Love, Lust, Fear & Freedom: The Songs of Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen

by Sandi Durell
Times Square Chronicles
November 22, 2011

Reviews by Susan Hasho

Lauren Fox was a surprise. She began a bit nervously in a sweet, warm soprano with the Joni Mitchell song "Michael from Mountains" and then the Leonard Cohen song, "No Way to Say Goodbye" - not your usual cabaret fare. She began to talk about Canadian songwriters, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen and their relationship with each other and bits about their lives. And as she talked and sang songs they wrote about each other and about others (they were nothing if not free to be with others), something magical happened. Her voice became confident and strong and it became clear that not only is she deeply knowledgeable about and connected to Cohen and Mitchell, she is adept at bringing their complicated and fascinating souls alive vocally and physically.

Accompanied beautifully by her musical director Jon Weber on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Peter Calo on guitar, Lauren weaves Joni Mitchell's haunting "Marcie" and her song about her lost child "Little Green" into Cohen's "Night Comes On" always distinguishing Cohen by putting on a hat with a sort of masculine panache. Stunning performances of Cohen's beautiful, visceral hymn to women "Hallelujah" and Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" ended the evening.

Lauren Fox is quite clearly a very talented actress and singer, but also a courageous artist committed to her own ideas of what she wants to express in a cabaret setting. And as a result, Lauren brought us all into a world we never expected to find at the Metropolitan Room - intimate, fascinating and magical.

She is appearing at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street, Nov 26th at 9:30pm, Dec 1st at 7:00pm and Dec 8th at 7:00pm. To make a reservation, call 212-206-0440. www.metropolitanroom.com * Times Square Chronicles welcomes Susan Hasho as a contributing reviewer to the Cabaret Column