2026 – the new year
2026 is already filled to the brim. Please come to a show, real live art is so much more powerful and beautiful than staying trapped online – I’d love to see you and say hi 🙂
↓ where to see Joni perform ↓
🍂 – – – – AUTUMN – – – – 🍂
SEPTEMBER 30 – NOVEMBER 8, 2026
As You Like It by William Shakespeare my first show with Ten Thousand Things!
Directed by Caitlin Lowans
Music by Joni Griffith
Featuring the absolutely incredible cast of : Katie Bradley, Dustin Bronson, Isa Condo-Olvera, Darius Dotch, Nubia Monks, and Greg Watanabe
To escape death, our heroine, her best friend, and one of Shakespeare’s funniest fools flee to the forest. Released from the court’s conventions, they discover earnest shepherds and ironic aristocrats – along with joy and forgiveness. Soon, closed hearts open, love transforms, and community takes root. Music by yours truly. Come see how Shakespeare and synths go together 🙂
All photos by Tom Wallace.
HAMLET with BARd Shakes – October 19th, 7PM at Minneapolis Cider Co. FREE!
BARd is back. And the play’s the thing. Hamlet has never been performed in BARd’s 11 year history. That changes on Monday, October 19. Join us at @minneapoliscider for skulls, madness, and a healthy dose of that quintessential BARd chaos. 💀 🚪 Doors open: 6:15pm 🍻 Beer-baiting: 6:45pm 🎭 Showtime: 7pm Bring a friend and enjoy the gift of FREE Shakespeare! No tickets or reservations required. We highly recommend arriving early to enjoy Minneapolis Cider Co’s menu and to get a good seat.
❄️ – – – – WINTER – – – – ❄️
A MUSICAL CHRISTMAS CAROL: A live 1940’s radio-style production with choir and symphonic music! Featuring the legendary Gary Briggle as Scrooge with Jake Endres and myself playing all other roles in the show. This one isn’t to be missed!
Sunday, Dec 6 2026 at 2:00 pm – Dakota Valley Symphony in Burnsville MN
December 13, 2026 at 2:00 pm – Austin Symphony Orchestra in Austin MN
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND February 12 – 21, 2027 – TERCE by Heather Christian
Terce: A Practical Breviary is a radical rethinking of a monastic 9:00 AM mass and an adaptation that reimagines the face of the “Holy Spirit” through the lens of the Divine Feminine. Sung by a choir of caregivers and makers, it is a wild meditation/celebration of the sacred mothers alive in all of us. Inspired by ideas taken from three female mystics (Julian of Norwich, Hildegard von Bingen, and Robin Wall Kimmerer) this 60 minute non-narrative song cycle blends new music, neo-soul, and gospel with traditional medieval organum— is percussed with active caretaking and craft making and is danced wildly. More of an event than a theatrical performance, it is built as an active ritual to celebrate and venerate our feminine alignment with nature and recover from living in the confines of a civilization built to control or ignore it.
PAST EVENTS
2026
TALES OF HOFFMANN
August – September 2026
“Joni Griffith was joy incarnate as the cat/muse Nikki, putting her gamine presence and lovely voice to great use and bringing sly humor to the cat’s intuitive sense of what’s really going on. Griffith also plays Giulietta Moon, the two-timing Miami “hostess,” with hearty swagger.” – Arthur Dorman, Talkin’ Broadway
TERCE
April – May 2026
Choreographer, violin, and ensemble
WAKING MISS DAISY
March 2026
Alfred Uhry’s play “Driving Miss Daisy” is reimagined from the chauffeur Hoke’s point of view. With the insightful vision of James Craven and the signature physical direction of Kym Longhi, this immersive multi-media staging brings to life the world of Atlanta, Georgia in the mid 20th century. Featuring sound design and original music by Joni Griffith.
HEARTS UNCORKED
February 2026
Powerhouse musical trio Debi Kildie, Amanda Weis, and Joni Griffith bring romance to life at the Chateaux St Croix winery with a musical evening celebrating love in all its moods.
GHOSTS IN GREASEPAINT
January 2026
Returning for the third year to Celtic Junction Arts Center, this show has an international history with local roots. Under the helm of Julia Carey and Roderick Kettlewell.
2025
SCENES FROM A GARDEN
September 2025
Co-created and produced with Felix Aguilar Tomlinson. Re-imagining what a musical review could be! Our favorite pieces but re-told, re-staged, and woven into each other to create new stories and scenes. All from a garden.
THE RETURN OF KING IDOMENEO
July – September 2025
Performing the role of Prince Idamante
ALICE TIERNEY
June 2025
Singing the role of Lyra with Opera Reading Project
RUNNING ERRANDS
January 28th – 8PM
Running Errands is a short play series and a cheap ticket to see the most exciting, innovative local theater.
LOVE SONG & LIBATIONS
February 14th 2025
2024
Returning December 2024
A Tribute to the Victorian Music Hall @ Celtic Junction Arts Center
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with COMBUSTIBLE COMPANY – June
Puck & Musical Composition
THE CRADLE WILL ROCK with AOT April 18 – 21
Swing for Mrs. Mister, Ella, Dauber, Steve, Cop
GIANNI SCHICCHI with ORP – FEB
Gherardino and cover for Nella
A new site-specific dance film created by Sydney Swanson with music by Joni Griffith
WHAT ARE MY HOPES FOR THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND?
- Intentionally cultivate relationships with companies I’ve yet to work with, while still doing work with ones that I LOVE and ADORE (excited that this is already happening).
- Stop waiting for people to find me, and stop being afraid to ask them to hire me.
- Record more of my own music!
- Perform at some venues I consider scary.
- Be less afraid about vocalizing and verbalizing dreams I think are “too unrealistic”.
THE MUSIC LAB: INSPIRATIONS AND VARIATIONS
Available to watch NOW!
I am beyond excited to share this free online two-part video series written and conceived by myself, Hannah Howland, and Austin Jacobs in partnership with the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony. Join us as we embark on a wild musical-magnetic adventure featuring none other than Mozart! Designed for elementary age children, this series explores how music is a continual and evolving conversation – a conversations with other musicians, artist, the birds outside your house, and the grocery next door!
You can find more information on the symphony’s website here.
The Music Lab is wcfsymphony’s new concert series for young audiences. Building on the three-decade history of our free Lollipops performances, The Music Lab makes musical creativity, experimentation and interactivity accessible to little concertgoers. The series launches digitally in 2021 and is available free and on-demand to educators, home schoolers, and families.
Stay in touch, I can’t wait to connect with you in 2026 and beyond!
Love, Joni
