The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
“Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff . . .”
With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now, a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer (of Eddie From Ohio) and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance travels decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more. Both Sides Now is at once a piece of the 60’s and 70’s, and of right now–offering us a story about the messiness of being human, of lives persistently lived at the edge of growth, and of finding the courage to turn toward one another, again and again
About the Artists:
Robbie Schaefer is a singer-songwriter, theatre/film artist and current rabbinical student. The guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio has also recorded several solo albums, including 2017′s Sounds Like Home: Songs From the Musical, Light Years.
In addition, Robbie is the founder of OneVoice, an international non-profit that unites and empowers youth through music and the creative arts. The organization was active from 2011-2023 and completed projects in Tanzania, Nicaragua, India, Greece, and Israel.
Robbie has shared the stage with Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Keb ‘ Mo, and Emmylou Harris, among others. His first work for musical theater, Light Years, saw its world premiere at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in 2018 and is now a feature film entitled Burst The Silence, which is currently on the festival circuit and due for wider release by Rolling Pictures in 2024.
Danielle Wertz. Described as, “untarnished by the politics of music” (Jazz Music Archives) and “at home alongside more contemporary exponents of improvised singing” (LoudMouth, AU) Danielle Wertz has rapidly gained national acclaim. An award-winning artist on the rise, Danielle’s compositions and arrangements weave together elements of modern jazz, folk and the use of her voice as an instrumental texture to create an intimate and personal musical world. After being named a 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition semi-finalist, Danielle independently released her debut album, Intertwined. This collaboration with pianist Tal Cohen ranked #4 on Capital Bop’s list of “Best DC Jazz Albums of 2017” and has continued to receive high praise since its release. That same year Danielle placed 2nd in the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition.
In 2022 Danielle co-created and co-starred in Signature Theatre’s production of Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. DC Theatre Arts called her performance “enchanting and reverent.” In March, 2023 she released her sophomore album, “Other Side” via Outside in Music and self-produced a national release tour including venues such as Blues Alley Jazz in DC, Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia and Sam First in Los Angeles.
Doors: 6:30pm
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