“A Night With Janis Joplin” is a triumph!  Neither venue or attendees may ever be the same. In a cosmic collusion of persona and perception, Randy Johnson's electrifying concert musical resurrects the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with the sort of seismically sensational results normally encountered at stadiums and pop festivals. A portraitist tour de force" - Los Angeles Times

 

"Broadway's "A NIGHT WITH JANIS is a map of the music. Brilliantly crafted by writer and director Randy Johnson, it's a journey and a tribute to the singers who paved the way for women to reach further. Much more than just a concert -- what this show reveals, unlike so many chronicles of Janis' tragic life, is her JOY."  

ABC World News Now.

 

"It's a stunning celebration of the blues and those beautiful bruises they leave on a singer’s soul" Variety

​

This is the must-see Broadway production of the season. Brilliantly written and flawlessly directed by Randy Johnson , this is one of the best Broadway shows I have ever witnessed. Most importantly, the show doesn’t turn Janis into Broadway. A Night With Janis Joplin turns Broadway into Janis. A Night with Janis Joplin on the Great White Way is soul that Broadway has never experienced.  - BET

​

Randy Johnson's "A Night with Janis Joplin"  beautifully weaves together Joplin's musical influences from blues singers of the past—think Nina Simone and Bess Smith—and gives theater-goers a glimpse at the creation of an artist. It doesn't just take another little piece of our hearts—it, in fact, steals the whole thing". - Harpers Bazaar

 

"Randy johnson has created a stunning Rock and Blues Opera with the Queen of Rock and Roll Janis Joplin front and center." Vanity Fair

 

" Smokey Joe’s Café triumphs—from its superb cast down to all the fedoras and a couple of well-placed pairs of saddle shoes. No detail is missed. With no discernible, unifying story thread between the songs, the musical numbers could easily lose meaningful momentum, but director Randy Johnson (last seen at Arena Stage with A Night With Janis Joplin) has assembled a complete package. Giving the show structure, vision and palpable ambiance, he creates a lifetime stroll through the 1950s, conjuring memories of milestone moments from prom to leaving home and first love. The nostalgia tied to the songs becomes a character all its own—one with a biography with which anyone from any generation can identify." DC THEATRE SCENE

 

In Smokey Joes Cafe at Arena Stage, Director Randy Johnson's reimagining of the classic "I WHO HAVE NOTHING" is nothing short of genius. It is a tour de force and delivers a promise that Johnson is bound to be a major force in American Musical Theatre. - ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

 "Concert as theater is a singular art form that perhaps no one in the business understands like Johnson". WASHINGTON POST 

 

                            AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS -  A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN :

 

2011 - 2014 Nominations and wins for excellence in theatre for

ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN - A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN in chronological order:

 

2011 Outstanding Musical Production, Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards

 

2012 - Cleveland Critics  Circle Awards,  

Best Regional Touring Production, 

Best Actress – Mary Bridget Davies

Best Director - Randy Johnson

 

2012 Broadway World Awards  Nominations - Cleveland 

Best Musical, 

Best Director – Randy Johnson, 

Best Actress – Mary Bridget Davies, 

Best Supporting Actress – Sabrina Carten, 

Best Costume Design – Jeff Cone, 

Best Scenic Design – Justin Townsend

 

2012 Broadway World Awards Nominations – Washington DC - 

Best Musical, 

Best Director – Randy Johnson, 

Best Actress – Mary Bridget Davies, 

Best Supporting Actress – Sabrina Carten, 

Best Costume Design – Jeff Cone, 

Best Scenic Design – Justin Townsend

 

2012 Helen Hayes Awards nominations, Washington DC – 

Best Actress  - Mary Bridget Davies, 

Best Supporting Actress – Sabrina Carten

 

2012 / 2013 - Critics Choice 

LOS ANGELES TIMES

WASHINGTON POST

THE STATESMAN - AUSTIN

 

2013  B. Iden Payne Theatre Awards – Austin Texas: 

Nominations:

Best Musical,

Best Director - Randy Johnson

Best Actress – Kacee Clanton, 

Best Supporting Actress – Tiffany Mann

 

2013 Austin Critics Table Awards - WINNER - 

Best Supporting Actress - Tiffany Mann

 

2013 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle  - WINNERS - 

Best Actress  - Mary Bridget Davies, 

Best Supporting Actress – Sabrina Carten, 

Best Musical Director – Ross Selgiman

 

2013 – FRED Awards – Pasadena Playhouse; - Awarded to; 

Best Musical, 

Best Director – Randy Johnson, 

Best Actress – Mary Bridget Davies

 

2014 NAACP Theatre Awards,  Los Angeles.

WINNERS 

Best Supporting Actress – Sabrina Carten, 

Best Scenic Design – Justin Townsend. 

NOMINATIONS: 

Best Musical, 

Best Director – Randy Johnson, , 

Best Costume Design – Jeff Cone, 

Best Music Direction – Ross Seligman.

 

2014 Broadway World Nomination – Best Original Cast Album

 

2014 New York Drama League 

Nomination - Best Actress in a Musical - Mary Bridget Davies

 

2014 Tony Awards – Nomination - Best Actress in a Musical – Mary Bridget Davies