Nestled in the green hills of Caledonia State Park, Totem Pole Playhouse’s doors opened for the summer Friday evening to a wild and wonderful ride to the1960s when a trailblazing young woman crashed the male-dominated rock scene.
“A Night With Janis Joplin” — the autobiographical show (written and created by Randy Johnson) which appeared on Broadway in 2013 — celebrates Joplin’s legacy and the female soul and blues heroines who inspired her sound.
An electrifying live concert that has garnered more than a dozen wins and almost 50 award nominations (including a Tony nomination in 2014), “A Night With Janis Joplin” has been performed across North America, in Tokyo and in the West End of London.
Directed here by Totem Pole Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Ryan B. Gibbs and Joshua William Green (and presented in partnership with Gretna Theatre), the stagecraft is (not surprisingly) top-notch. The scenic design (Andrue Morgan), sound (Kate Wecker), lighting (Jeremiah V. Kearns and Sam Sims) and costumes (Azaria Jade Rubio) are synchronized works of theatre art in themselves.
With so much to absorb visually and audibly, the wonder created by the entire cast’s stellar vocals and magnetic energy never falters.
Musicians (conducted and directed by Lena Gabrielle) perform on a second level of the set. The singer’s costumes deliver a beautifully choreographed parade of delightful boho fashion. And nonstop scenic effects — ranging from exterior locales to giant rotating LP records, a few pieces of Joplin’s visual art, and pulsing paper flowers surrounding a show logo (among other scene and mood setters) — project on the upstage wall.
And then there is Gibbs’ powerhouse Equity cast.
Francesca Ferrari — a musical theatre artist based out of New York City with previous performances as Joplin in Florida, North Carolina, and Connecticut under her belt — is a dynamo with a fitting mezzo-soprano range and strong rock belt style. Her easy grin and reckless stage presence embody Joplin’s free spirit with gusto as she narrates between upwards of two dozen musical numbers.
Pros all, the Joplinaires — Crystal Sha’Nae, Tanea Renee, Gabbi Mack and Jannie Jones — claim every one of their many moments in the spotlight with equal power. All deliver superb vocals in unison and in solo performances as (respectively) Etta James/Bessie Smith, Lead Chantel/Blues Singer, Blues Woman/Aretha Franklin, and Odetta/Nina Simone.
In one priceless moment, the Joplinaires react magnanimously to Joplin’s comment that she’s just a white chick trying to sing the blues. In another, Joplin confides that it was her mother’s love of Broadway and storytelling that set the stage for the Black artists to inspire her voice, frequently tossing in “man” for emphasis.
“It really was my mom who taught me how to understand and sing the blues,” she says.
The show opens with performances of “Combination of the Two” (a psychedelic track from Big Brother & The Holding Company’s “Cheap Thrills” album).
After the fourth mighty number (“Turtle Blues”) highlighting the music of the trailblazers that she adored, Joplin begins narrating her story to the audience. In between hits like “Summertime,” “Down on Me,” and “Piece of My Heart,” she talks about her early family and Texas roots, her first band experience and how she then hooked up with Big Brother & The Holding Company.
Near the end of Act 1, Mack — in an incredible performance as Aretha Franklin — acknowledges herself as the Queen of Soul and Joplin as the Queen of Rock. The last number before Intermission, “Spirit in the Dark” (Franklin, Joplin and the Joplinaires) brings everyone to their feet as a prelude to the (likely) standing ovation at show’s end.
Act 2 focuses on Joplin’s rise to fame as a solo artist, the start of her Kozmic Blues Band, and the emotional toll of stardom. Her drinking escalates onstage as her tone becomes more melancholic and raw. Ferrari’s performances of “Try (Just a Little Bit Harder),” “Cry Baby,” “Kozmic Blues,” “Ball and Chain,” and “Stay with Me” course through her body like an electric current as they call to Everyman’s lonely heart.
Just before singing “Me and Bobby MGee” midway in Act 2, Joplin says, “Songwriters are the real intellectuals. They create a lot of questions but no answers.”
Another highlight of Ferrari’s performance is the soulful connection she shares with other members of the Company, including in several instances performing with standout guitarist Brian Mueller.
“A Night with Janis Joplin” avoids mentioning Joplin’s tragic death (she died of a heroin overdose at age 27) and focuses to the end on her musical legacy.
Just after “Rock My Way to Heaven” (performed by the Company), Joplin sings “Mercedes Benz” as the finale; and it brought the audience to its feet in a second Opening Night standing ovation.
The talent that exploded on the Totem Pole Playhouse stage on Friday night continues there only until June 13th, after which “A Night With Janis Joplin” will move on, leaving Franklin and Adams County remembering an unforgettable rock and roll legend.
Tickets are available for the Totem Pole Playhouse performances on May 30, June 2, 3 ,4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13 at 2 p.m.; on June 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m. ; costing $56– $66 with a $5 service fee if purchased online at Totem Pole Playhouse. For discounted group orders of 10 or more, junior (ages 5-15) and student (ages 16-22), call the Box Office at (717) 352-2164 ext 1.
Janis Joplin Alternate Laura Frye will perform in Ferrari’s stead on June 4, 6 and 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Other understudies: Tanea Renee for Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Blues Woman; Jannie Jones for Bessie Smith; Gabbi Mack for Lead Chantel and Odetta;, Crystal Sha’nae for Blues Singer, Jannie Jones and Nina Simone.
Other credits: Jason Nedrow (Technical Director); Braxton Cooper (Hair and Wig Design); Sam Little (Props Designer); Kia Armstrong (Production Manager); Brittany Boone, Lee Santillo and Armen Trask (Video Design Team); Caskey Hunsader (Production Stage Manager); Hope Rohrbaugh (Asst. Stage Manager); Joshua William Green (Choreographer); Gabbi Mack (Dance Captain).
Musicians: Lena Gabrielle (Keyboards/Conductor), Jon Rossi (Drums), Michael Vitale and Leo Smith (Bass), Brian Mueller (Guitar), Kayla Keating (Reeds), Eric Plum and Fred Gleason (Trombone) and John Pursell (Trumpet).
Photo by Andy Smetzer Photography.
Photo Caption: Francesca Ferrari and Crystal Sha’Nae in “A Night with Janis Joplin”
