http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=27742
May 8, 2008
The Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills continues its 2008 season with the
Los Angeles premiere of LOVE, JANIS for five performances only: May
29 - June 1. The life and music of rock-n-roll icon Janis Joplin
explodes onto the stage in LOVE, JANIS. LOVE, JANIS is a hauntingly
intimate portrayal of one of America's most celebrated icons that
goes behind the music to offer a glimpse at the soul of a legend both
through the letters she wrote home and the songs she made famous.
Tickets for Love, Janis are now available at the Wilshire Theatre Box
Office, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., and by phone at 323-655-0111. Tickets
can also be purchased through Ticketmaster - online at
ticketmaster.com, by phone at 213-365-3500, and all Ticketmaster outlets.
Conceived, adapted and directed by Randal Myler (It Ain't Nothin But
The Blues, Hank Williams: Lost Highway) and inspired by the
best-selling book of the same name by Laura Joplin, LOVE, JANIS
paints a stunning portrait of the legendary blues rocker-both of the
singular performer who defied traditional musical definitions, and
the sensitive, intelligent person remembered by family and
friends-from her meteoric rise to fame in the '60s to her tragic
death in 1970. Janis' journey is told in her own words; the entire
spoken text comes directly from Janis' actual letters and her many
print, radio and television interviews.
These poignant insights into the private Janis are intertwined with
explosive performances of her smash hit classics, including "Piece of
My Heart," "Get It While You Can," "Me and Bobby McGee," "Ball and
Chain" and "Mercedes Benz". Music Direction is provided by Sam
Andrew, founding member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, the
band with which Janis was discovered at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Three actresses share the role of this larger-than-life personality,
with two sharing the stage each night. Mary Bridget Davies and Andra
Mitrovich alternate performances as Janis Joplin the performer,
belting out rocking renditions of Joplin's hits. Marisa Ryan
portrays the private Janis, the young woman who chronicled the rapid
rise of her brief career through expressive letters to her family
back home in Port Arthur, Texas.
The New York Post calls LOVE, JANIS, "a potent, fresh and enormously
crowd-pleasing evocation of the legacy of Janis Joplin," while USA
Today deems it an "unabashed celebration." And the San Diego Union
Tribune declares "Joplin truly lives again in the affectionate and
completely appealing 'LOVE, JANIS.'"
MARY BRIDGET DAVIES (Janis Joplin) Mary Bridget has been on stage
since age three. Her first love, dance, took her to Los Angeles on a
scholarship, and then around the country as part of a touring dance
troupe. After completing the tour, Mary Bridget joined Cleveland's
own Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Company. Five years ago,
she discovered a passion for singing blues, rock and soul music and
now fronts the Mary Bridget Davies Group, which was nominated as the
Best Blues Band by Cleveland's Scene and Free Times magazines. Mary
Bridget also received the Best Vocalist award from the Free
Times. She made her debut in Love, Janis at Cleveland's Playhouse
Square and also performed the role at Theatre Aspen and the Marines
Memorial Theatre in San Francisco as well as The Alley Theatre in Houston.
ANDRA MITROVICH (Janis) has performed at ZACH Theatre in Austin, TX
in It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Tapestry, The Music of Carole
King; Tommy (The Acid Queen); Love, Janis; Rockin' Christmas Party
(1993-2006); Soul Sisters: Judy & Andra in Concert; and Beehive (also
an upstate NY tour). REGIONAL THEATER: Rockin' Christmas Party at San
Antonio's Empire Theatre. Love, Janis at The Cleveland Playhouse, San
Diego Repertory, Chicago's Royal George Theatre, Sag Harbor/L.I. Bay
Street Theatre, Village Theatre in NYC & Village Theatre of Aspen,
CO. MUSIC/TV/RADIO: Commercials/studio work for Disney Productions,
Tequila Mockingbird, Parrot Tracks, SRS: Ben Blanks, The Hit Shack,
Malted Milk Productions, Arlyn Studios and Sonic One Studios. Andra
tours with "Big Brother & the Holding Co." and traveled with them on
their 2005 European Tour. OTHER: Nominated for Best Actress for
Joseph Jefferson Award in Chicago, won the B. Iden Payne Award for
Best Actress in a Musical for Love, Janis; and the Austin Critics'
Table Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for Beehive! Andra was
inducted into the "Gulf Coast Hall of Fame" in Port Arthur, TX as a
member of "Big Brother & the Holding Co." Andra recently performed
with Gulf Coast blues band "98 in the Shade" (www.the98site.com ) &
can be heard on their new CD,_"Complicated." After popular demand,
Andra will star in ZACH's upcoming production of Love, Janis in January 2009.
MARISA RYAN (Janis) is a New York native who studied and performed at
the Royal National Theater in London. Theater credits include:
Another Part of the Forest, The Little Foxes (Seattle Rep, Cleveland
Playhouse), Fast Tracks Live (Upright Citizans Brigade, NY). Film
credits: Brooklyn Lobster, Justice, Alchemy, Wet Hot American Summer,
Riding in Cars With Boys, With or Without You, Slaves to the
Underground, Love Always and many others. Television: "Major Dad",
"The Practice", "Falcone", "Pennsylvania Miners Story", "Mary and
Rhoda", "New York Undercover", "Deadline", "Law and Order", "Law and
Order SVU", "Mind of the Married Man", "Sex in the City", "Hack", and
"The Black Donnellys".
RANDAL MYLER (Director, Adaptor) Broadway: It Ain't Nothin' But The
Blues (Tony Award nomination - Director/Co-author). Off-Broadway:
Hank Williams: Lost Highway (Director/Co-Author - Outer Critic's
Circle nomination 'Best Director'); Love, Janis (over 700
performances at the Village Theatre); Dream A Little Dream (Director
- with original Mamas and the Papas lead singer Denny Dougherty);
both the musical The Immigrant (Director) and the coal mining musical
Fire On The Mountain (Director/Co-author). His numerous other
directorial credits include most regional theatres in America, among
them The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Denver Center, Mark Taper
Forum, Seattle Repertory, The Old Globe, Arena Stage, Cincinnati
Playhouse, Northlight Theatre, Geffin Playhouse, Arizona Theatre
Company, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Meadowbrook Theatre,
Crossroads Theatre, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, B.B. King's,
Manhattan Ensemble Theatre, New Victory Theatre, the Little Shubert,
and the Promenade in New York City, and many others.
SAM ANDREW (Music Direction) is the founding member of Big Brother
and the Holding Company, a band that still tours around the
world. In connection with Love, Janis, Mr. Andrew does interviews
almost daily in print, radio and television. During his career as
musician and composer, Mr. Andrew has had three platinum albums, two
hit singles and his pieces, written before, during and after Janis'
tenure with Big Brother, have been used in numerous major motion
picture soundtracks and documentaries. Mr. Andrew studied
composition and arranging at The New School and Mannes School of
Music in New York City.
For further information, visit www.lovejanisthemusical.com.
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