“Smokey Joe’s Caf‚” is an enigma. It is in no way a play, but it’s staged at theaters, and until May 18, being housed at the Des Moines Playhouse. It isn’t a musical with defined characters, plot or setting and, in fact, comes nearest to a retro-pop concert. Nonetheless, the high-energy journey through the prolific songwriting careers of Mike Leiber and Jerry Stoller is an entertaining experience.

Leiber and Stoller, songwriters of such classics as “Hound Dog” and “Yakety Yak” were prolific, and the show consists of no fewer than 38 of their songs, some of which will be instantly recognizable, while others will leave you simply rifling through your parents’ old 45s searching for them.

The debut performance Friday was shaky at times, but showed genuine promise throughout.

The sound system cut out a few times and some of the performers showed some opening-night jitters, but they didn’t remain distractions for long.

The show’s real find was Timothy Tate, an elementary school music teacher making his Playhouse debut. His voice was strong, his comedic sense well-honed and his presence undeniable.

Every time he was on stage, he made his presence felt without upstaging the other performers. While others on stage seemed nervous and shaky at times, Tate delivered a consistently strong performance with both vocals and poise.

Elisia Raymond gave an equally masterful performance with her songs, assembling a strong sense of character and emotion from each note and rest. Tina Haase also delivered some of the strongest moments in the show by calling upon her tremendous musical range and background as a professional singer.

The weakest member of the cast at the debut performance was oddly enough a Playhouse veteran, Joseph Parrish, but it must be said that even he had his potent moments.

From the outset, his diction was weak, and he failed to project clearly, which is a cardinal sin for an audience who knows the words to the songs. His performance was heavy on theatrics, but light on clarity.

The staging wasn’t complex, particularly near the conclusion. It really seemed as if director and choreographer Alison Shafer decided to channel Rent.

Nonetheless, the play made clever use of the stage and the sparse backdrops, especially in numbers like “Searchin.’ “

Perhaps the largest surprise for “Smokey Joe’s Caf‚” was the outstanding set of costumes. From glitzy gowns to tuxedoes, the costumes were surprisingly appropriate and numerous.

Except for a brief medley in the second act, there didn’t seem to be a single musical number where everyone was wearing the same costume as before, and in a show with 38 songs, that’s an astounding achievement for a community theater without the million-dollar budget of national touring companies.

Above all, the performance used costuming, sets and characterization to create a good time, often outdoing itself with lesser-known songs like “D.W. Washburn” and “Spanish Harlem,” making better-known songs like “Jailhouse Rock” or “Kansas City” less interesting as a whole.

Michael Falk, graduate student in geological and atmospheric sciences, was uncertain of his expectations before the show, but was pleased by the result.

“I enjoyed the show. Lieber and Stoller were excellent songwriters, as their longevity showed, and the performers conveyed the emotions of the original songs quite well,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect going in — whether to expect a musical with a plot or just a series of songs.

“It was the latter, and I think that was the best choice for the show since it allowed more of the music to be performed,” Falk said.

He said his enjoyment of the show wouldn’t necessarily translate to other people.

“I wouldn’t recommend it to a broad audience of college students, simply because while Lieber and Stoller were excellent songsmiths, the music of the 1950s and 1960s isn’t of that much interest to most college students today,” Falk said.

“I enjoyed the show because I grew up around ‘oldies’ music and still listen to it to this day.”

It’s probably true that “Smokey Joe’s Caf‚” is not for everyone, but for people who would rather listen to an oldies station than hear one more song from Puddle of Mudd, it’s a lively diversion.

To say the least, with the cast assembled by the Des Moines Playhouse, the only serious difference between this show and a national touring cast of “Smokey Joe’s Caf‚” is the lightened ticket price.

For those who even think they might be interested, the show boils down to one thing, said Des Moines resident Dee Gardner.

“The show is just a lot of fun,” Gardner said.

“Smokey Joe’s Caf‚” will be on stage at the Des Moines Playhouse through May 18. Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday nights, at 2 p.m. Saturday shows and at 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday matinees.