Jessica Spends Three Nights in Joe’s for Steph

Over The Rainbow contestant Jessica Robinson will take over from fellow Dorothy, Stephanie Fearon, in Smokey Joe’s Cafe for three nights from 20 to 22 August 2010, to allow Fearon to have an operation on her wrist.

The self-proclaimed ‘wacky’ Dorothy, Jessica Robinson, just missed out on a semi final place in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and BBC television talent contest, but starts at the Arts Educational School this autumn.

The tiny Landor Theatre’s production of Smokey Joe’s Cafe, which opened on 20 July 2010 (previews from 13 July) and had been booking to 12 August, has extended by a month and will now finish on 5 September. The first major production of the musical since its West End run at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1996, Robinson will star alongside Melanie La Barrie, who recently joined the cast – replacing Kym Mazelle who moved on to work commitments in the US.

Smokey Joe’s Cafe features 39 pop standards written by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, including “On Broadway”, “Jailhouse Rock”, “Stand By Me” and “I’m a Woman”. It premiered on Broadway in 1995, transferring to the West End’s Prince of Wales theatre the following year.

Robinson will join a cast which also includes Marc Akinfolarin, Miguel Angel, Edward Baruwa, Simon Hardwick, Ngo Ngofa and Philippa Stefani. Mykal Rand directs and choreographs.