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 Step into the vibrant, soul-stirring world of rock legend Janis Joplin. This music-driven theatrical event creates an immersive experience, allowing audiences to feel the “ferocity that seems to tear at her own throat” (LA Times) that defined Joplin’s sound. Mary Bridget Davies, reprising her critically acclaimed role.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY
Presents the Electrifying Smash Hit Musical
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN
Created and Written by Randy Johnson
Choreography by Miss James Alsop
Musical Direction by Brent Crayon
Co-Directed by Mary Bridget Davies and Brian McDonald
Starring Tony® Nominee Mary Bridget Davies as “Janis Joplin”
Let her “Take Another Little Piece of your Heart” beginning Wednesday, April 1
at The New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara!
“The loud, raspy, frightened lioness-growl the funky crazy-legged dance moves the explosion of soul-baring joy: Mary Bridget Davies captures every facet of that unique, unshackled voice and spirit.” - Charles Isherwood, NEW YORK TIMES
Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (ETC), Santa Barbara's only professional theatre company and a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), continues its 47th “Truth and Illusion” season " with the wildly acclaimed and electrifying stage experience, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, created and written by Randy Johnson, choreography by Miss James Alsop, musical direction by Brent Crayon, co-directed by Mary Bridget Davies and Brian McDonald and starring Tony® nominee for her portrayal of “Janis Joplin,” Mary Bridget Davies. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will being previews on Wednesday, April 1 will open on Saturday, April 4 at 8pm (press opening) and run through Sunday, April 26 at the New Vic Theatre, 33 Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Step into the vibrant, soul-stirring world of rock legend Janis Joplin. This music-driven theatrical event creates an immersive experience, allowing audiences to feel the “ferocity that seems to tear at her own throat” (LA Times) that defined Joplin’s sound. Mary Bridget Davies, reprising her critically acclaimed role, brings to life not just the chart-topping hits like “Piece of My Heart” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” but also the crucial voices of blues and soul - Odetta, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, and more - who shaped Joplin’s artistry. It’s a “thrilling and heartbreaking” (Huffington Post) journey into the pain and passion behind the music, a true “revelation” of a voice that transcended time.
"Our patrons have come to expect the extraordinary, and with Tony-nominated Mary Bridget Davies bringing Janis Joplin to life on our stage, we are delivering exactly that. This is the kind of raw, electrifying performance that stops you in your tracks — the kind audiences travel for, talk about, and never forget,” comments Scott Devine, ETC’s executive artistic director. “A Night with Janis Joplin is everything we love about live theatre, and we cannot wait to share it with our community.”
ETC is committed to ensuring that transformative theatrical experiences remain accessible to all Santa Barbara community members through its “Community Pay-What-You-Can Program.” The Pay-What-You-Can performance for A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will be Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30pm.
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
MARY BRIDGET DAVIES (Co-Director/“Janis Joplin”) is a Tony Award® nominee for her lead role in A Night with Janis Joplin, Davies reprised her role in 2024 to glowing reviews in London for her West End debut. After her critically acclaimed live album Freedom Of My Mind (Live at Power Station), Davies' first compilation album Don't Compromise Yourself: The Very Best of Mary Bridget Davies was released on June 21st, 2024. Born into the world of performance, Davies initially trained as a dancer before transitioning to singing and acting. A member of Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Company in Cleveland lead her to the opportunity to learn at The Second City's satellite campus. This marked the beginning of a series of accolades, including a Helen Hayes Award nomination in 2013 and numerous Blues Blast Award nominations. She is also a winner of the 2014 LA Outer Critic’s Circle Award and 2014 Theater World Award. In 2019, Davies recorded an album entitled Stay With Me: The Reimagined Songs of the Late Jerry Ragovoy - legendary songwriter who co-wrote the Joplin classics “Piece Of My Heart” and “Cry Baby.” In 2022, Davies starred as Virginia Woolf in the developmental readings of A Room Of One’s Own, a play with original music at New York’s legendary cabaret 54 Below and The Public Theater’s Joe’s Pub. In 2023, she tackled the lead role as “Narrator” of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Davies is the currently star of Don't Compromise Production's Women Who Rock You, a live concert series which made its industry showcase debut at Public Theatre's Joe's Pub summer 2025 to great reviews. Beyond the stage, Mary Bridget Davies is a dedicated advocate for women's rights. As a single mother and caregiver, Davies draws from personal experiences, using her platform to champion women's voices. Her latest studio album was dedicated to her late sister Christine, lost to suicide in 2019. Davies’ career is a testament to resilience, passion, and an unwavering dedication to empowering women through her art.
BRIAN McDONALD (Co-Director) is an award-winning director, actor, and educator whose work spans regional theatre, new works, and arts education. He received the Ventura Mayor’s Award for Emerging Artist and has directed for companies including Rubicon Theatre Company and Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, where he currently serves as Artistic Associate and Director of Education.
Brian’s directing credits include the critically acclaimed World Premiere of A Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, A Tuna Christmas, The Sunset Limited (with Emmy winner Joe Spano), Other Desert Cities, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, The Thanksgiving Play and Bus Stop, which received five Ovation nominations including Best Play. He directed Master Harold… and the Boys, which earned three Ovation nominations including Best Play and garnered him both an Independent Award and a StageScene LA Award for Best Director. He helmed the world-premiere musical Hello! My Baby, written and conceived by Tony-nominated, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Cheri Steinkellner, and conceived and directed the popular holiday musical revue A Rubicon Family Christmas. His broader directing work ranges from classics to contemporary musical theatre and includes productions of Our Town, Little Women, Bye Bye Birdie, HONK!, Babes in Arms, Once on This Island, Schoolhouse Rock LIVE!, Seussical the Musical, Footloose, West Side Story, On the Town, Urinetown, Godspell, Into the Woods, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and most recently ETC’s Million Dollar Quartet. As an actor, Brian has appeared in the Broadway National Tours of Miss Saigon and Forever Plaid, the latter of which he has also directed for various regional theatres. His stage work includes performances at The Denver Center, Theatre Virginia, The Lyric Stage, La Mirada Performing Arts Center, Ensemble Theatre Company, Pasadena Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre Company, Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center, and the Ahmanson. He received LA Weekly’s Best Supporting Actor Award for his performance as Gaveston in the Circle X production of Edward II and an Independent Award for his work in the one-man show Buyer and Cellar. On screen, Brian starred in the award-winning ABC/PBS Afterschool Special “In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS Story” and guest starred on “Gilmore Girls,” along with appearing in numerous commercials. Brian holds a B.F.A. from The Boston Conservatory and is a member of SAG-AFTRA, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, and Actors’ Equity Association.
RANDY JOHNSON (Creator and Writer) His diverse and distinguished career has broken barriers and beat all the rules. His critically acclaimed work has been seen on Broadway (Writer and Director of the critically acclaimed and 2014 Tony Award® nominated production of A Night with Janis Joplin at the Lyceum Theatre), London’s West End, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theatre, Wembley Arena, Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, Off Broadway, Regional Theatres across the U.S. and Canada, Las Vegas and arena’s worldwide.
As a published playwright and director, he has created theatrical musical portraits of such icons as Janis Joplin, Louis Prima and Keely Smith, and Conway Twitty. Randy is the original producer of Always, Patsy Cline which under his aegis became one of the most produced musicals of all time. He co-produced the West Coast Premiere of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart starring Richard Dreyfuss and Kathy Bates. He has worked with some of our greatest talents of our time including Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Melissa Manchester. Audrey Hepburn, and Katharine Hepburn.
Not to mention the remarkable diversity of his direction of The Las Vegas production and world premiere of Mike Tyson’s Undisputed Truth and staging of Pope Benedict’s final appearances in New York City. His groundbreaking production of Elvis the Concert that reunited Elvis (via video) and his original musicians has been seen in venues worldwide and on PBS for 16 years.
He executive produced the original cast albums of A Night with Janis Joplin and Always, Patsy Cline. His projects have broken box office records, earned a 2014 Tony Award nomination, made the Guinness Book of World Records, and have consistently surpassed expectations. Never one to stay in just one medium of entertainment he continues to explore and create new horizons for himself and his audience.
MISS JAMES ALSOP (Choreography) has contributed choreography to Beyonce’s Renaissance & Cowboy Carter World Tours, and you can see her movement direction on Kim Kardashian and Emma Roberts on the most current season of “American Horror Story: Delicate.” The Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody marks her feature film choreographic debut. She choreographed the acclaimed Netflix musical TV series “Girls5eva,” as well as the number one Netflix series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Her choreography is featured on such TV shows as “Pose,” “Soundtrack,” “Gossip Girl,” “Emily in Paris,” & Kerry Washington’s “Unprisoned.” She began her career as co-choreographer of Beyoncé’s videos, tour and promotional materials for “Run the World (Girls),” “Dance For You” and “Love on Top.” She has choreographed for JLo and worked with Oscar nominated director Paul Thomas Anderson on the HAIM music video “Just A Little of Your Love.” After choreographing the entire season of “Maya & Marty,” she worked with Tina Fey and Jeff Richmond to choreograph season three of “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and has since worked on shows for NBC, Showtime, Netflix and Hulu. When not working with top stars, she teaches around the country and world, educating young artists and dancers to be who they are in their art form and love it.
BRENT CRAYON (Music Director/Keyboards) is a music director and pianist based in LA. Favorite productions include the World Premieres of John Bucchino’s It’s Only Life, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio’s Bubble Boy, and Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots. He was the music director for the West Coast Premieres of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World and Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick, Boom!. Recently, Brent was the Music Director/Conductor of multi-city productions of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and the Music Supervisor/Orchestrator of The Singing Revolution, performed at The Savoy Theater on the West End, London. Brent is currently the Music Supervisor of the Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! National Tour.
The Cast of A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will also feature: SADÉ AYODELE (National tour of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, “Fallout” on Amazon Prime), Oxnard native JENNA GILLESPIE BYRD (Recorded in Hollywood, Blues in the Night), MELISSA MUSIQUE (A Night with Janis Joplin), and SHA’LEAH NIKOLE (Recorded in Hollywood, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as “Joplinaire’s.”
An extraordinary design team will bring this immersive experience to life: Mike Billings (Scenic, Lighting & Projection Design) Abra Flores (Costume Design) Danny Fiandaca (Sound Design) Alex Johnston (Properties Design) Casting by MICHAEL DONOVAN CASTING, Michael Donovan, CSA & Richie Ferris, CSA Dramaturgy by Ward LeHardy. The Production Stage Manager is Kristal Georgopoulos.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN previews on Wednesday, April 1 (Community Pay-What-You-Can Night) at 7:30pm, Thursday, April 2 at 7:30pm and Friday, April 3 at 8:00pm opens on Saturday, April 4 at 8:00pm (press opening) and runs through Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:00pm at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street in Santa Barbara.
Ticket prices range from $40 - $119. All Patrons 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Single tickets are available through the ETC ticket office at (805) 965-5400, or online at etcsb.org. Prices subject to change.
To schedule press interviews, photos or press comps, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at 818-508-1754 or by e-mail at davidelzer@me.com.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY, a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), is Santa Barbara's sole professional Equity theater company. ETC is committed to producing the highest professional quality theater in Santa Barbara, employing accomplished professional actors and stage managers. ETC has been home to several world, American and West Coast premieres and has received recognition and accolades throughout its enduring history, including being recognized as an Equity theater company by the Actors' Equity Association, the labor union for American actors and stage managers. As the sole professional Equity theatre company in Santa Barbara, ETC brings a wide range of accomplished theatrical professionals to the region. For more information, visit our website at etcsb.org.
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Presenter / Producer: Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara
Listed Categories
Theater > Musicals
Event Phone: 805-965-5400
Venue
The New Vic Ensemble Theatre Company
33 W. Victoria Street
Santa Barbara CA 93101
Regions:
Ventura, Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo
Performance Dates: 4/1/2026 - 4/26/2026
Wednesday, 04/01/2026
Thursday, 04/02/2026
Friday, 04/03/2026
Saturday, 04/04/2026
Sunday, 04/05/2026
Wednesday, 04/08/2026
Thursday, 04/09/2026
Friday, 04/10/2026
Saturday, 04/11/2026
Sunday, 04/12/2026
Wednesday, 04/15/2026
Thursday, 04/16/2026
Friday, 04/17/2026
Saturday, 04/18/2026
Sunday, 04/19/2026
Wednesday, 04/22/2026
Thursday, 04/23/2026
Friday, 04/24/2026
Saturday, 04/25/2026
Sunday, 04/26/2026
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Performance Times
Previews on Wednesday, April 1 (Community Pay-What-You-Can Night) at 7:30pm, Thursday, April 2 at 7:30pm and Friday, April 3 at 8:00pm.
Opens on Saturday, April 4 at 8:00pm (Press Opening)
Runs: Wednesday, April 1 - Sunday, April 26, 2026
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays at 8:00pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm
Sundays at 2:00pm
Ticket Information:
Ticket Prices range from $40 - $119
All Patrons 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Prices subject to change.
Web Link for ticketing
Websites:
Social Media or other Links:
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