Sending shock waves of electric guitar, captivating vocals, and raw emotion through the back row of the theatre, music doesn’t just drive the story of “A Night with Janis Joplin”: it is the story. Or, as Janis put it, “music is everything, man.”
Co-directed by ETC’s Brian McDonald along with star Mary Bridget Davies, whose powerful voice earned her a Tony nomination during the show’s Broadway debut, the Ensemble Theatre Company’s production of “A Night with Janis Joplin” is as vibrant as the tie-dye that many attendees wore on opening night.
With a rocking live band and a chorus of “Joplinaires” hyping up the audience, Davies burst onto the stage with an infectious, joyful energy that did not diminish for a second. Her voice filled the theatre with a gritty, unbridled passion in an impressive tribute to Janis’ signature sound. Her performance of crowd favorites such as “Piece of My Heart, “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder),” and “Me and Bobby McGee” were especially show-stopping, easily bringing down the house for repeat standing ovations.
Yet as much as this show is “A Night with Janis Joplin,” it equally celebrates all of the Black women musicians who inspired Janis’ unique fusion of rock and blues. Between numbers, Davies addressed the audience as Janis, sharing memories from her early life in a small Texas town and the blues records she listened to at different stages of her life. The result is a triumphant retrospective of not only Janis’ evolution as an artist, but of the ways in which Black women have shaped the blues and, by extension, music history.
One by one, each of the Joplinaires re-emerged dressed as different music icons, beginning with Jenna Gillespie Byrd’s striking depiction of Etta James before later appearing as Bessie Smith to perform “Nobody Knows When You’re Down and Out.” Sadé Ayodele stunned audiences with her rich voice while performing “Summertime,” only to wow further as Nina Simone, performing a moving duet of “Little Girl Blue” with Davies.
Sha’leah Nikole embodied the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, adorned in a regal feather boa and singing with a commanding yet gleeful presence that brought the entire audience to their feet to dance to “Spirit in the Dark.” Melissa Musique, acting as a member of The Chantels and a non-specific blues singer, similarly mesmerized audiences with her resonant performance of “Today I Sing the Blues.”
By the second act, Davies was working the crowd with exhilarating humor and vulnerability, alternating between joking around and more poignant moments of self-reflection that hinted toward Janis’ identity as a young, ultimately lonely woman. Yet just like the blues, “A Night with Janis Joplin” revels in music’s ability to spark joy even as it mitigates sadness, centering human connection above all.
