Rocker Rick Springfield Joins Smokey Joe's Oct. 19-31 | Playbill

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News Rocker Rick Springfield Joins Smokey Joe's Oct. 19-31 Rick Springfield, teen heartthrob and rocker of the 1980s, will be the latest star from the world of pop music to join the long-running Broadway revue Smokey Joe's Cafe.
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Rick Springfield.

Rick Springfield, teen heartthrob and rocker of the 1980s, will be the latest star from the world of pop music to join the long-running Broadway revue Smokey Joe's Cafe. Springfield, who will visit the Virginia Theatre Oct. 19-31, scored a couple small hits in the '70s. His career really caught fire, however, after he parlayed a career as a soap star of "General Hospital" into a string of early '80s pop hits, most notably "Jesse's Girl" and "Don't Talk to Strangers." Recently, he has returned to television, playing a recurring role on the sitcom "Suddenly Susan."

Jerry Zaks directed the revue, which opened March 2, 1995, and became the longest running musical revue in Broadway history June 2 with 1,775 performances. Joey McKneely designed choreography for the nine-person ensemble cast.

In recent months, Smokey Joe -- The Songs of Leiber and Stoller has played host to a steady stream of unlikely Broadway stars, including such disparate artists as Ben E. King, Lou Rawls, Pam Tillis, Gloria Gaynor and Tony Orlando have entered the long-running musical.

For a short time this past summer, hard rocker Joan Jett was announced as an upcoming guest. Jett has since backed out.

Smokey Joe's Cafe played its 1,775th performance at the Virginia June 2, becoming the longest running musical revue in Broadway history. The previous record holder was Bob Fosse's Dancin' with 1,774 performances.

Some of the Leiber & Stoller songs featured are: "Kansas City," "Fools Fall in Love'," "On Broadway," "I'm A Woman," "Poison Ivy," "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog."

For more information, call (212) 239-6200 or check out their website at http://www.smokeyjoescafe.com .

-- By Robert Simonson

 
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