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Monthly Archives: May 2018

Paige McNamara as Janis Joplin.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

The Queen of Rock and Roll
A Night with Janis Joplin
Opens the summer season at the Ivoryton Playhouse

The Ivoryton Playhouse will present the 2014 Tony Award-nominated 2013 Broadway Musical A Night With Janis Joplin, written and directed by Randy Johnson, from May 30 to June 24, 2018.

Born in Port Arthur, TX in 1943, Janis Lyn Joplin challenged racial and sexual stereotypes and created a sound and a style that has become legendary. She exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the queen of rock and roll. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with more than a touch of Southern Comfort made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock Her unique sound, however, was originally created as a result of her love for some of the greatest African-American singers of all time. Now, theatergoers can share an evening with the Queen of Rock and Roll and her musical influences in A Night with Janis Joplin.

Paige McNamara as Janis Joplin.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

On Jan. 12, 1995, when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, her profile proclaimed, “Janis Joplin’s star rose fast, burned bright and burned out too soon. The blues-influenced rocker had one of the most powerful voices of the Sixties. Her voice is equal parts tough and vulnerable, a shout into the void that resonated with a generation.” Joplin biographer Myra Friedman added, “It wasn’t only her voice that thrilled, with its amazing range and strength and awesome wails. To see her was to be sucked into a maelstrom of feeling that words can barely suggest.”

A Night with Janis Joplin made its Broadway debut, under the direction of Randy Johnson, on Oct. 10, 2013 at the Lyceum Theatre, where it played for 140 performances before closing on Feb. 9, 2014. Mary Bridget Davies, who made her Broadway debut in the title role, earned a 2014 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, and won a 2014 Theatre World Award for her critically acclaimed performance.

Sharing the lead role of Janis Joplin in this production are Francesca Ferrari* and Paige McNamara*. The cast also includes Aurianna Angelique*, Jennifer Leigh Warren*, Tawny Dolley*, and Amma Osei* who take on the roles of the many women who influenced Janis – Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone and many more.

Paige McNamara as Janis Joplin.  Photo by Curtis Brown.

A Night with Janis Joplin opens at the Ivoryton Playhouse on May 30th and runs through June 24th, 2018. Original direction by Randy Johnson, original set design by Brian Prather, original lighting design by Ryan O’Gara, original projections by Darrel Maloney, original costume designs by Amy Clark and original wig designs by Leah Loukas. This production is co-directed by Tyler Rhodes. Musical Director is Michael Morris.
Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm.

Tickets purchased before June 1st are $50 for adults, $45 for seniors, $22 for students and $17 for children and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org

After June 1st, tickets are $55 for adults and $50 for seniors. (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

*denotes member of Actors Equity
Members of the press are welcome after May 31st.
Please call ahead for tickets.

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Telephone:  860.767.7318

Purchase online by following this link

Stop by our office at 22 Main Street, Centerbrook, CT  06442 (opposite Pizza Pub)

Single ticket pricing:  $50 adult / $45 senior / $22 student / $17 children 12 and under

After June 1, 2018 single ticket prices for A Night with Janis Joplin, Grease, A Chorus Line and Once will be:  $55 adult / $50 senior / $25 student / $20 children 12 and under.

 

 

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN
Written and Created by Randy Johnson
Wednesday, May 30 – June 24, 2018

From Broadway to Ivoryton, come share an evening with the Queen of Rock and Roll. Featuring such unforgettable songs as “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Mercedes Benz,” “Cry Baby” and “Summertime,” A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences—Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith.

 

GREASE
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
Thursday, July 5 – Sunday, July 29, 2018,

It’s the original high-school musical, featuring all the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including “You’re The One That I Want”, “Summer Nights”, “Hopelessly Devoted To You”, “Greased Lightnin” and many more. Dust off your leather jackets, pull on your bobby-socks and take a trip to a simpler time as Danny and Sandy fall in love all over again.

 

A CHORUS LINE
Music by Marvin Hamlisch, Lyrics by Edward Kleban, Book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante
Wednesday, August 8 – Sunday, September 2, 2018

The musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line, A CHORUS LINE examines one day in the lives of seventeen dancers, all vying for a spot in the “chorus line” of a Broadway musical. Based on real Broadway dancers’ stories, A CHORUS LINE is funny, heartbreaking, and refreshingly honest. This singular sensation is the longest-running American Broadway musical ever.

 

ONCE
Book by Enda Walsh
Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Wednesday, September 19 – Sunday, October 7, 2018

Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, ONCE is a truly original theatrical experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. It’s an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.

 

THE QUEENS OF THE GOLDEN MASK
Written by Carole Lockwood
Wednesday, October 31 – Sunday, November 18, 2018

Set in Alabama in 1962, this stunning new play about a group of mothers and daughters takes us from church picnics and summer camp to the secrets and hypocrisy that lie just beneath the surface. A world premiere.

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