ZACH Theatre – An Austin Theatre Blog

KUT radio host John Aielli

On June 16 to June 18, 1967, the Monterey Pop Festival hosted the first major public appearance of Janis Joplin. Held in Monterey, CA, hundreds of thousands of people attended the festival to kick-start the loric “Summer of Love.” Janis Joplin shared the stage with Otis Redding, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and others to launch a counter-culture movement unlike any other seen in America.

In the spirit of that epic 3-day rock concert (and to kick-start ZACH’s Summer of Love), the LOVE, JANIS band stopped by KUT 90.5 studios here in Austin during the 22nd anniversary of the festival to spread the love of Janis Joplin’s music with Eklektikos host John Aielli.

The LOVE, JANIS band sets up before the broadcast

Ready in the booth?

It's not often that a bass player is the band leader, but Lannie Hilbolt (left) is doing both

Arnie Yanez plays drums

Guitarist Bob Overton plays guitar "better than they did in the 60s" according to John Aielli

Watch out: Jamie Hilbolt plays keyboards, and his organ playing gives The Doors a run for their money

Dave Lee (left) plays trumpet with fellow brass players Matt Kennon (middle, on saxophone) and baritone saxophonist Cynthia Mixon.

Janis Actress Sydney Andrews read a letter from the play

The always sharply dressed Dave Steakley called off tracks as the band played for nearly two hours in the studio

John Aielli has to have one of the best jobs in Austin. He's a consummate pro at it, too ...

Excerpts from the broadcast will be played all month on KUT 90.5, and the station is releasing a podcast this week of the performance. Check back with ZACH’s blog for updates and links to the radio show, and remember to stop by ZACH Theatre to see it all live!

Monterey Pop Festival anniversary performances are being held tonight (6/17/09) and tomorrow (6/18/09), and tickets for tonight’s performance are only $20. Call (512) 476-0541, x1 to reserve your seats or purchase tickets online.

Summer is here, and ZACH Summer Campers once again are finding a creative home at ZACH Theatre during their break. The theatre is offering a special “Summer of Love” camp special with a $25 discount when students sign up for a full day camp in June, but one local middle school has been behind helping its students attend ZACH’s fantastic summer programming for years.

Bailey Middle School, Austin

Bailey Middle School, located in South Austin, awards three full scholarships to their students each year so they can attend ZACH’s Summer Camps. Called Brittany Blossey Scholarships, the scholarships are set up to commemorate former Bailey Middle School student Brittany Blossey and her active involvement in theatre and the arts. The scholarship is for students who participate in the theatre program at Bailey Middle School. To be eligible, students must write a letter of interest and get two recommendations from their teachers. This week, one of the scholarship recipients is here at ZACH! “We are more than happy to help support the program at ZACH Theatre by sending students to participate in Summer Theatre camps. It’s also wonderful to know that through this scholarship, Brittany Blossey’s name can continue to live on and her passion for the arts can be shared with new students every year,” theatre teacher Nikki Staib told ZACH. “I know that it means a lot to the Blossey family to carry on this scholarship tradition.”

A big thank-you goes out to Bailey Middle School and the Blossey family for being ahead of the curve in finding a creative place for students to learn and play during the summer. Summer camps continue throughout the summer, and there’s still space available in tons of fun acting programs, including:

• PIRATES PIZAZZ, June 15-19
• WIZARD OF OZ, June 22-26 (New space available for ages 5 and 6)
• GRAND PRIX RACER, June 29-July 2
• COUNT ZACHula Twilight Week, July 6-10 New!

Check it all out on ZACH’s website, and remember to mention the $25 discount when you sign your kids up for a full day camp this month!

As one of the largest arts organizations in Austin, ZACH Theatre employs literally hundreds of staff members, contractors and artists to keep the theatre up and running. But ticket sales only cover about 60% of the work we do here. With a preeminent performing arts school that offers Summer Camps and year-round acting classes, community oriented programming, world premieres of new plays, spectacular special events and various other projects, ZACH relies heavily on individual, corporate, foundation and government contributions and grants to serve the local arts community in ways that sometimes aren’t seen on stage.

It’s a particularly unique and exciting time at ZACH because we are in the middle of a Capital Campaign for a new theatre. Funds received for the campaign are raised in addition to those used for annual operating expenses. ZACH’s Development Department works hard to make sure the new theatre will be an Austin original that serves our community well while balancing an equally crucial need to keep the theatre growing in new directions.

Just in the last 3 months, contributions to ZACH have helped to:

• Serve our community – ZACH invited homeless members of the Austin community to see The Grapes of Wrath free of charge and had the privilege to hear back from some of them about their new feelings of hope.
• Bring you world premieres with local flare – ZACH premiered Stephen Dietz’s Shooting Star in Austin with local actors Barbara Chisholm and Jamie Goodwin.
• Send congrats to successful friends – Former ZACH Performing Arts School student David Bologna was nominated for a Tony Award for his incredible performance in Billy Elliot in New York City. (See Video)
• Host the best before Broadway – Anna Deavere Smith dazzled audiences for four weeks in the arena stage with her transfomative and always developing work, Let Me Down Easy.

It is pretty simple. We couldn’t do the work that we do without friends like you! We hope to keep you more in the loop on Development activities and events in the future, but if you have any particular questions or interests in the meantime, please call (512) 476-0594 ext. 260 or email donations@zachtheatre.org.

Sydney Andrews as Janis Joplin

So it’s official: LOVE, JANIS at ZACH Theatre is being hailed as this summer’s rafter-shaking, groovy-time-havin’, soultastic concert experience. Two phenomenal singers — Andra Mitrovich and Mary Bridget Davies — combined forces with local actress Sydney Andrews this weekend to open the knock-out musical LOVE, JANIS on ZACH’s Whisenhunt Stage in what is becoming a once-in-a-lifetime theatre experience for Austin.

Even the director admits this is a performance like no other. Forget everything you knew about Janis Joplin, everything you ever thought theatre could be: Audiences will not only hear Janis’ trademark musicality brought to life with impeccable panache, but they’ll witness a stunning portrayal of her poetic, joyous and insightful life through letters and interviews that capture the essence of one of Austin’s legendary jewels.

And we’ve found a few of our own jewels to put this rock-n-soul story onstage:

• Sydney Andrews plays the role of Janis. She’s worked at ZACH before as the young nun in Doubt: A Parable. Sydney’s regional theatre credits include An Ideal Husband at Austin Shakespeare; James and the Giant Peach at The Berkshire Theatre Festival; The Canterville Ghost at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Big Love at University of Texas at Austin; and Uncle Vanya, The Crucible, The Spitfire Grill and Picnic at Greensboro College. She was also in the film Artois the Goat.
   
• Every ZACH-afficionado knows the power and soul of Andra Mitrovich, singing on alternating nights this run as Janis Joplin. She performed at ZACH’s 75th Anniversary Concert and in ZACH Theatre productions
  

  It Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues, Tapestry, The Music of Carole King; Tommy (where she, of course, played The Acid Queen); she was in the 1997 production of Love, Janis; and appeared in ZACH’s Rockin’ Christmas Party from 1993 through last year. Andra was one of two Soul Sisters: Judy & Andra in Concert, where she appeared with Judy Arnold; and she was in Beehive at ZACH and in an upstate NY tour of the show. Her regional theatre credits include Columbia Artists’ National Tour of Love, Janis, Rockin’ Christmas Party at San Antonio’s Empire Theatre, and Love, Janis at The Cleveland Playhouse, San Diego Repertory, Chicago’s Royal George Theatre, Sag Harbor/L.I. Bay Street Theatre, Village Theatre in NYC & Theatre Aspen. Andra has done commercial and studio work for Disney Productions, Tequila Mockingbird, Parrot Tracks, SRS: Ben Blanks, The Hit Shack, Malted Milk Productions, Arlyn Studios and Sonic One Studios.As if Andra didn’t embody Janis enough: she currently tours with “Big Brother & the Holding Co.” and traveled with them on their 2005 European Tour. Andra was nominated for Best Actress/Joseph Jefferson Award in Chicago, won the B. Iden Payne Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Love, Janis; and the Austin Critics’ Table Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for Beehive! Andra was inducted into the “Gulf Coast Hall of Fame” in Port Arthur, TX as a member of “Big Brother & the Holding Co.” Andra recently performed with Gulf Coast blues band “98 in the Shade” and can be heard on their new CD, “Complicated.”
   

• Mary Bridget Davies is making her first appearance at ZACH in this production, alternating singing performances with Andra Mitrovich.
  

  She’s been on stage since age three. Her first love, dance, took her to Los Angeles on a scholarship, and then around the country as part of a touring dance troupe. After completing the tour, Mary Bridget joined Cleveland’s own Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Company. Soon after, she discovered a passion for singing blues, rock and soul music and now fronts the Mary Bridget Davies Group, which was nominated as the Best Blues Band by Cleveland’s Scene and Free Times magazines. She also received the Best Vocalist award from the Free Times. Fresh off the national tour of Love, Janis, she has toured with Joplin’s original band, Big Brother & the Holding Co. She also starred in the Tony Award-nominated hit It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues at Theatre Aspen.

Tickets to LOVE, JANIS are available online 24-hours a day or by phone, Mon.-Sat. 12-8pm at (512) 476-0541, x1.