Janice Joplin brings her amazing voice to the Fringe.

Posted on by Thor

Andy Matchett the show’s author and director invited me to a dress rehearsal for Janice Joplin, Little Girl BIue starring Kaleigh Baker.  The rehearsal was in Castle Door Recording Studio on Kentucky Avenue in Winter Park. This was the perfect setting for this show. From the moment I entered the recording studio, I felt like I had stepped back into the 60s.

 As I approached the sound studio on foot, I saw costume designer Sara Grey struggling to push a tall rack of 60’s outfits towards the entrance. The wheels caught on every bump in the pavement causing her to have to pause every few feet to lift the rack up. Because of her I knew I was in the right place. I helped her get the costumes through the door. It turns out that Kaleigh and a band member had to perform at the Fringe opening ceremonies that night, so that gave Sara an hour to hand out costumes and make any adjustments. When Andy arrived, he offered me a Yuengling  before the rehearsal started and I felt the
thrill of being in a recording studio with so much raw talent. I had
sketched Kaleigh Baker before at smokey dives like Tanquerey’s downtown and I knew that she is the one person who could sing like Janice.

The show presents an in-depth and passionate
look at the life, music and untimely death of one of Music’s greatest
icons: Janis Joplin. Baker swells in volume as she moves from a solo
rendition of “What Good Can Drinkin Do?” to an explosive 8 piece band
backing her on hits like “Peace of My Heart” and “Get It While You Can“. Laura Joplin (Amanda Warren) sat and spoke about her sister Janice. She painted a picture of Janice as a child that never fit in who was bullied and harassed by fellow students. There was a hint of envy in her words and I loved that Janice had overcome her past and her music helped her soar.

The scene that I saw rehearsed several times involved Jimmy Hendrix (Pascal Sacleux) taking the place of one of the guitarists on stage (Jeff Nolan).  In shock the guitarist walks off stage. The following instrumental performance blew the roof off. Hendrix exuded confidence and he made love to Janice with his guitar with wild abandon. By the end of the performance he lay the guitar on the ground and caressed its strings like an out of control lover. After one performance in which Janice sang her heart out, a band member shouted out “I don’t know what that was, but it was out of control!” “Damn right!” I thought. “That was absolute wild magic!” I thought the scene had ended and I laughed and shouted in delight. The scene hadn’t ended I had forgotten this was a rehearsal. For a moment I was in the studio with the real Janice Joplin and I wanted her to burn bright. I loved how she could let go.

Magic happened in the studio that night. Janice Joplin will blow your mind at this year’s Fringe Festival.

Venue: Gold (in the Orlando Museum of Art)

Length: 60 minutes

Rating: 18 and up 

Remaining shows:

May 19  8:15pm to 9:15pm

May 22  10:00pm to 11:00pm

May 23  10:00pm to 11:00pm

May 24  4:20pm to 5:20pm

Tickets: $11 (+service. Charge)

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse Rhythm Circle

Posted on by Thor

I went to Tanqueray’s downtown thinking I might sketch Bad Santa and the Dirty Elves. When I got to the bar there was no Santa and no Elves. I decided to order a beer and sketch the bar so the night wasn’t a total waste. The woman across from me had on a Santa hat and she was boxing her partner with Rockum Sockum Pez dispensers. Besides myself there were only four patrons in the bar. I thought I recognized one of the women to my left but I couldn’t place her. As she got up to leave she stopped by to say hello. Turns out she is a Facebook friend named Jessica Pawli. She informed me that there was to be a full Lunar eclipse that night. Dandelion Communitea Cafe was having a Rhythm Circle to celebrate the eclipse. How is it I didn’t know about this? I downed the last sip of my beer and immediately headed over to Dandelion.

It was a cold crisp night and the full moon was bright. The hum from several Buddhist bowls resonated right down to my bones as I approached Dandelion. Christmas lights were strung up in the trees. A hot fire pit warmed the people who sat close. Some people kept their eyes closed as they rocked and swayed to the beat. I sat near a flood light which allowed me to see my sketchbook. Everyone had an instrument of some kind. There were flutes, guitars, tablas , didgeridoos, maracas, and a wide assortment of drums. I hummed along to the entrancing sound and rhythms. A drummer sat next to me and said, “Hey Thor.” I didn’t recognize him at first but then he told me I had sketched his band called “The Manteis Project.” He informed me that I had sketched him in two locations in the same sketch. We laughed. His son crawled into his lap and he enfolded him inside his coat. The boy, tough snug, lost patience and he ran off to play with friends. “Thanks for the quick visit.” he said as his son disappeared. It was obvious that he wished he could have held his son longer.

A beautiful woman stood by the fire playing a large flat moon of a drum. With her flowing robe and cloth headdress she very much looked like a romantic shaman as she celebrated the Yule festivities. I was told the last time there was a Lunar Eclipse on the Winter Solstice was 300 years ago. This was a once in a lifetime happening and I was celebrating the best way I knew how, with a sketch. The eclipse started well after midnight and the moon slowly turned a mysterious blood red. Slips of paper were available to write down thoughts and feelings that you might want to purge from your life. I filled out a slip and placed it in the fire. I watched as it withered and turned to glowing orange embers. I warmed my hands in the open flames and then started another sketch. I was shocked when my cell phone vibrated in my pocket calling me away from the festival of light. My sketchbook thankfully still smells of burnt wood and incense.