"Back to the Garden: The Songs of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro" at Rubicon Theatre

VENTURA, Calif. - Aug. 17, 2016 - PRLog -- Celebrate folk-rock trailblazers Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyro when Rubicon Theatre Company presents BACK TO THE GARDEN later this week, the fifth offering in this season's Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series. This energetic and soul-stirring concert directed by Amy Jones with musical direction by Debra Barsha stars Melissa Hammans, Shaleah Adkisson, Maddy Wyatt and Sue Terwilliger on guitar. Having played to sold-out theatres across the country, Back to the Garden plays in Ventura for only 3 performances on Saturday, August 20 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday, August 21 at 2 p.m.

Says Hammans, "Challenged by the traditional images of women in the music industry, these prolific singer-songwriters paved the way for women in music, art and life and bravely explored territory outside the accepted confines of popular music. We are thrilled to share their songs and stories."

Melissa Hammans is a Nashville-based singer, actress, teaching artist, and producer. Her honey-dripping vocals are at home in virtually every genre from classical musicals to the vintage pop sounds of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Inspired by strong women in the industry, Melissa created Soul Picnic Productions, and has produced Back To The Garden, August 1969: A Tribute to the Women of Woodstock, featuring the music of Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Grace Slick, and Melanie; and Mind the Gap, featuring the British Soul Sisters: Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Amy Winehouse and Adele. Known for her heartfelt performances and comedic chops, Hammans has been praised for her work as an actor on stages in NYC, around the country, and across the globe in Company, Smokey Joe's Café, The Marvelous Wonderettes, Shout, Nunsense, And The World Goes 'Round, and more. Melissa is a graduate of Indiana University.

Shaleah Adkisson is a singer, actress and teaching artist based in New York City. She's been seen on Broadway (and on tour) in Hair: The American Tribal Love- Rock Musical, and Off-Broadway in Rent, as well as in regional productions including Clybourne Park, Avenue Q, The Hot Mikado, Beehive: The 60's Musical, Ain't Misbehavin, Grease, Nunsense and Children of Eden. Shaleah also works as a teaching artist with the Bridge Arts Ensemble, an organization of freelance musicians that work with school districts in upstate New York. She works regularly in NYC and on tour with Soul Picnic Productions, and is in the beginning stages of Trio, a country music tribute group and a blues/rock/soul band called Wednesday Night Blues.  Shaleah is a cantor at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in NYC.

Maddy Wyatt is a Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter, and musician who released her first solo album, "Backdive" in 2007 and gained national notoriety on the strength of her 2008 ode to Barack Obama, "Man for Me." Her political interests have also extended with writing and performing for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, alongside Nelly McKay, Kathleen Hanna, and The Mountain Goats. Maddy's solo efforts have expanded into a collaborative adventure with brothers Paul and Alex in the indie pop outfit Wyatt. Since the release of their debut EP, Wyatt has toured the U.S., played festivals from CMJ to SXSW, and earned kudos from The Deli, The L.A .Examiner, and TimeOut NewYork, who says their "quirky, lilting and unpretentious songs pack a jaunty punch." Their newest release, "Here Comes Everybody," is out now on MNRCH Records. Most recent projects include composing the original score and songs for the film "Breaking Fast," an official selection of the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Sue Terwilliger's guitar playing can evoke the jangle of Joni Mitchell's strings, the bluesy jazz of Kenny Burrell and the searing solos of Jeff Beck. Her performance credits include Carnegie Hall, The Bottom Line in Nagasaki, Japan, and appearances on "The Sopranos." Additional Soul Picnic Productions include August of 1969: A Tribute to the Women of Woodstock (as Bandleader/Musical Director). Sue spends her offstage time in Ithaca, NY and NYC, teaching guitar and writing music.

Performances of Back to the Garden: The Music of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Laura Nyroare at Rubicon Theatre in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District, located at 1006 E. Main Street (the corner of Main and Laurel), Ventura, CA  93001. Tickets are $69.50 for the general public, with a $5 discount using Code REP. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (805) 667-2900, or go to www.rubicontheatre.org.

To watch the You Tube preview video: https://youtu.be/KBRuMiD94ac