With the look and feel of a music concert, One Night with Janis Joplinmesmerized an opening-night audience at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.
The show, by author and director Randy Johnson, is tightly written and nicely delivered. Mary Bridget Davies, as Janis, takes center stage in almost every scene. She is backed by a band of terrific musicians. There are only brief bits of dialogue. These are meant to inform the audience about Janis’ musical influences and her upbringing in Port Arthur, Texas.
Perhaps most astonishing is Janis’ story about her impulsive move to San Francisco. Janis had just dropped out of college, and she was spotted while singing at a local tavern. Janis admits that she had no idea what she was in for.
Upon arriving in the marijuana-fueled haze of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, Janis quickly determined that singing the blues wasn’t going to work. She needed to become immersed in the rock-‘n’-roll era. So she did, with the musical backing of Big Brother and the Holding Company. Janis started her musical odyssey that arguably continues to influence popular music even today.
Today’s music promoters probably would have ignored Janis, as she wasn’t much to look at. She was short, squat and not very pretty. Mary Bridget Davies embraces these qualities. She also adopts Janis’ unique, gypsy-like costumes, which evolved to become the trend-setting, “hippie” look.
Janis was a tiny girl with an enormous voice, and Davies captures every note, every gesture, of what made Janis unique. The show focuses strongly on Janis’ music, with almost no mention of the pills, booze and other drugs that eventually led to her demise at age 28. It also skirts the notoriously promiscuous aspect of Janis’ life.
Janis drops little tidbits between songs that touch on the subject of death. It is interesting that Janis admits that appearing in front of an audience gave her more satisfaction than any lover could provide. Although this isn’t a direct reference to her early demise, it is most certainly a clue.
Before arriving in Milwaukee, One Night with Janis Joplin already had played around the country. It began at Oregon’s Portland Center Stage and moved on to the Arena Stage and Cleveland Playhouse. All of these entities (including the Milwaukee Rep) are also the show’s co-producers.
Ironically, although the impersonation of Janis seems to be completely authentic, the show’s production qualities are state-of-the-art. One can just imagine how Janis would have loved the stage magic these elements could have provided her in the 1960s. Still, Janis would shine on any platform, with her gut-wrenching lyrics and passionate delivery. Not surprisingly, One Night’s musical high points all mesh with Janis’ best-known hits, including “Down on Me,” Piece of My Heart” and “Cry Baby.” For the whimsical “Mercedes Benz,” one must wait until the show’s encore.
To his credit, creator Randy Johnson gives ample attention to the musical influences that shaped Janis’ singing style. An African-American woman known as the “Blues Singer” (Sabrina Elayne Carten) delivers songs by Bessie Smith, Etta James and Nina Simone. She also offers a languid rendition of George Gershwin’s hit, “Summertime.” This leads toward the spectacular Act I finale, a stunning duet between Janis and the Blues Singer (as Aretha Franklin), singing “Spirit in the Dark.”
