Leonard and Joni – The Untold Love Story at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Even their most ardent and loyal fans say they never knew. Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell are two of the biggest music legends that walked the earth. However, from their multitude of fans, only a few may have known that their paths have crossed and their lives intertwined; and their music together, then apart, caused a collision of intense emotions. "Leonard and Joni - The Untold Love Story" is an event that has made a big revelation and a colossal impact on its audiences. GNR Entertainment, a reputable production company that has had a history of success staging musical portraits such as “The Story Of Linda Ronstadt”, “Folsom Prison Revisited” and “Golden Ring: The Story of George Jones and Tammy Wynette, is also the stagehand behind "Leonard and Joni - The Untold Love Story". They have meticulously picked artists who would bring to life these 'larger than legends' personas. Dana Wylie who portrays Joni Mitchell, is an obvious pick. Folk music magazine Penguin Eggs singled her out as the artist whom they have “felt comfortable comparing to Joni Mitchell in the scope of her talent..." Sharing the stage with Wylie to play Leonard Cohen is Joe Nolan, who was named by The Globe and Mail as “an Americana wunderkind to look out for.”

Joni Mitchell is one of the most original and unconventional folk-pop artists to emerge from the 60s. With ten Grammy Awards to her name and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, Joni Mitchell, Rolling Stone declared her as "one of the greatest songwriters ever". With timeless hits such as "Both Sides Now", "Chelsea Morning", "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock" which were both spawned by the album "Blue", The New York Times marks it as one of the 25 albums that made significant "turning points and pinnacles in 20th-century popular music". All Music nailed it as it proclaims -- "When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century".
Joni Mitchell though looked up to one of her contemporary poet-musician-singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen. “Leonard was an early influence. I remember thinking when I heard his songs for the first time that I was not worldly. My work seemed very young and naive in comparison. At the time I met him I was around 24, around the time of my first record. But thematically I wanted to be broader than he was. In many ways, Leonard was a boudoir poet.”

Leonard Cohen initially pursued a career as a novelist, and poet before embarking on a music career in 1966 by releasing his first album "Songs of Leonard Cohen". He hit the mainstream charts with his seventh album which produced his best-selling evergreen hit "Hallelujah". Leonard Cohen is highly respected by his peers and he has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone listed him at number 103 in their "200 Greatest Singers of All Time" list in 2023.

Somewhere in the swinging sixties, Mitchell and Cohen crossed paths in the 1967 Newport Folk Festival. They had a whirlwind romance, though short-lived, it was said to be one of the most intense unions in the era of 'make love, not war'. Their creative outbursts, compelling storytelling, and impassioned songwriting sired a collection of songs that embody a myriad of emotions revolving around falling in love, falling out of love, anger, denial, depression, inspiration, delusion, holding on, letting go... Mitchell and Cohen may not have lived happily ever after but their legacy lives on through their separate music anthologies. Let the mystery unfold with the staging of "Leonard and Joni - The Untold Love Story" at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Thursday, 4th of April. Book your tickets now!