Crying Baby All the way to Broadway

Janis Joplin was a rock and roll powerhouse during her lifetime, her signature voice and style has earned the late artist an enormous adoring following that continues to flourish even after her death in 1970. Her raspy, unruly vocals, combined with influences from rock, soul, the blues, and country music make Joplin a truly unique artist. 

Joplin’s life and work has been commemorated in many ways over the last few decades, and the newest immortalization of the singer is fashioned in the form of a play, set to hit Broadway this fall. The show’s producers said that the musical, entitled “A Night With Janis Joplin,” will start previews at the Lyceum Theatre starting in September, 2013.

Image: Portland Center Stage via Flickr

 

“A Night With Janis Joplin” is an adaptation for Broadway, written and directed by Randy Johnson. The musical was previously performed as “One Night With Janis Joplin,” premiering in Portland, Oregon in 2011 and since touring in other cities. The original play stars actress Mary Bridget Davies as the exuberant and iconic singer, who beat out over 150 other women for the role. Davies is set to play Janis Joplin again in the Broadway rendition of Johnson’s play.

Fans of Joplin’s work can expect to enjoy a live onstage band during the performance, and will recognize famous songs like “Summertime,” “Cry Baby,” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” amongst many more of the singer’s signature songs. A Los Angeles Times review of the original play called it a “cosmic collusion of persona and perception, this electrifying concert musical resurrects the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with the sort of seismically sensational results normally encountered at stadiums and pop festivals."

“A Night With Janis Joplin” on Broadway promises to be a tremendously entertaining tribute to the iconic singer. Visit the show’s official website to learn more.