In Zach Scott’s biomusical Love, Janis, Janis makes sure the folks back home know she has no intention of becoming “the poor man’s Cher." This begs the audience to consider what kind of Garden Weasel churning old Pearl would be doing if she could see who passes for top female entertainers today. Hell, Janis, by way of comparison, Cher is Maria damn Callas! If you weren’t there, if you don’t know Janis Joplin’s music and story, it’s hard not to be stunned by the fact that this 23 year-old girl, without the benefit of a star machine, a manager mommy, winning a phone-in talent poll on the TV, or her own clothing line was able to ascend to the place she did and continue to be a subject of interest almost 40 years later. Love, Janis had a run in Austin originally over a decade ago and has also been successful in New York, Cleveland, and Chicago. A recent performance was impressively three-quarters full on a lovely Sunday afternoon, with an enthusiastic crowd of older people who had clearly been in their 20s at the same time Texas native Janis was. The crowd clearly indulged their catharsis. The stage is set up for a rock show with small sets to the left and right for break out vignettes. The dialogue, performed mostly by Sydney Andrews, comprises about half of the play and is taken from letters Janis wrote home and interviews she gave during her brief career. Interspersed are musical numbers, belted out with goose bump inducing grit by Andra Mitrovitch who has had the long-held honor of being the voice of Janis, performing worldwide with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Joplin’s original band. more ›