Mary Bridget Davies to Reprise Tony-Nominated Role in A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN at Pasadena Playhouse

The Pasadena Playhouse announces the return engagement of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN with Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award nominated Broadway run. The acclaimed musical will perform July 21 - August 16, 2015 with the official press night on Wednesday, July 22, 2015. Tickets for A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN are now on sale to the public.

Acclaimed blues singer Mary Bridget Davies was nominated for a 2014 Tony Award in the "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical" category for her Broadway lead in A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. She first wowed Pasadena crowds in 2013 in an earlier incarnation of the show entitled One Night With Janis Joplin, which became The Playhouse's highest-grossing production in its history. On its road to Broadway, One Night With Janis Joplin was declared a Critics Choice by media outlets across the country, including the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and the Austin American-Statesman. The production also garnered several nominations and awards, including an Austin Critics Table Award, three Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards, and two NAACP Theatre Awards.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN has been hailed by critics and has audiences leaping to their feet and dancing in the aisles. Here's a sampling of some of the critical acclaim for the show on Broadway: "A Night With Janis Joplin is an onstage party featuring Mary Bridget Davies who rockets through at least a dozen of Joplin's best-known songs, and sings them with a throbbing fervor that is often riveting," (The New York Times); "This new musical provides a rockin' good time," (Associated Press); "Mary Bridget Davies gives an ecstatic star turn. She looks like Joplin, sings like Joplin, and howls like Joplin in a show and a role-of-a-lifetime that she owns. It's not only an amazing performance; it's a generous one," (Variety); and "Randy Johnson's exuberant, phenomenally well-executed show features impeccable performances of 'Summertime,' 'Piece of My Heart,' 'Cry Baby,' and 'Me and Bobby McGee,' backed by one of the best rock bands ever heard in these precincts" (Bloomberg News).

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 'n' Roll. The unmistakable voice filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences - trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, who inspired one of Rock 'n' Roll's greatest legends.

Written and directed by Randy Johnson, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is produced by Michael Cohl, Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich, in association with The Estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for JAM, Inc.

Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director of The Pasadena Playhouse says, "I am thrilled that we will have Janis back at home at The Playhouse for the summer! I feel sure that the tremendous energy of her music will rock the walls of the theatre once again, and bring to our stage a kind of musical and theatrical energy that is incredible to behold. This is a wonderful opportunity both for those who saw the show previously to have the pleasure of her company once again, and for those who will dance in the aisles for the first time as they experience the power and joy of this great production."

Tony Award-nominated singer Mary Bridget Davies' journey began in her hometown of Cleveland in 2001 when she first started singing in local bands, and she hasn't slowed down since.

The powerhouse rock and blues singer's love of music was instilled by her parents, who raised her on a healthy diet of the Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Joe Cocker and, naturally, Janis Joplin. She cites an array of contemporary artists she loves ranging from Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Avett Brothers and Florence & The Machine to Nicky Minaj, and Eminem.

Upon gaining local acclaim for her work in various rock bands, she was asked to sit in with Big Brother & The Holding Company (Janis Joplin's original band, with whom she would later tour), as well as legendary blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. Her travels have taken her around the world, including a two year pre-Broadway run with A Night With Janis Joplin. She received her Tony nomination for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical" when the show debuted on Broadway in 2013.

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets, priced from $55.00 to $150.00, are available online at PasadenaPlayhouse.org; by calling The Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529; or visiting The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office. On non-Performance dates the Box Office is open Monday - Friday 12:00pm - 6:00pm, and Saturday - Sunday 1:00pm - 6:00pm. On Performance dates the Box Office is open Monday - Friday 12:00pm - 8:00pm, and Saturday - Sunday 1:00pm - 8:00pm. For more information, visit PasadenaPlayhouse.org.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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