The Cast Is Set For 'A Night With Janis Joplin'

July 21- August 16, 2015 at The Pasadena Playhouse

PASADENA, CA (June 25, 2015) – The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director) announced today full casting for A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN.  Conceived, written and directed by Randy Johnson, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox and musical direction by Tyler Evans.

 A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN stars Mary Bridget Davies, following her Tony Award® nominated Broadway run.  Pasadena native Kacee Clanton, also from the Broadway production of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, will alternate the role of Janis Joplin with Davies.  

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN features: Sharon Catherine Brown as Joplinaire/Chordette/Swing (Broadway’s Dreamgirls, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Yvette Cason as Joplinaire/Aretha Franklin/Nina Simone (Broadway’s Play On!, Under My Skin at The Pasadena Playhouse), Sylvia MacCalla as Joplinaire/ Bessie Smith/Odetta (Original Broadway tour of Rent, Ray Charles Live! at The Pasadena Playhouse) and Jenelle Lynn Randall as Joplinaire/ Etta James (Broadway’s All Shook Up, Kiss Me Kate at The Pasadena Playhouse).

The acclaimed musical will perform July 21 – August 16, 2015 with the official press night on Wednesday, July 22, 2015.  A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is produced by The Pasadena Playhouse, 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, “The return of JANIS is highly anticipated.  It will be a thrill to have Mary Bridget Davies on our stage once again along with Kacee Clanton, who also joins us from the original Broadway company.  The fact that  JANISwill now be ‘lifted up higher and higher’ by four Playhouse favorites, builds even greater anticipation for vocal and theatrical fireworks.  I know that this cast will bring incredible richness to Janis' songs and to the musical influences that made her artistry so dynamic and literally soul-stirring!"

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN has been hailed by critics and has audiences leaping to their feet and dancing in the aisles. The critics have raved:"Keeps the house rocking...with a throbbing fervor." (The New York Times); "This electrifying concert musical resurrects the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll." (Los Angeles Times) and “This new musical provides a rockin’ good time.” (Associated Press).

The show 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.  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.  Audiences will enjoy Joplin’s favorites, including “Summertime,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby,” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” among others.

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. 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.

Kacee Clanton played Janis Joplin in the musical Love, Janis and was the alternate lead on Broadway in the original Tony Award® nominated production of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. She has worked as a background vocalist for recording artists Beth Hart, Joe Cocker, and Luis Miguel and toured as lead vocalist with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Both her music and vocals have been used in a variety of films, TV shows, and video games. Additional theatre credits include Love, Janis at San Diego Repertory, Kansas City Repertory, and Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, and Your Town Follies and a Cirque Comique at The El Portal Theatre.

Sharon Catherine Brown’s Broadway credits include Dreamgirls, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Maggie Flynn. She also starred in the National Tours of Dreamgirls, Jekyll & Hyde and The Wiz. Film and TV credits include “A Chorus Line,” “Legend,” and “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.”

Yvette Cason’s Broadway credits include Play On! and Dreamgirls. Previous credits at The Pasadena Playhouse include The Little Foxes, Stormy Weather, Ray Charles Live! Play On! and Sisterella. Film and TV credits include “Dreamgirls,” “ The Bold and the Beautiful,” “ER,” and  “King of Queens.”

Sylvia MacCalla played Joanne in the original Broadway tour of Rent. Other theatre credits include the national tours of Hairspray, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Ray Charles Live! at The Pasadena Playhouse.  Film and TV credits include “Rent,” “Scrubs,” and “The Wayne Brady Show.”

Jenelle Lynn Randall’s Broadway credits include All Shook Up and Brooklyn The Musical. Her regional credits include Dreamgirls, Once On This Island, Smokey Joe’s Café and Kiss Me, Kate at The Pasadena Playhouse. TV credits include “Boardwalk Empire,” “All My Children,” and “Law and Order: SVU.”

The creative team for A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN includes Rob Bissinger (Set Designer), Mike Baldassari (Lighting Designer), Amy Clark (Costume Designer), Ben Selke (Sound Designer), Darrel Maloney (Projections Designer), and Leah Loukas (Hair and Makeup).

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. Joplin on Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Kacee Clanton performs the role of Janis Joplin on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and Sunday Evenings at 7:00 p.m. Mary Bridget Davies performs the role of Janis Joplin at all other performances. 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.

In Person: On non-performance dates, the Box Office is open Tuesday – Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.  On performance dates, the Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday.