“Smokey Joe’s Café” is not the typical musical.

It is a revue, which is a performance of short skits and songs that does not have an overarching theme. Since the musical has no plot line, actors and actresses in the musical are playing themselves through the 39 rock-and-roll songs. The performers sing and have no dialogue.

The musical takes place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday in Wilner Auditorium. Tickets are free for WSU students with Shocker ID and $7 for the public.

“I love playing as myself in this musical,” junior Dylan Harris said. “Instead of studying a character and finding the meaning behind it, there is leeway to play and find our own meaning within all of the songs. The tough part has been not imitating the stars of the time, like Elvis, and trying to stay true to ourselves.”

The actors rehearsed the music and learned the staging in two weeks, five days a week, for about four hours a day.

“Preparations were different than a typical musical,” junior Da’Merius Ford said. “It took extra time since we had more choreographing to do than a normal musical.”

The musical features classics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The show pays homage to some of the most recognizable musical legends such as The Drifters, The Coasters and Elvis Presley.

“I’m hoping that this musical will bring memories back to the wiser people in the crowd,” Harris said. “I hope it takes them back to their younger years, that it’s fun and that they find the deeper meaning that is within some of the songs.”

Although making sure all of the actors are prepared, checking the lighting, sound and scenery are just as important.

David Neville, associate professor of set and lighting design, said this musical allows the set designers to be creative.

Although he deemed the set as simple, it consists of four moving panels that form a picture, moving lights, staircases and platforms that the actors will dance on.

“I wanted to create a sense of nostalgia for the time period,” Neville said. “I very loosely based the design on a jukebox and RPM records to create that feeling. The lighting patterns are simple but add to the sensation, as well. The best part is being able to bring the story to life and add detail.”

Neville and more than a dozen students created the set.

Through all of the preparations, Harris and Ford agreed they are excited for the performances to begin.

“People should come because it feels like a rock concert the whole time,” Harris said. “It’s a time to put our difficulties aside, get away and have a fun time.”