Smokey Joe's Cafe Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"..."Smokey Joe's Cafe," or "Baby That's Rock 'n' Roll," as it used to be known back when it first tried out in Chicago years ago, is a straight-up Broadway revue based on the formidable catalog of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. No more, no less. It fits quite sexily into the intimate confines of the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, where a four-piece band (sax and all), a full-blown set, enough costume changes to make any fool fall in love with someone, and a hugely promising young cast of performers have this diminutive joint cooking as if we're in Spanish Harlem."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...This commercial remount might not have the same formidable advertising budget that has sent "Million Dollar Quartet" to the top of the charts both here and beyond. But with its dynamic cast of nine singer-actor-dancers at top spin thanks to director-choreographer Brenda Didier, with its formidable band (with original musical direction by Jeremy Ramey now flawlessly realized by conductor-pianist Kory Danielson and three fellow musicians), and a song list of about three dozen hits by a pair of pop masters who in many ways defined the sound of the late 1950s, '60s and '70s, it should give that show a serious run for every greenback. And of course there is even some Elvis Presley overlap here."

Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended

"...Still, my mind wandered to the people behind the songs, rather than the characters in them. How did Big Mama Thornton, the African-American artist who first performed "Hound Dog," feel when Elvis Presley's version took off? But don't let my cynicism ruin a good knee-slapping romp through the total racial harmony of postwar America."

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...As strong a showcase as Smoky Joe’s Café is for the sizzling cast, it’s a treasure trove of show-stopping solos. A “big mama” belter, Dasilva sang the stuffing out of the revival rouser “Saved” and reduced the crowd to conniptions with her roof-raising “Fool Fall in Love.” (Jennifer Hudson has another Chicago rival.) Deris lit into the lover’s lament “I Who Have Nothing” as if every note were a ticket to heaven, and Adair and Sivertsen gave a sultry take on the unrepentantly sensual “Teach Me How To Shimmy.”"

ChicagoCritic - Recommended

"...All in all, Smokey Joe's Cafe manages to be perfectly delightful without taking any considerable artistic risks. Buttressed between dinner and an evening of light dancing, Smokey Joe's will serve. But for those who seek a more daring edge to their night's entertainment....well, you might sit this one out."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended

"...SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ is located at the corner of nostalgic and memorable. If you didn't see it before, don't miss it this time. If you already saw it, you already know that you should see it again. Get down to SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ for a musical serving 'On Broadway.'"