A Night With Janis Joplin

Yes, I agree with everything l0islane says, except I saw Mary Bridget Davies in the lead role Thursday night, and I can see why she was nominated for a Tony, as she's phenomenal!

There is no story as such, just a gig atmosphere and "Janis" getting to perform alongside, and in comparison, to her female influences, like Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Bessie Smith.

Some spoilers follow. . .

The fact that there's no story didn't bother me as the stories that are told in these types of shows are often very facile (Michael Jackson getting perfectionist about his budget, Cilla Black loving her man, Billie Holiday having a tough night, Choir of Man just partying for a night; "Tina" does have a proper story, by contrast).

What did bother me a bit was the poor structure, that had her teaming up with Aretha Franklin in the first half, when that team-up is the equivalent of a finale megamix, complete with rousing audience singalong. You simply can't top that in the second half, so there is a slight aura of anticlimax.

Alot of the monologuing between songs is authentic, lifted from a fantastic 1974 documentary by Howard Alk.

Mary Bridget Davies is ninety five percent the Janis of the documentary, her singing voice the absolute spit, her appearance and presentation almost identical. But as a person, Bridget Davies is just a bit too self-possessed, a bit too powerful, missing the wounded bleariness and the nervous giggle. The real Joplin appeared happiest on stage eviscerating her personality ecstatically, whereas Mary Bridget Davies is more confident, comfortable and charismatic at all times. Its in the ecstacy, of soul, rock and blues singing, that she and Janis become one.

The show also elides Joplin's male influences, given that the first record she bought was Leadbelly, her most revered performer Otis Redding, and in the documentary she trades vocals primarily with men.

Anyhow, the supporting cast are the strongest singers you will see in any show, every single one. Danielle Steers's voice commands heaven, and she plays a bunch of influences, including Bessie Smith. Kalisha Amaris not only has a voice worthy of playing Aretha Franklin, but she's able to get an audience involved in singing along to songs they don't know through sheer delightful force of personality.

Joplin probably wasn't the greatest songwriter, more a peerless rasping rocking performer, as the documentary and this show mostly feature her singing covers better than the original artists. But this show gave me the feeling of what it might be like to experience that voice and that performance, and that was worth 4 stars to me.