Leavenworth native Melissa Etheridge to talk Kansas, music and life in new Broadway show

Melissa Etheridge is poised to take Kansas to Broadway in the fall.

The rock goddess who hails from Leavenworth has never shied from talking about or spotlighting her Midwestern roots. She comes back frequently, whether to visit, perform the occasional concert — or sing the National Anthem at a Kansas City Chiefs game. (Yes, she’s a fan.)

She will sing and share stories about growing up in the Sunflower State in “Melissa Etheridge: My Window,” a Broadway show that begins a nine-week residency in September at Circle in the Square Theatre. The show borrows its name from her hit, “Come to My Window.”

Here’s the pitch from the hype video: “From the cornfields of Kansas to the bright lights of Broadway.”

When the show played briefly off Broadway last fall, the New York Times called it “honest and searing. The smoky-voiced, out-and-proud trailblazer finds her own way in ‘My Window’ ... pairing completely charming tales with staggeringly beautiful renditions of her songs.”

The singer’s website says the show includes “tales of her childhood in Kansas to her groundbreaking career highlights — with all of life’s hits and deep cuts between...”

“I truly love Broadway, and it’s long been a dream of mine to tell my story and share my music there,” Etheridge told Playbill theater magazine.

“I never felt more connected to this community and New York audiences than I did after telling my life story off-Broadway last year. The intimacy of the live theatrical stage is like no other, and Circle in the Square is going to be a magical home for my show’s Broadway debut.

“It’s a deeply personal experience to be able to tell these stories again, in a fresh and exciting way, and reconnect with my fans and theatergoers.”

She’s following a format fellow rocker Bruce Springsteen has had success with on Broadway, “part concert, part storytelling,” according to The New York Times.

“I’ve been in front of audiences for 40 years, and I like to talk,” she told The Times. “I enjoy story and drama, and I’ve always brought that into my music.”

The show was written by Etheridge and her wife, TV producer and actor Linda Wallem.

Previews at Circle in the Square Theater begin Sept. 14. Opening night is slated for Sept. 28. The show will run through Nov. 19.

Tickets are on sale at Telecharge.com.