Production overdone in 'Smokey Joe's Café'

By Joseph T. Rozmiarek
Advertiser Drama Critic

•	'Smokey Joe's Café' 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays through Nov. 30 Richardson Theatre, Fort Shafter $17, $14; 438-4480, 438-5230

The hit songs of the '50s and '60s recorded by Elvis, Peggy Lee, Dion and others define a historical period when lyrics were still intelligible and LSD had not yet begun to corrupt the melodies.

"Smokey Joe's Café," staged and choreographed by Derek Daniels at Army Community Theatre, features 40 nonstop hits by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller: "Hound Dog," "Kansas City," "Yakety-Yak," "Charlie Brown," "On Broadway," and many more.

The show is a string of numbers without a plot line or even an implied narrative. On Broadway, it was nominated for a Tony award, and a touring production temporarily resurrected the career of Gladys Knight.

Manoa Valley Theatre staged it last season with a small cast in a comparatively intimate setting. Daniels' version inflates the size and look of the production to match the cavernous Richardson Theater at Fort Shafter. Both approaches are valid, but the elements within the ACT production sometimes clash.

Tom Giza's set suggests a vaguely Asian nightclub or the mixed décor of a high-school prom. Musical director Carla Jones and her small combo are part of the set on a raised bandstand. Lighting designer John Parkinson accents the stage with a pair of illuminated stairways and a collection of hanging mirrored globes, but keeps things dimly lit — and kind of "smokey."

This has us sometimes peering through the gloom to identify the singer, a task made more difficult by a spunky and wayward new sound system. To say that the sound lacks balance doesn't adequately explain the pantomiming trio of backup singers and the stereophonic B-52-bomber sound effects that fly through the auditorium.

When the mikes work, the music is a lot of fun.

Alison Maldonado neatly controls focus on all of her solos, managing to tame a monstrous red feather boa during "You're the Boss." Traci Toguchi lets loose with vocal skyrockets on "Pearl's a Singer" and Amado Cacho matches them with an impassioned "I Who Have Nothing." Elvis impersonator Dawe Glover takes the lead on "Jailhouse Rock."

The men's quartet (Cacho, Glover, Arnold Pontillas and Gene DeFrancis) creates a smooth ensemble. And the musicians provide excellent support. But the show lacks continuity and feels like it's pushing too hard. The big and splashy approach sometimes seems to work against the music, with too many singers and dancers pulling for focus.

Daniels also designed dozens of bright and elaborate costumes that match the big approach. At times, however, the staging is too literal or too over-the-top with furs, suitcases and sequined silver top hats.

In the end, there's lots of nostalgia in "Smokey Joe's Café," but not enough authentic soul.