Louis (2018), The Little Mermaid (2017) and The Buddy Holly Story (2015). Broadway: Ragtime (associate director/associate choreographer). Most recently, Josh was the co-choreographer for Mary Poppins (Drury Lane Theatre) and choreographer for Encore on Disney+. Josh directed/choreographed On the Town (Capital City Theatre), A Chorus Line (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Freaky Friday (Take It From the Top), Legally Blonde (Merry-Go-Round Playhouse) and the rock opera Fallen Angel (New York International Fringe Festival). Other credits include: Des Moines Metro Opera, Signature Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, Doonce Productions, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Gateway Playhouse.

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Abdul Hamid Royal

Music Director / Conductor

Broadway/International/Regional: Five Guys Named MoeTwistSophisticated LadiesAin’t Misbehavin’Jelly’s Last JamThe WizTruly BlessedMa Rainey’s Black BottomThe Sound of MusicFiddler on the RoofBetsy BrownConcerts for the EarthColors of ChristmasSmokey Joe’s CaféThe Life. Awards for Musical Direction: The Gospel at Colonus (Ovation, LA Drama Critics Circle and SAGE Awards), 5 Guys Named Moe (NAACP Image Award), Recorded in Hollywood (NAACP Image and Stage Scene LA Awards). He has worked with acclaimed artists including Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, Cy Coleman, Al Jarreau, The Pointer Sisters, Liza Minelli, Jennifer Holliday, Melba Moore, Grover Washington Jr., Patti LaBelle, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Phil Collins, Billy Porter and others.

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Edward E. Haynes, Jr.

Scenic Designer

is thrilled to be returning to The Muny, having previously designed sets for The Wiz. Regional: The Mark Taper Forum, Ebony Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory, The Kirk Douglas Theatre, The Geffen Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory, East West Players, Pasadena Playhouse, The Hollywood Bowl, Marin Theatre Company, TheatreWorks, Two River Theater, The Intiman Theatre, Trinity Repertory, The Alley Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and many he can no longer remember. Television: MTV’s Spring Break (2011, 2012), Hip Hop Harry (Discovery Kids/TLC) and Culture Clash (Fox). Ed is the proud father of twins, Denis and Wesly, and husband to director, Elizabeth Bell-Haynes.

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Sully Ratke

Costume Designer

is a Chicago-based theatre maker and is thrilled to be a part of Muny magic for the first time! She is an artistic associate of The Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago and The Actors Gymnasium in Evanston. She has worked with various Chicago theatres including Steppenwolf Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, The Marriott Theatre, The Lookingglass Theatre Company, The Irish Theatre of Chicago, The Gift Theatre and others. Her work has traveled to The Arena Stage in Washington D.C., The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, The McCarter Theatre in Princeton and South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. She continues to write, create and design in Chicago while teaching design at various institutions in and around the city, including The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Columbia College and North Central College.

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Rob Denton

Lighting Designer

is thrilled to be back for his ninth season. Select Muny designs include: Guys and Dolls, Matilda, The Muny Centennial Gala, Jersey Boys, Meet Me In St Louis and A Chorus Line. Regional design credits include: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Dracula: A Comedy of Errors (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), The Will Rogers Follies (Goodspeed Musicals), The Cake and Oslo (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and South Pacific (Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Girlfriend and The Wolves (TheaterWorks Hartford), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Theatre Under The Stars), Your Best One (Capital Repertory Theatre), Tosca (Opera San Antonio), Daughter of the Regiment (Atlanta Opera). Upcoming lighting designs include: Jersey Boys (Maltz Jupiter Theatre).

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John Shivers

Sound Designer

Credits: Pretty Woman, Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition, Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, The Muny 2015 – 2019 seasons, Kinky Boots (2013 Tony Award), Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway; Bonnie & Clyde, Sister Act, 9 to 5, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, In My Life and Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays. International: The Secret, Tarzan, Das Wunder von Bern, The Lion King (Shanghai, Singapore). Regional: Rock of Ages, The Heart of Rock & Roll, Moonshine, Harmony, The Nutty Professor, Tales of the City, Emma, Robin and the 7 Hoods. He’s enjoyed collaborations with Savion Glover, Dionne Warwick, Burt Bacharach, Gregory Hines and engineering at Electric Lady Studios. John’s proudest production, however, is his gem of a daughter, Ruby.

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David Patridge

Sound Designer

has had the pleasure of working around the world with some of the best in the business, and for the past 15 years, has partnered with John Shivers. He has served as a sound designer for The Muny since 2015. Select credits include: Rock of Ages, 42nd Street, The Heart of Rock & Roll, Flashdance, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Harmony, Ace, Beauty and the Beast, Singin’ in the Rain, Sweeney Todd, Miss Saigon, Holler If Ya Hear Me and Soul Doctor. International: Wicked, Das Wunder von Bern (Germany), The Spirit of Life (China). Associate Sound Design: Pretty Woman, Paramour, Kinky Boots, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway, Leap of Faith, We Will Rock You, Sister Act, Come Fly Away, 9 to 5, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia! and Tarzan.

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Kevan Loney

Video Designer

Recent regional credits: Drury Lane Theatre, Theatre Under The Stars, Paramount Theatre, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Citi Shubert Theatre, HERE Arts, Stages Repertory Theatre, Prototype and Asolo Repertory Theatre. He is a 2020 Jeff Equity Award recipient (Projection Design) for An American in Paris at Drury Lane Theatre. Select animator credits: The Sound Inside (Broadway, designed by Aaron Rhyne), Aladdin (Disney Cruise Lines, designed by Aaron Rhyne), Super Bowl LV Halftime Show (screens by DF Productions), Once (VinWonders Vietnam, designed by Aaron Rhyne), BET Awards 2021 (screens by DF Productions), Saks Fifth Avenue 2020 Holiday Light Show (designed by Chris Werner). He is an MFA graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and a member of USA 829. www.kevanloney.com

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Kelley Jordan

Wig Designer

is a seasoned wig/hair designer, licensed cosmetologist and savvy businesswoman with over 30 years of theatrical and concert experience. She has worked in hair and makeup at the Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis for over 30 years, including the most recent national tour of Hamilton. She is a member of IATSE Local 805 and a wig supervisor at The Muny, where she recently served as associate designer for The Wiz and designer for Annie. Her talents have also been seen in productions such as All Shook Up, Oprah’s Lifeclass, PBS’ A New Holiday, Elf the Musical (Theatre Under The Stars), Disney’s Mary Poppins and The Little Mermaid with Variety Theatre. Kelley is proud to be the first African American female wig designer at The Muny. K. Jordan Theatrical Academy opens soon.

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Karilyn Ashley Surratt

Associate Choreographer

returns to ‘The Lou’ 20 years after making her debut for some Muny magic! Her credits include being the first Native American Radio City Rockette and spokesperson, Fox’s Gotham (actor and choreographer), Saturday Night Live (featured dancer), the national tour of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the international tour of West Side Story, a Reader’s Digest cover model and a writer for publications and social media representing several theatre companies. Karilyn has been a guest ballet instructor, speaker and teaching artist in residence at Oklahoma City University, University of Kansas and Goodspeed Musicals, among others. She currently teaches dance with Muny U (virtual education series) and at Shuffles Tap and Musical Theatre School in New York. Proud member of AEA (National
Deputy Committee Member), SAG-AFTRA and the American Guild of Musical Artists. BPA OKCU. Mvto to NP, DC, and Josh. For PGW, DEC, & RLR. Merde, Holland! Full scoop @ksurrattsurratt

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MYSTI

1958 Corvette

Hi, I am Mysti, the 1958 Corvette featured in tonight’s show. I was born February 10, 1958, and manufactured in St. Louis. I am a C-1, also known as solid axle, first generation of Corvettes, years 1953-1962. I have had an exciting life! In 1995, I found myself at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. My favorite human, Michelle, saw me there and brought me back home to my roots. We joined the St. Louis Corvette Club and I am the only C-1. We decided I needed to hang out with friends closer to my age, so we also joined the international Solid Axle Corvette Club. If you ever see us out cruising, don’t hesitate to wave. Michelle will wave back and if you are in a sweet ride, I might just rev my engine. I hope you all enjoy the show! I will! I’ll be centerstage making my Muny debut!

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The Telsey Office

Casting

With offices in both New York and Los Angeles, The Telsey Office casts for theatre, film, television, and commercials. The Telsey Office is dedicated to creating safe, equitable, and antiracist spaces through collaboration, artistry, heart, accountability and advocacy.

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Matthew Lacey

Production Stage Manager

is thrilled to be back at The Muny, where some favorite shows include the premieres of Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Newsies, Hairspray, Les Misérables and Crazy for You. Broadway: MJ The Musical
(upcoming), Tootsie, SpongeBob SquarePants, Sunset Boulevard, Waitress, An American in Paris, On the Twentieth Century, Motown the Musical, Ghost the Musical, Relatively Speaking, Arcadia, La Bête, A Little Night Music, Chicago and Urinetown. Off-Broadway: Pete ‘n’ Keely, Mnemonic, Johnny Guitar, World of Mirth and Stomp. Other credits include: The Music Man (Kennedy Center), The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall and American Ballet Theatre. Matt is a graduate of The Conservatory at Webster University.

Guidelines

Show Guidelines

Smokey Joe’s Cafe became the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history. It features music from legendary duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and covers a variety of genres, including pop, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues anthems.

This Muny premiere, set in St. Louis’ historic Gaslight Square, will showcase over 35 chart-topping hits from the 50s and 60s – once recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, Peggy Lee and The Drifters. You’ll enjoy favorites such as “Yakety Yak,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “On Broadway” and “Love Potion No. 9.”

This family-friendly show is for all ages and will have Muny audiences dancing in the aisles.

Language

None.

Sexual Innuendo

Several songs include lyrics and choreography with sexual innuendo.

Drugs and Alcohol

Several songs mention alcohol or smoking.

Violence

None.

Mature Content

None.