Kansas City Repertory Theatre will present Love, Janis as its inaugural production at Copaken Stage, the Rep's new second theatrical home located in downtown Kansas City, February 2-March 18. Randal Myler is the director. He also is a creator and adaptor of the show and was the director of Hank Williams: Lost Highway and It Ain't Nothing But The Blues, both highly acclaimed, successful shows for the Rep.

Kansas City, Mo - infoZine - "Love, Janis takes audiences inside the mind of a star who lived hard and died young," said Peter Altman, producing artistic director of the Rep. "Janis Joplin's passion and energy inspired a generation that was fervent, idealistic and eager for change. Forty years later her music is still very powerful and full of drive. This exciting production is the ideal way to celebrate the opening of the Rep's new intimate theatre downtown - both venue and show will make a lasting impression."

Love, Janis features much of the music that made Joplin a musical icon in the late 1960s. "Piece of My Heart," "Ball and Chain," "Down on Me," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Mercedes-Benz" are just five of the 19 songs included in the show. In addition, the Rep's production will feature an outstanding band of local musicians who were selected and prepared by Love, Janis's musical director Sam Andrew, an original band member of Joplin's band Big Brother and the Holding Co.

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By Frank C. Siraguso - The Rep channels Janis at the Copaken Stage

Love, Janis is based on the book of the same name by Janis Joplin's sister, Laura Joplin. She decided to work with Randal Myler to create a stage version of her book. The play is driven by Janis' own words: the entire spoken text comes directly from the singer's actual letters and her press, radio and television interviews.

"It was the letters that provided the backbone of the piece, and much of its heart and flesh as well," Myler has said in an interview with Sam Hurwitt of the San Francisco Chronicle. "I was interested in what would Janis Joplin write home to her family? From the Janis we saw onstage, I thought it would be like a postcard with expletives. But then I got this batch of letters, and they're so funny and intelligent and wise and sophisticated. With the interviews, I realized, I could put together a theater piece with all Janis Joplin's words."

Myler was nominated for a 2003 Outer Critic's Circle Award as Outstanding Director for the New York production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway and was a Tony Award nominee (Best Book of a Musical) for It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues. He also has directed at theatres throughout the country, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center Theater, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Mark Taper Forum, Dallas Theater Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and San Diego Repertory Theatre. His writing and directing projects also include co-adapting and directing Touch the Names: Letters to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Fire on the Mountain.

Kacee Clanton and Mary Bridget Davies will share the role of singing Janis, alternating performances, each making her Kansas City Rep debut. Clanton has appeared twice in Love, Janis at the San Diego Repertory Theatre and performed as lead vocalist for Big Brother and the Holding Co. from 2002 to 2004. She currently tours with Joe Cocker as a vocalist. Davies, who also has performed with Big Brother and the Holding Co., has performed the role of singing Janis in Cleveland, Aspen and San Francisco. Davies sings lead vocals for The Mary Bridget Davies Group, a Cleveland-based blues band. She was named Best Vocalist 2004 by the Cleveland Free Times.

Also making her debut at the Rep is Lena Kaminsky as the speaking Janis. She has appeared in Trying at Hartford TheatreWorks, The Pillowman at George Street Playhouse in New Jersey, The Herbal Bed at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, The Taming of the Shrew and The Tamer Tamed at Northern Stage in Vermont, and A Streetcar Named Desire at Red Barn Summer Theatre in Indiana. She was also part of the first touring company of Julia Jordan's play Walk Two Moons.

Rounding out the cast of Love, Janis is Kansas City favorite actor Dean Vivian (Interviewer). He has appeared in the Rep's productions of Room Service, Guys and Dolls, Amadeus, The Tempest and the world premiere of Carter's Way. He has also been seen and heard in more than 1,000 TV and radio commercials, and appeared in the films Ride with the Devil, Truman, Silence, Final Justice, and Laura Black.

Sam Andrew auditioned Kansas City musicians in October and selected the following band members for the Rep's production of Love, Janis: Zack Albetta (Drummer), Tim Braun (Second Guitar), Ken Lovern (Keyboard), Damien "WOO" Salazar (Bass), David Sturch (Trumpet), Terry Swope (Lead Guitar), and Adam Wagner (Sax).

Sam Andrew (Musical Director) has served as musical director for Love, Janis productions in New York, Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco, Sag Harbor, and Aspen. The longtime guitarist for Big Brother and the Holding Company, he also was a member of Janis Joplin's Kozmic Blues Band and performed with Joplin more than any other musician.

Continuing their long line of design work at the Rep are Vicki M. Smith (Scenic Designer), who has designed the sets for Jitney, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, A Raisin in the
Sun, Two Trains Running, The Imaginary Invalid and The Gin Game; Don Darnutzer (Lighting Designer), who has designed the lighting for Hank Williams: Lost Highway, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues and 2 Pianos, 4 Hands; Eric Stahlhammer (Sound Designer), who designed sound for last season's Hank Williams: Lost Highway; and Jeffrey Cady (Projections Coordinator), whose previous Rep work includes lighting and projection work for Give 'Em Hell, Harry, Incognito, Later Life, A Delicate Balance, and Dancing at Lughnasa. Lorraine Venberg (Costume Designer) is making her Kansas City Rep debut. She has designed costumes for Love, Janis at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Playhouse Square Center in Cleveland, and Marines Memorial Theatre in San Francisco.

All performances of Love, Janis will take place at Copaken Stage in the H&R Block Center, located at 13th and Walnut streets in downtown Kansas City. Tickets cost $12-$50 and youth tickets (18 years and younger) are $18. For information about performance times and ticket options, call the Rep Box Office at 816-235-2700 or visit www.kcrep.org or visit the walk-up ticket booth at Copaken Stage.