It is not only nostalgia, but a salute to the art of songwriting and the ability of making anecdotes come alive through melody that is most appealing of the South Florida premiere of “Both Sides Now’, starring singers Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, running now through January 5 at GableStage in Coral Gables.
Through the singing of Schaefer and Wertz, the folk music of Canadian legends Canadians Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) and Joni Mitchell, who is now 81, came alive in the 140 seat GableStage, a perfect venue for music that begs to be listened to.
Both Cohen and Mitchell first rose to prominence in the mid-1960s, the era of the counter-cultural movement in the United States. Although both Cohen and Mitchell were born and raised in Canada, they both met Americans from the era that protested the Vietnam War by dodging the draft to reside in Canada.
The duo gained fame through music that protested for a better way of life in the 1960s. Schaefer and Wertz expressed that sentiment both in their interpretations of sixteen Cohen and Mitchell songs and some anecdotes that shed light on their lives.
For example, we learn that Mitchell considered singing and songwriting as secondary achievements for her love of crafting and painting when she was young. Leonard Cohen was raised as an Orthodox Jew in Montreal and his thirst for spirituality influenced his choice of songs.
Schaefer and Wertz also shared that Cohen and Mitchell were at one time deeply in love but moved their intensity more to songwriting that led to a lifetime friendship.
The art of storytelling is felt deeply by the passionate interpretations of Schaefer and Wertz in their phrasing of the words of Cohen and Mitchell that shone brightly, especially when Schaefer accompanied himself on guitar on his songs and Wertz played piano on her songs.
Although the most well-known songs of the 16 song set “Both Sides Now” (Mitchell) and “Hallelujah” (Cohen) drew the most applause, the most interesting songs that had the most dramatic and provocative lyrics were Mitchell’s “Fiddle and Drum” (lyrics protesting the Vietnam War) and her “Big Yellow Taxi” (with the lyrics “paint paradise, put up a parking lot” as a protest about protecting the environment).
The concert also showcased songs about sentiment primarily from Cohen’s popular “Suzanne” as well as his “Love, Lover, Lover” that Schaefer and Wertz performed as a duet.
The intimate set that had Schaefer and Wertz sitting informally in chairs, with a table in the middle and a piano on one side, added to the mood of creating a 1960s style coffeehouse that was perhaps similar to the way audiences first heard and saw Cohen and Mitchell perform in the 1960s.
The GableStage offstage crew of scenic designer Frank J. Olivia, lighting designer Tony Galaska, and sound engineer Hector Martinez all contributed to the effect of the audience reliving the 1960s through the music of Cohen and Mitchell.
GableStage Artistic Director Bari Newport and her Board of Directors are to be congratulated for expanding their base of patrons to include those who love music with the selection of “Both Sides Now” in their season. Earlier this year, GableStage successfully had many men in the audience for the sports inspired play “King James.”
Singers Danielle Wertz on piano and Robbie Schaefer on guitar perform 16 folk songs by Canadian artists Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell in “Both Sides Now”, running now through January 5 at GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave. in Coral Gables. Tickets range from $45-60 and can be purchased at gablestage.org or by calling 305-445-119.
