Smokey Joe's Cafe

Smokey Joe's Café
June 11 - 28, 2014
in Bellport
 
  Smokey Joe's Cafe  
Download Playbill (11.6MB PDF)
 

The Company

Nik Alexzander NIK ALEXZANDER
is so overjoyed to be joining this cast of Smokey Joe’s Café!!! He was last seen on tour with Priscilla Queen Of The Desert as Miss Understanding. Other credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (Tour), Dreamgirls, The Wiz, Hairspray and Working the Musical. Nik would like to thank Chet Walker, Devon Sims, Jerrial Young, Trista Doll, Angela Birchett, Carla Stewart, Meg Pantera, Matthew James and his PARENTS for NAILING IT. This is my Story…..NOW LETS SING DOWN FOR THE GODDDDSSSSSSSSS.
Dennis Anderson DENNIS ANDERSON (The Coasters)
born under the sign of Libra, started playing bass guitar for many groups including the Broadways and Escorts as well as many more. In 1979, Dennis played the role of Judas in Jesus Christ Super Star and in 1982 Ain’t Misbehavin’. Dennis has performed with many performers and acts in his career.
Malcom Armwood MALCOLM ARMWOOD
is beyond thrilled to be performing Smokey Joe’s Café for the first time at Gateway! He traveled the Mediterranean Sea working on Norwegian Cruise Line. Favorite Credits: PC Spelling Bee (Mitch), Bat Boy (Rev. Hightower) Ragtime, Hairspray, Kiss Me Kate. Proud East Carolina University graduate. Much love to Mom, Dad, McKenzie, supporting family and friends.
Primo Candelaria PRIMO CANDELARIA (The Coasters)
joined The Coasters in October 2008 after an audition for Carl Sr. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been singing since he was 10 years old. He teaches choreography and also has produced many shows. He was also with the group Chapter One for several years, and sang with The Intruders and many other professional groups. He has a very beautiful smooth tenor voice and has been a great asset to the continuation of The Coasters. While touring with The Coasters, he sings lead on, among others, Baby That Is Rock & Roll and Down In Mexico.
Yvette Monique Clark YVETTE MONIQUE CLARK
is excited to be working at the Gateway and doing Smokey Joe’s Café. Her favorite roles to date are the international tour of Ain’t Misbehavin (Nell), Hairspray (Motormouth Maybelle), and Chicago (Mama Morton). She will be appearing in season 2 of Orange Is The New Black. She thanks God and her family, for without them she would be nothing. She would like to dedicate this run to her Aunt Garnetta.
Seth Danner SETH DANNER
is thrilled to be making his Gateway Playhouse debut in Smokey Joe’s Café! Favorite credits include: Greg in A Chorus Line (National & Japanese Tours), Duke in The Great American Trailer Park Musical (Merry-Go- Round Playhouse), The Most Happy Fella (Goodspeed), South Pacific (Riverside Theatre), among others. TV/Film: Other Plans, One Life to Live. Thank you to Chet, Michael, Craig & Bernadette/ Avalon Artists, and the entire creative team for this wonderful opportunity. Thanks and love to family & friends for their constant love and support, especially Mom & Dad for never missing a show. Love to Anthony and Boo Radley.
Robert H. Fowler ROBERT H. FOWLER
is thrilled and grateful to be a part of Smokey Joe’s Café! His credits include Broadway: The Producers, Beauty and The Beast, Steel Pier and Dreamgirls; Regional: Les Miserables (Javert), Race (Henry Brown), Ragtime (Coalhouse), La Cage (Jacob) and Spelling Bee (Mitch); Television/Film: The Good Wife, Cupid, All My Children, as well as, Malcolm X and The Producers Movie, He’s a proud member of Broadway Inspirational Voices. Thank you Bohemia and Carson- Kolker. God Bless!!
Joe Lance Williams JOE LANCE WILLIAMS (The Coasters)
, better known as J.W., has performed live on stage with Carl Gardner Sr. for several years, personally hand-picked by Carl in July 2001. He grew up in Ponchatoula, Louisiana just 60 miles from the music capital of the south, his birthplace New Orleans, Louisiana, known as “The Big Easy.” He grew to love the musical sound of country western music. At the early age of nine years he was encouraged to develop his talent of singing and playing the guitar when he realized he could play the rubber band box and finally the guitar in New Zion Baptist Church of his hometown. This was the true spiritual foundation of his musical career. In 2001 Mr. Carl Gardner, the original lead singer and founder was introduced to JW and immediately hired him to be a part of his group The Coasters. JW is a very versatile and talented singer/song writer and has continued to be an asset to the continuation of Carl’s group The Coasters.
Kathleen (Kate) McCann KATHLEEN (KATE) MCCANN
Gateway debut! Credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (European tour) Mary Magdalene/Soul-Girl; Smokey Joe’s Cafe (nat’l tour); Regional: RENT, Avenue Q, Blues in the Night, Swing!, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Jekyll and Hyde, Music Man, Grand Night. Recently toured Japan as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Big love to her beautiful family and friends!
Erin McGrath ERIN MCGRATH
is so excited to be performing for the very first time at Gateway Playhouse! Erin has appeared on the National Tour of Hairspray (Tammy) as well as around the country and the world in Smokey Joe’s Café (Delee), And the World Goes Round, Shout!, and White Noise. She has also been seen on TV in shows such as Boardwalk Empire and Royal Pains as well as in numerous commercials. Proud University of Michigan graduate! Go Blue!
Marla McReynolds MARLA MCREYNOLDS
is thrilled to join the Gateway family in Smokey Joe’s Café! Marla has performed on Broadway in The Color Purple (Older Olivia), and Chicago (Mona). She has also toured nationally and internationally with Anything Goes (Charity), West Side Story and Chicago (Swing/US Roxie). Other favorite credits include Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis in Las Vegas, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and OZ the Great and Powerful. Many thanks to Chet and Michael! For MW.
Jody Reynard JODY REYNARD
has appeared on Broadway in Legally Blonde, Taboo, Saturday Night Fever and Fosse and has toured with Memphis, Kiss Me Kate, Camelot and My Fair Lady. Regionally, Jody’s played Mitch Mahoney (Spelling Bee), Phaedra (La Cage aux Folles) and Darren Lemming (Take Me Out). Film and TV credits include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Rosie Live, One Life to Live, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Show Business: The Road to Broadway. Jody has also performed in concerts with the Omaha Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Orchestras.
Eddie Whitfield EDDIE WHITFIELD (The Coasters)
joined The Coasters in November 2009 after auditioning for Carl Sr. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nicknamed “Fast Eddie”, Whitfield started singing when he was a teenager and can sing both bass and baritone. He toured with a group by the name of Neighbors Complaint for four years. They recorded Piece of Mind. His great bass really impresses on Charlie Brown, Zing With The Strings Of My Heart and Yakety Yak.
CHET WALKER (Director/Choreographer)
Forty years in 120 words or less: Broadway: Choreography: Fosse (Coconceiver/ co-choreographer), Tony, Best Musical, Outer Critic’s Circle award, Drama Desk award and Toronto Theater Alliance awards for Best Choreography. PIPPIN Tony, Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography (Nominated), Fred and Adele Astaire award, Outer Critics Circle award and Drama Desk awards for Best Choreography. Broadway performer: On The Town, Lorelei, Ambassadors, Pajama Game, Dancin’, Sweet Charity, Pippin. Other director/choreographer: The Jack Cole Project (Queens Theatre), Sweet Charity (West End), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Tel Aviv). Awards: Joseph Jefferson Award, co-choreography, Pal Joey (Goodman). Upcoming: Valentino (conceiver and director), Feelin’ in the Mood (cochoreographer)
JACK McLEOD (Production Stage Manager)
is thrilled to be making his Gateway Playhouse Debut! Seven Broadway productions and eighteen years of touring (USA, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia) partial credits include Kinky Boots, Jersey Boys, Avenue Q, White Christmas, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Porgy & Bess, Cats, Grease, The King & I, Godspell, Hedwig and the Angry inch, Boeing-Boeing, Camelot, Lone Star Love, Cabaret, The Goodbye Girl and South Pacific. www.jack-mcleod.com
DAVID TRUSKINOFF (Music Director)
conducted the Broadway productions of Rent, Hair (2011 revival), and End of the Rainbow. On DVD, he conducted Rent–The Final Broadway Performance (Sony/Radical Media). He produced and did arrangements for the CD, Rachel Bay Jones–ShowFolk (Plum Song Records). David has served on the faculties of NYU (Tisch), Yale School of Drama, and the Eugene O’Neill Center’s National Theatre Institute. He graduated (BFA, Musical Theatre) from the University of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music.
NICHOLAS KATEN (Assistant to the Director)
from Portland, Oregon, is a graduate of New York University. Additionally, Katen has trained at the Arts Academy in Prague, Czech Republic, Arts and Communications Magnet Academy, and The Juilliard School. He’s performed works by choreographers Joshua Bergasse, Chase Brock, Michael Clark, Barak Marshall, Austin McCormick, Mark Morris, Eleanor Powell, and Chet Walker. Katen has been assisting Chet Walker since 2013. He works for The Metropolitan Opera, the Staten Island Ballet, and Company XIV.
BRIAN LOESCH (Lighting Designer)
is proud to be part of the Gateway Family for his seventeenth season. Gateway Playhouse lighting design credits include: Beauty and The Beast (2013), Sweeney Todd (2011), A Christmas Carol (2006 & 2010), Avenue Q, Sophisticated Ladies, Forbidden Broadway (2008), Forbidden Broadway Holiday Edition (2011), The Full Monty, A Holiday Spectacular On Ice (2004 & 2009), South Pacific, Footloose, Jesus Christ Superstar, Kiss Me Kate, Holiday Hop, Cirque La Masque - Noel, Urinetown, Mooseltoe (2007 & 2008), Cabaret and numerous children’s theatre productions including Peter Pan (2004) and Jungle Book (2005). Brian graduated with a Degree in Technical Theatre from Suffolk County Community College. Other design credits include Language of Angels (Henry Street Experimental Theatre, NYC), Paraffin Touch (World Premiere at Suffolk County Community College), The Man Who Would Be King (World Premiere at the Antrim Playhouse), and Kiss Me Kate (Cape Fear Regional Theatre). National Tour credits include George M! (2003 Candlewood Int./ Mainstage Productions), Titanic (2004 Candlewood Int.), A Holiday Spectacular On Ice (2004 A Gateway / Candlewood Production), Mame (2005-06 Candlewood Int.), Camelot (2006-07 Candlewood Int.), and the 2007 and 2008 productions of Mooseltoe (Semmelman Productions).
MARTIN T. LOPEZ (Costume Designer)
is a NY based scenic and costume designer. Recent designs: Handle With Care and Witnessed By The World (Off- Broadway) both directed by Karen Carpenter, and HMS Pinafore and Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Saratoga. Martin was a recipient of the NEA/TCG Career Development Program and was one of the first winners of the Opera America Director Designer Showcase. Martin is thrilled to be working with Chet Walker and this fantastic cast. www.MartinTLopezDesign.com
STEVE PALADIE (Scenic Designer)
is an artist with over 22 years of professional theatrical and entertainment design, production, management and touring experience and currently resides in Las Vegas, NV. Recent design credits include local productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie, Hedwig and the Angry inch, Damn Yankees and Peter Pan. Numerous corporate clients include State Farm Insurance, Hyundai USA, and Caesars Entertainment.
R&H THEATRICALS (Licensor)
represents the stage performance rights to over 100 musicals by more than 200 writers. These include works by Rodgers & Hammerstein (including Oklahoma!, South Pacific and The Sound of Music), Rodgers & Hart (Pal Joey, Babes in Arms), and Kern & Hammerstein (Show Boat), as well as musicals by Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun, White Christmas), Andrew Lloyd Webber (Cats, The Phantom of the Opera), Adam Guettel (The Light in the Piazza, Floyd Collins), Kurt Weill (The Three Penny Opera, Lady in the Dark), such perennials as Big River, Once Upon a Mattress, and Footloose, and the longest-running revues in the history of Broadway – Smokey Joe’s Café -- and Off-Broadway – I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Recently added titles include In the Heights, A Catered Affair, It’s Only Life, [title of show], Love Musik, Face the Music, Reefer Madness, Altar Boyz, Bernarda Alba, Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical, and Bright Lights, Big City. R&H Theatricals is an Imagem company: www.rnh.com.