Continued Story
During the fictionalized radio interview between Joplin and Deejay ‘Wild Bill’ (played with high-hippie-humor by Ron Cushman) we learn that while growing up, Joplin was unpopular in school. She was taunted for being a ‘beatnik’ who was never asked out on dates, and was an introverted teen who received comfort from painting. She almost accidentally learned she could sing, while crooning along with her favorite recordings of Bessie Smith. Joplin says she was astonished when “...this voice camed out, man!’ Soon she was singing in local bars “for drinks.” Alarmed at her ‘beatnik ways,’ Janis’ mother took her to see a psychiatrist.
The shrink warned Janis’ mother that unless her daughter abandoned her evil ways, she’d “be in an insane asylum or dead” by the time she reached 21. On Janis’ 25th birthday just as her albumn, Kozmic Blue, came out -- her mother sent her a ‘congratulations’ card. In another tidbit of little-known Joplin trivia, we learn that upon discovering Bessie Smith was buried in an unmarked grave, Joplin paid to have a tombstone erected at the head of Smith’s plot. The first act of Kozmic Blue is devoted to the interview between Joplin and Wild Bill. It’s laced with good-natured, ‘hippie-esque’ humor, e.g., Wild Bill asks Janice if it was true that her tour train came to a screeching halt when the ‘infamous’ bands onboard ran out of booze.
She admitted it was and went on to explain how their manager went into town and bought out an entire liquor store to keep the party going. Janice jokes that The Grateful Dead were riding on the ‘dope car’ of the train. Act I’s interview is a humerous history lesson on the life of Joplin -- with self-deprecating jokes tossed in by Wild Bill concerning his relationship with his rotund wife, Thelma.. But as funny as Kozmic Blue can be, it’s really all about the music -- so there are a couple of songs thrown into the midst of Act I to remind us why we’re there -- including an a’ capella rendition of ‘...Mercedes-Benz’ -- one of the funniest songs, ever. Frost also plays an acoustic guitar version of the first song Joplin ever wrote, ‘What Good Does Drinkin’ Do?’ ‘...Drinkin’...’ is pure blues and the best example of Janis’ musical roots in the set.
A Nashville resident, Frost tours nationally and internationally playing and singing mostly her own material -- but she has always been a devout Joplin fan. A highly talented singer in her own right, with a vast musical range, Frost discovered years ago that she could authentically duplicate Joplin’s distintive voice.
About three years ago, she and friend and fellow entertainer, Ron Cushman, wrote the play as a bographical, musical tribute to Joplin. They have performed Kozmic Blue at several locations, the last being to sell-out crowds at Bongo Java near Belmont University. Kozmic Blue is obviously a labor of love on both their parts. Cushman’s sharp comic banter is a clever counter-balance to Frost’s laid-back, hippie-chick Joplin. The pair’s witty reparte is casually seamless. Frost’s ‘impersonation’ of Joplin’s singing voice is uncanny. I guarantee that if you only heard Frost sing ‘Cry Baby’ and didn’t know it wasn’t Joplin -- you’d never know the difference.
Joplin had one of the most unique voices of our time, and to think that it could be duplicated by someone else to the extent that Frost does is almost unbelievable. And although everyone knows Janis is going to die at the end of the play, it’s still an emotional shock. By then, we’re having such a great time laughing at Joplin and Wild Bill and groovin’ to Frost’s eerily accurate Joplin blues -- the announcement of her death catches us unaware. Look around and you’ll notice there aren’t many dry eyes in the house. Frost finishes the set with Joplin’s trademark song, ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ -- the last song Joplin ever recorded.
By then the audience is usually on its feet, clapping and rockin’ out. The night I attended several audience members were even dancing -- something Janis would have loved. She often encouraged her audience to get up on stage with her and dance. Frost is playing a gig in Denver, Col., this weekend but will return to Nashville for a final weekend of Kozmic Blue Aug. 19-21. Included with the price of admission, New Day Theatre features a home-made dessert of your choice with a beverage. The theatre is located at 220 Goodlettsville Plaza near Rivergate Mall. Call 859-0059 for reservations and directions.
