Lehigh Valley Gets the Chance to Spend A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN

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 & roll. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Now, theLehigh Valley is invited to share an evening with the woman and her musical influences in the hit musical A Night With Janis Joplin.

Show time Thursday, November 16 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $55/$45 and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132or online at www.statetheatre.org. Sponsored by 3rd & Ferry Fish Market and 99.9 The Hawk.

Fueled by such unforgettable songs as "Me and Bobby McGee," "Piece of My Heart," "Mercedes Benz," "Cry Baby" and "Summertime," a remarkable cast and breakout performances, A Night With Janis Joplin, written and directed by RAndy Johnson, is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences-icons like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, who inspired one of rock & roll's greatest legends.

That voice-high, husky, earthy, explosive-remains among the most distinctive and galvanizing in pop history. But Janis Joplin didn't merely possess a great instrument; she threw herself into every syllable, testifying from the very core of her being. She claimed the blues, soul, gospel and rock with unquestionable authority and verve, fearlessly inhabiting psychedelic guitar jams, back-porch roots and everything in between. Her volcanic performances left audiences stunned and speechless, while her sexual magnetism, world-wise demeanor and flamboyant style shattered every stereotype about female artists-and essentially invented the "rock mama" paradigm.

Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and posthumously given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. But such honors only made official what rock fans already knew: that she was among the greatest, most powerful singers the form had ever known-and that she'd opened the door for countless artists across the musical spectrum.

All artists take their inspiration from people, places and things that surround them and that came before them. Here is a look into a few of the amazing women who inspired Janis Joplin and are represented in the musical.

Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 - September 26, 1937) Jazz and blues vocalist, Bessie Smith had a powerfully soulful voice that won her countless fans and earned her the title of Empress of the Blues.

Odetta (December 31, 1930 - December 2, 2008) Credited with supplying the soundtrack of the civil rights movement and inspiring musicians from Bob Dylan to Joan Baez and Janis Joplin, Odetta used music to work on the hate and fury she felt, without being antisocial.

Nina Simone (February 21, 1933 - April 21, 2003) An icon of American music, Nina Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon), was one of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth century. The classically trained pianist reigned over the 1950s and '60s, singing a mixture of jazz, blues and folk music, and was coined the High Priestess of Soul.

Etta James (January 25, 1938 - January 20, 2012) Queen of Soul, JamesEtta Hawkins, later known as Etta James, was a Gospel singing prodigy by age five, and grew to be a Grammy award-winning singer known for hit songs like "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "At Last."

Aretha Franklin Multiple Grammy award-winning Aretha Franklin is due the R-E-S-P-E-C-T she sings about. Like those before her, she paved the way and provided inspiration for Janis Joplin, helping to shape the amazing musician she became.

For more, visit www.anightwithjanisjoplin.com

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