Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre is branching out this year with
a sparkling theatrical presentation consisting of almost thirty songs by
one of Canada's--and the world's--most distinctive female songwriters.
Joni Mitchell: River, created by Allen MacInnis and Greg Lowe, is a
fascinating staging of the work of the great prairie tunesmith, musician
and painter.
For fans of Joni Mitchell, River is a must-see production. For
those less familiar with her work, the show is a fabulous introduction
to songs of the most influential of all confessional singer/songwriters.
While it's not exactly a collection of greatest hits--there's a couple
of key works missing, including The Circle Game and In France They Kiss
On Main Street--this is a production that lovingly explores the essence
of Joni Mitchell's extraordinary artistry.
With no dramatic plot and only few thematic threads in which to
organize the material, River strays very far from similar theatrical
presentations of other Canadian Songwriter's works. Several shows based
on Leonard Cohen's songwriting, for example, dramatize his songs to a
ludicrous degree, wringing all sorts of emotion from material that was
delivered--by Leonard himself on his original recordings--in his
famously dry, restrained monotone.
Joni Mitchell: River avoids this theatrical trap. Director Jean
Morpurgo wisely reflects Joni Mitchell's steely discipline in the
delivery of the show. Consequently, the three actors--Raquel Duffy, Mark
Uhre and Margot Sampson--and two musicians (Dave Carmichael and David
Christensen) tend to play down the emotions in the songs.
What Morpurgo and her cast play up, however, is the stunning poetry
of the songs and Mitchell's own breathtaking musical settings. Fans of
Joni already know of the astonishing originality and complexity of her
work which is faithfully and powerfully rendered by the show. Guitarist
Carmichael, for example, must change guitars for almost every selection
to correctly reproduce the complicated tunings, rhythm patterns and
chord settings that Joni Mitchell uses on a regular basis.
Keyboardist Christensen--who also covers some light percussion,
clarinet and flute in the show--does an admirable job with Joni's
eccentric piano-based tunes like Woodstock and Down To You. There are
also two striking vocal-only selections--Shadows and Light and Fiddle
and Drum--that reveal the austere power of Joni's unadorned songwriting.
What is most striking about the show, however, is how just how
beautifully the voices of the three actors blend while interpreting Joni
Mitchell's timeless tunes. Duffy does an earthy take on her selections,
while Sampson gets closest to the songwriter's own pure--but slightly
detached--vocal sound. Uhre's sinuous high tenor, however, is the male
equivalent to the prairie musician's soaring lyricism when it comes to
singing.
Delivered in trios, duos and solos--with the occasional doo-wop
style backing vocal--Joni's songs get a respectful, honest reading that
resists the urge to inject any kind of show-biz excess into what is
truly a unique and enduring body of work.
Thistle Theatre Design's imitiation old-world stonework stage adds
some needed gravitas to the show. And their lighting design makes good
use of the theatrical space without adding too much overpowering
dramatic effect.
While the theatrical aspects of the show--from Morpugo's direction
to the confident performances of the singer/actors to the smart set,
costume and lighting design--are all impressive, the real attraction is
the music itself.
With songs like Big Yellow Taxi, Chelsea Morning, A Case of You,
Blue, Free Man In Paris, You Turn Me On I'm A Radio, Carey and almost
twenty others, Joni Mitchell: River is a delightful and satisfying show
by any measure.
The straightforward presentation and lack of drama makes the
production seem refreshingly original
and invigorating. And with the great singer/songwriter virtually retired
from active recording and concertizing, there's no better way to
experience the genius of Joni Mitchell in a live music setting.
Joni Mitchell: River is playing until mid-August. Check the
company's web site at www.festivalantigonish.com for performance schedules and ticket prices.
© Ron Foley Macdonald 2005
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