A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN Coming to Playhouse Square, 3/2

Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Janis Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the queen of rock & roll. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock.

Now the Tony-nominated Clevelander MARY BRIDGET DAVIES heads to Playhouse Square to share that evening with Janis Joplin... the woman and her influences, in the new Broadway musical, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, Wed., March 2 at 7:30 pm in the Connor Palace. (Tickets are $59, $49, $39, $29 & $10 Smart Seats, on sale at playhousesquare.org or 216-241-6000.).

Fueled by such unforgettable songs as "Me and Bobby McGee," "Piece of My Heart," "Mercedes Benz," "Cry Baby" and "Summertime," a remarkable cast and a breakout performance by Mary Bridget Davies, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, written and directed by Randy Johnson, is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences-icons like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, who inspired one of rock & roll's greatest legends.

Mary Bridget Davies is the daughter of Mary Ellen, a nurse and Brian Davies, also a musician. She grew up in the Cleveland area, graduating from Fairview High School in 1996. In high school she performed in the Honor Choir, acted in productions with the school theatre troupe, the Stagecrafters, and was a vocalist with the Jazz Band.

She then attended Kent State University and later transferred to Bowling Green State University where she was involved with theatre and music. While in college, Davies worked at The UPS Store loading package trucks to help pay the bills. She trained first as a dancer, touring with dance productions as a child working with Tina Landon, and later began singing and acting. Davies has studied improv with The Second City in Cleveland and is also a member of the Something Dada Improv Group in Cleveland.[3]

After college, Davies started singing at blues jams in Cleveland around 2002. Also during this time she worked as a dance instructor at Dance Dimensions in Ohio with Jen Naso. In 2005, she auditioned and won the lead role for a touring production of Love, Janis. She has toured in Europe with Janis Joplin's original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and has formed her own band, titled The Mary Bridget Davies Group that tours in festivals and clubs worldwide.

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