Melissa Etheridge rocks on Broadway in show full of stories, songs

Melissa Etheridge has won Grammy Awards, an Oscar — and now she’s on Broadway in an entertaining show full of raspy rock, humor and personal stories.

Etheridge grew up in Kansas, and as a kid longed to play guitar. She started playing bars as a teenager, which helped her learn to connect with audiences. As “Melissa Etheridge: My Window” continues, we learn about her albums, her love life, her battle with cancer — and one devastating tragedy.

Written by Etheridge, with additional material by her wife, Linda Wallem Etheridge, the 2½-hour production at Circle in the Square is great if you’re a fan of the star. There were certainly those at a recent performance, but you’re likely to have a good time even if you are only casually familiar with her music.

Let there be no doubt: Etheridge can play guitar, and her powerful strumming hasn’t lost a beat. The passion is there, too, as can be heard in hit songs like “I Want To Come Over” and “I’m the Only One.”

Another highlight is her rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” which she performed at the 2005 Grammy Awards. Her breakout hit, “Come to My Window,” was performed with less intensity and firepower, but that doesn’t stop the audience from singing along.

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Directed well by Amy Tinkham, the look of the show helps make the night memorable. Projection designer Olivia Sebesky lets us see Etheridge as a little girl, as a 20something touring America, performing at awards shows. She also helps set the scene, such as when Etheridge talks about partying in Los Angeles or taking hallucinogens for the first time.

Lighting designer Abigail Rosen Holmes impresses most of the night, although one effect featuring flashing lights from a tiered mini tower seems forced and more suited for a big arena.

Set designer Bruce Rodgers has created an intimate space – and Etheridge is comfortable on stage and walking into the crowd. Costume designer Andrea Laurer has the star wear a leather jacket and tight leather pants with a hint of sparkle at the heel.

As The Roadie, Kate Owens is a treat. She never upstages Etheridge, but she plays characters, provides comic relief, brings out and removes set pieces. She gets a well-deserved round of applause at curtain.

In the Playbill, Etheridge mentions her 2019 album, “The Medicine Show,” which deals with “universal themes of renewal, reconciliation, reckoning, compassion and, most profoundly, healing.”

She brings all of that, and love and laughter, to Broadway. It may not be traditional theater, but she’s opening her heart and sharing her soul — just as she has been doing in her songs throughout her career.

Go: “Melissa Etheridge: My Window,” through Sunday, Nov. 19, Circle in the Square Theatre, 235 W. 50th St. (1633 Broadway), $99.50 to $349.50; 212-239-6200, melissaetheridge.com.

Bill Canacci can be reached at bcanacci@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Broadway: Melissa Etheridge rocks in show full of stories, songs