Arts & Entertainment
Janis returns
Actress Davies stars again in Joplin-themed concert/theater mashup
‘One Night With Janis Joplin’
By Randy Johnson
Arena Stage
Mead Center for American Theater
Runs through Aug. 11
$40-$99 for various performances
Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.
arenastage.org
Few music lovers — relatively speaking — had a chance to see Janis Joplin live considering she died in 1970. It’s tempting to say that “One Night With Janis Joplin,” the gay-penned (by Randy Johnson) tribute show playing now at Arena Stage, is the next best thing to the now-impossible notion of going to a Joplin performance.
And while the show is that, it’s also not just a cheesy rock tribute show of the type we see given in honor of classic rock acts all the time. It’s its own musical/theatrical experience with singer/actress Mary Bridget Davies in the title role earning raves for her uncanny ability at not just channeling but recreating Joplin’s trademark gutbucket vocals.
The show was a hit at Arena last fall when nearly 20,000 people saw it in Washington. It’s had successful engagements in Portland, Cleveland and Pasadena, Calif., and will open on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre in October.
Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin in ‘One Night With Janis Joplin.’ (Photo by Jim Cox; courtesy Arena)
Davies (34, straight and Helen Hayes Award-nominated for the role) whom we interviewed last year as well, took a few minutes with us by phone last week from her home in Cleveland to riff on everything from how the show has varied in different cities to why the Joplin allure remains undiminished decades after her untimely death. Her comments have been slightly edited for length.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How was the run at Arena versus other places you’ve played the show?
MARY BRIDGET DAVIES: Arena Stage runs like such a well-run ship. Nothing was ever a problem there. It was like summer camp for theater and we just had a really good time. I’m completely excited to come back.
BLADE: Some critics have said it seems like you were born to do this. Do you feel some cosmic destiny with Janis?
DAVIES: It’s weird, yeah, sometimes I do feel like she’s around. There are some accidental parallels too — frustrated attempts at college … she was just so free and I get to enjoy some of that. I mean, yes, I’m up there saying lines, I’m not just winging it, but she just had that wild abandon and I get to do that every night.
BLADE: Has the show changed since last fall?
DAVIES: Yes, it’s been evolving and getting tighter. We’re not like this tired old circus chorus walking in circles. We’ve had several little breaks so each time we come back excited to do it again. And I think we’ll enjoy it even more this time because the terrain is more familiar now.
BLADE: Have the crowd reactions varied much from city to city?
DAVIES: I was very, very nervous in Pasadena because it’s L.A., so anyone who was anyone came to the show. I mean, like, Cher was there one night. There was a lot of industry vibe there that gave it kind of a scary urgency. At Arena before, I would say we had the most forward people. People would try to get on the stage and dance. I kinda looked at the crew like, “Uh, what am I supposed to do here?” They would wrangle them off like in the Van Halen video. It’s kind of flattering that they were so moved they wanted to get up and jam but it does blur the lines a little. Secretly I was kinda OK with it as long as you don’t try to rip the mic out of my hand and say, “It’s my friend’s birthday.”
BLADE: Is it ever hard to find the balance between crowd interplay and performing it as a straight-up dramatic piece?
DAVIES: Yes. Like in Milwaukee we had this much smaller space with a modified thrust stage. It was almost more fun on one hand but also more intimidating too. If you had a bruise or something, they could see it, it was that close. As a performer you really shouldn’t let the crowd dictate the proceedings but there is something of that fourth wall break because this isn’t a straight-up dramatic piece or a musical. People don’t always realize that. They’ll be on their phone or act like they’re home watching TV. One dude went to sleep. I’m like, “Are you kidding me? This is really hard!” Another guy held a tablet on his lap and taped the entire show.
BLADE: I know technically that’s a no-no, but still, from a historical perspective, think how awful it would be if nobody had bootlegged any of Janis’s shows. We’d have so much less to go on. As long as somebody isn’t trying to profit off of it, isn’t there some value in stealth recording?
DAVIES: Oh yeah, in terms of my research and as a fan, I get that. The rock and roll part of me thinks that’s cool but then on the other hand with the copyright issues, you have to respect that too. You don’t want some 30-second barrage out of someone’s purse showing up on YouTube.
BLADE: As great a run as you’re having with this, is there some part of you that’s concerned about your entire persona and identity getting swallowed up by the myth of Janis?
DAVIES: I have people come up to me and say, “Aren’t you that Janis girl?” I wear it as a badge of honor. I think I’ve been able to maintain a balance. I just released my own album — which Arena has been very kind to let me sell at the shows — and I was nominated for a blues music award. And I take my down time to try to stay current within the industry. But you’re right, it can be a double-edged sword. … There may come a time when my heart’s not in it but for now I’m proud to be “the Janis girl.” If they were saying, “Hey, aren’t you the Ashley Simpson girl?” I’d be a lot more worried.
BLADE: Is part of the reason the show’s been such a hit is that people simply crave hearing Janis sing and this is as close as it gets at least for a live experience?
DAVIES: Yeah, I think there is some of that. It can be pretty overwhelming at times. People still go see Big Brother (Joplin’s old band) in droves, especially in Europe. People are crying. She died 43 years ago and people are still throwing themselves at my feet. Sometimes I’m like, “Whoah, I don’t know how to handle that.” I think people just miss her so much, they’ll take her any way they can get her. Other people come in rather skeptical but I always say, that’s fine. Go ahead and come in skeptical because then the end up leaving very happy.
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, March 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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