Anyone living through the time period of 1966-1970 might describe the experience as the equivalent of the change a caterpillar makes when transforming into a butterfly – still the same creature, entire different existence. In the same time it took me to go from 16 to 20 years of age, a young girl from Texas hitchhiked her way to San Francisco and burned a hole in our memories, in musical history, and perhaps even into that place we call forever.

We all think we know our icons and maybe we think they know us. Janis certainly affected me and many of my compatriots, but even more so, the music we were hearing, the messages it delivered and what was to come. I didn’t know Janis. I wish I had. We would likely have been friends. I may have wanted to slow her down, but then, had I succeeded, we all would not have been treated to her extraordinary result. Well, 30+ years later, I am here doing a musical about her. The motivation was not just the fact that her music remains astounding, but it was also in learning that Janis liked to write letters home and in those communications she tells us about herself, in her own words, and that treat simply could not be passed up.

Special thanks to Laura and Michael Joplin for making available Janis’ letters and other belongings and for their persistent support in our efforts, to Randal Myler for his work in building this story into an evening in the theatre, to Sam Andrew for his tireless protection of the music and sound you will hear, to Travis Rivers, Bill Ham, the late Chet Helms and, of course, to Janis herself for taking that journey and leaving behind something for all of us to write and sing about.