Mary Bridget Davies To Play Pasadena Playhouse

TONY AWARD® NOMINEE 

RETURNS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOR FOUR PERFORMANCES

IN THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE'S SUMMER AT THE PLAYHOUSE - MUSIC, MAYHEM AND MADNESS FESTIVAL JULY 17-20

 

GUITARISTS WAYNE KRAMER OF MC5 AND THE DOORS’ ROBBY KRIEGER TO GUEST AS WELL AS STEPHEN PERKINS OF JANE’S ADDICTION, DEVO’S BOB MOTHERSBAUGH AND DRUMMER ERIC GARDNER

Acclaimed blues singer MARY BRIDGET DAVIES--nominated for a Tony® this year 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”--will return to The Pasadena Playhouse for four nights July 17-20.  She first wowed Pasadena, CA crowds in 2013 with the Janis Joplin role, marking The Playhouse’s highest-grossing production in its history.

The new show, dubbed PLAYHOUSE ROCKS! with Tony® Nominee Powerhouse MARY BRIDGET DAVIES, will incorporate Janis Joplin and Big Brother & The Holding Company hits, blues, rock and soul songs as well as music from some Ms. Davies’ other favorite artists like Etta James, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Joe Cocker, Jimi Hendrix, The Band and Amy Winehouse.  The show--being curated by iconic MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer, and featuring The Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger—will also have several surprise guest star appearances including Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Eric Gardner (Gnarls Barkley), Bob Mothersbaugh (Devo) and Carl Restivo (Tom Morello’s Freedom Fighter Orchestra); for specific guest dates check out PasadenaPlayhouse.org.   It is presented by The Pasadena Playhouse in association with Jeffrey Jampol and JAM, Inc. 

A Cleveland native, Mary Bridget Davies was recently hailed by the New York Times for her role on Broadway, noting her “ebullient personality and raspy tone.”  Davies got her first big break when she was asked to sing onstage with Big Brother & The Holding Company (Joplin’s original band), and subsequently toured extensively with the group.  Her debut album with The Mary Bridget Davies Group, Wanna Feel Somethin’, was released in 2011.

Of the 2013 Pasadena Playhouse run of “One Night With Janis Joplin,” the Los Angeles Times said, “Neither venue nor attendees may ever be the same. In a cosmic collusion of persona and perception, this electrifying concert musical resurrects the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with the sort of seismically sensational results normally encountered at stadiums and pop festivals.  Eschewing the biographical narrative gyrations of say, Jersey Boys, the premise of One Night is basic, unvarnished and supremely effective…jaws drop…Given the objective, it’s a triumph for all concerned. They will rock your world.”

DAVIES’ performance is part of The Pasadena Playhouse’s “Summer at the Playhouse--Music, Mayhem and Madness” schedule of events, which also includes “A Judy Garland Concert with Joey Luft” (July 10-13) and “Henson Alternative’s PUPPET UP--UNCENSORED” (July 24-26).

About “PLAYHOUSE ROCKS! with Tony® Nominee Powerhouse MARY BRIDGET DAVIES”

Mary Bridget Davies--Tony Award® nominee for A Night With Janis Joplin, which was presented last season at The Pasadena Playhouse--will offer a special PLAYHOUSE ROCKS! with Tony® Nominee Powerhouse MARY BRIDGET DAVIES featuring additional world-class musicians and surprise guests for a wild evening.  Davies will perform specific selections from several artists.  The iconic guitarist Wayne Kramer will music direct PLAYHOUSE ROCKS! with Tony® Nominee Powerhouse MARY BRIDGET DAVIES.   Kramer is founder of the pioneering Detroit rock group MC5, known for their powerful live performances and radical left wing political stance. With a new record Lexington at #6 on the national jazz charts this May, and as composer on a feature film and network TV series, Kramer is as prolific as he is diverse. The event's co-music director and Kramer’s right-hand man will be Carl Restivo, guitarist for Tom Morello’s Nightwatchman group and Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party.