Musical About Janis Joplin Runs in Rio at Oi Futuro Flamengo

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Since last Thursday (May 25th), the cultural center Oi Futuro Flamengo is presenting the musical performance “Janis”, a tribute to one of the most remarkable singers of rock-blues music of all time. The play will explore the artist’s career, as well as the themes of pain and loss, common in her song-writing.

The musical was conceived by Carol Fazu, the actress who will play Joplin on the stage. With dramaturgy by Diogo Liberano, direction of Sergio Módena and musical direction of Ricco Viana, “Janis” will mix biographic and fictional aspects with a lot of live music.

“The musical is a mixture of many points of view about the singer. It gathers my experiences, which include some inventions, original statements from Janis Joplin and also Fazu’s contributions to the project”, says Diogo Liberano.

Focusing on the life and work of Joplin, the plot shows an intense, contesting character that was a iconic portrait of the counterculture generation of the sixties. It exposes the singer’s particular universe and her reflections on solitude, freedom, ambition, success, love, family and rejection.

On stage, Fazu honors Joplin by interpreting the stories from her most famous songs. The performance will present fourteen compositions for the audience, including Cry Baby, Little Girl Blue, Maybe, Me and Bobby McGee and Try (Just a Little Bit Harder).

Born in Texas (United States), Janis Joplin became a cultural symbol of psychedelic rock. Her success came after her performance in Monterrey Pop Festival, in 1967.

She died in 1970 at the age of 27 due to a heroin overdose. Her fourth and last album, Pearl, released six months after her death, reached number one on the billboards with the hit Me and Bobby McGee.

What: Janis
When: Thursday to Sunday – 8PM, from May 25th to July 16th
Where: Oi Futuro Flamengo – Rua Dois de Dezembro, 63 – Flamengo – Tel: (21) 3131-3060
Entrance: R$15 – R$30