Janis Joplin never played it safe, which is why tribute acts that reduce her to a greatest-hits survey tend to land hollow. The voice was too specific — too raw, too physically demanding, too rooted in a particular emotional register — to survive lazy approximation. CryBaby, the production fronted by vocalist Lisa Polizzi, takes a different premise than most: not a career retrospective but a full theatrical recreation of Joplin’s 1969 Woodstock performance, built around a band that draws on all three of the groups that defined her recording years.
About the Show
CryBaby – The Janis Joplin Experience brings Polizzi and her ensemble to Daryl’s House in Pawling on Sunday, February 7. The production has been on the festival and theater circuit since 2017, with bookings at venues across New York, New England, and Florida, earning recognition for moving beyond imitation to explore, as one presenting venue put it, “the musical and emotional landscape of Joplin’s career.” The show positions itself as “an electrifying celebration of Janis Joplin and the artists, songs, and spirit that defined the Woodstock generation,” built to transport audiences to the summer of 1969, including a full recreation of Joplin’s iconic Woodstock performance. The backing band draws from all three of Joplin’s legendary groups (Big Brother and the Holding Company, the Kozmic Blues Band, and the Full Tilt Boogie Band), giving the show a musical range that mirrors the full arc of her career rather than a single chapter of it. The set covers the catalog anchors: “Piece of My Heart,” “Ball & Chain,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Cry Baby,” and “Mercedes Benz.” Polizzi, singing professionally since age 14 and picking up awards along the way, is described by the production as a “powerhouse vocalist” with a “soulful, sound-alike voice and commanding stage presence” that captures “the passion, grit, and raw power” that made Joplin one of rock’s most singular voices.
Venue & Logistics
Daryl’s House, a 300-cap club on Route 22 in Putnam County, is one of the more reliable destination rooms in the Hudson Valley, about an hour north of New York City. The room’s scale suits the material: Joplin’s performances worked because there was nowhere to hide, and a club this size keeps the same pressure on. The show is all ages. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.; show at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets run $28.69–$40.02. Buy tickets