Wednesday, October 23, 2013

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN ROCKS THE BLUES....a review

 

Erich McMillan-McCall
Founder/CEO
 
 
 
 
Janis Joplin first rose to fame in the late 1960s as the lead singer of the psychedelic-acid rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her own backing groups.  She was dubbed the "Queen of Rock."  She was known for her electric stage presence. She was rough around the edges, charismatic and vulnerable paving the way for countless women in rock.  Who knew that she was inspired by the blues?  The new  musical biography A Night With Janis Joplin”  which just opened at the Lyceum Theater tries to tell us the story of how four African American blues singers influenced her musical styling.
 
Janet Joplin loved the blues.  However, the book written, by Randy Johnson, who also serves as director does not quite take us on that journey but does set the stage for an  incredibly  memorable musical concert.  The book lightly touches on the unmistakably emotional raw voiced singer's Texas childhood and her person life but not the booze and drugs that cut her life short at only 27 from a heroine overdose.  Although we do see her gulping lots of Southern Comfort as the evening goes by.  But what this "bio musical" lacks in its book it makes up  as a musical concert journey that celebrates the legendary singer and her biggest musical influences--Bessie Smith, Etta James, Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin.
 
The stage at the Lyceum Theater is set with  table lamps of all shapes and sizes all over the stage, dynamic concert lighting,  Persian rugs, bell bottoms, long hair, amazing sound, projections, fantastic choreography by Patti Wilcox, lots of Southern Comfort and a real live rock band.  And did I say lots of Southern Comfort? We are magically  transported back to the days of free love and protests. This is a musical concert that you do not want to miss!  Amazing does not begin to describe the talent that pummels you with vocal gymnastics number after number.  I saw Kaycee Clanton as Joplin.  She alternates in the role of Janice Joplin with Mary Bridget Davies.  Clanton bears a strikingly eerie physical resemblance to Joplin.  She also has the chops as well as Joplin's exuberance.  She serves up, with great ease I might add, the emotional raspy wailings that made Joplin a blues and soul legend. Her renditions of Joplin classics like "Piece of My Heart," "Cry Baby,"  "Me and Bobby McGee" and  "Ball and Chain" will have you wanting more of that back in throat singing Joplin was known for.  I loved that the show ends with "Mercedes Benz," one of my personal favs!  The evening was quite special in ways I did not imagine. The audience was instantly up on its feet at the end with thunderous applause.
 
Clanton shares the stage with an awesome rock band and four spectacularly gifted women Taprena Michelle Augustine,  De' Adre Aziza, Allison Blackwell, Nikki Kimbrough.   They play Joplin's back up singers, the Joplinaires, as well as, her four biggest musical influences.  Blackwell is a particular standout as the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin.   
 
What you don't learn about Joplin's tortured life from the show's book you can Google.  Through this musical concert  journey I was reminded  of how original Janis Joplin was an artist.  She was truly electric!  In her voice you can hear young voices refusing to be a part of the status quo.  Hers was a voice of inspiration and empowerment for so many who found themselves protesting in some way in the late sixties and early seventies for change.  Nobody sings like she sang.   

 

 
Lyceum Theater; 674 seats; $140 top.  Opened Oct. 10, 2013.. Running time:  TWO HOURS, 20 MIN.

 

Production

A presentation by Daniel Chilewich, Todd Gershwin, Michael Cohl, Jeffrey Jampol, TCG Entertainment, Stephen Tenenbaum, Richard Winkler, Michael J. Moritz, Jr. / Brunish & Trinchero, Ginger Productions, Bill Ham, Claudio Loureiro, Keith Mardak, Ragovoy Entertainment, Bob & Laurie Wolfe / Neil Kahanovitz, Mike Stoller & Corky Hale Stoller, Darren P. DeVerna, Susan DuBow, Tanya Grubich, Jeremiah H. Harris, Jerry Rosenberg / AJ Michaels, and Herb Spivak, in association with the Estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for JAM, Inc., of a musical in two acts written and directed by Randy Johnson.  Originally produced by Arena Stage and also by the Cleveland Play House.

 

Creative

Sets & lighting, Justin Townsend; costumes, Amy Clark; sound, Carl Casella; projections, Darrel Maloney; hair & makeup, Leah J. Loukas; choreography, Patricia Wilcox; music director & conductor, Ross Seligman; original music, arrangements & direction, Len Rhodes; music coordinator, Howard Joines. 

 

Cast

Mary Bridget Davies, Taprena Michelle Augustine, De'Adre Aziza, Allison Blackwell, Nikki Kimbrough, Alison Cusano, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Kaycee Clanton.


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