BLUE
THE SONGS OF
JONI MITCHELL

A beguiling night of melancholic songs, poetic storytelling and haunting vocals

ABOUT THE SHOW

Experience the artful storytelling and raw, emotive vocals of Australian cabaret chanteuse and musical theatre star, Queenie van de Zandt, as she brings to life the legendary songs, stories and art of musical icon, Joni Mitchell. BLUE is a mesmerising tribute to this Renaissance woman, painter, and poet who created a soundtrack for the Woodstock generation and inspired countless female artists.

In BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell, Queenie and her live band reinterpret Mitchell’s melancholic music and reveal the intimate stories behind some of her most haunting songs, including A Case of You, Big Yellow Taxi, Both Sides Now and Little Green. This captivating show is infused with heartfelt emotion, leaving jazz and folk-loving audiences spellbound.

For Queenie, the show is also a personal journey, exploring Mitchell’s mother-and-daughter relationship and the effect that becoming a parent has on creativity. BLUE is more than just “cabaret at its most sophisticated” (SMH); it is also a feminist exploration of artistry and motherhood and a love letter from one melancholy mother to another.

Since its 2017 debut, BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell has been touring to sold-out houses and rave reviews across Australia and the US, earning nominations for prestigious Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Awards, as well as winning a slew of other theatre accolades. Proclaimed by the Australian Arts Review as “exquisite a biography as you’re likely to hear”, BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell is a beguiling night of melancholic music, poetic storytelling, and haunting vocals experienced in a perfect intimate setting.

CREATIVE CREDITS

Writers
Queenie van de Zandt & Max Lambert

Starring
Queenie van de Zandt

With
Piano or Piano, Guitar & Double Bass

Musical Director & Sound Design
Max Lambert

Arrangements
Max Lambert, Queenie van de Zandt & Anton Koch

Lighting Design
Matt Marshall

Set & Costume Design
Queenie van de Zandt

Design Roll Out & Marketing
Kai Mann Robertson

Producers
Amazon Woman Enterprises & Neil Gooding Productions

Associate Producer
Georgia Putt

SHOW LENGTH
70 minutes

AUDIENCE ADVICE:
Some adult themes | Ages 12+

CONTACT
Neil Gooding
Neil Gooding Productions
admin@goodingproductions.com
+61 2 8005 1154 | +1 929 302 8212

This show is available for touring.

ORIGINAL CREATIVE TEAM
BLUE: The Songs of Joni Mitchell originally premiered at The Powerhouse, Brisbane as part of the Queensland Cabaret Festival on  3 June 2017.
A production by Amazon Woman Enterprises & Neil Gooding Productions
Writers Queenie van de Zandt & Max Lambert
Starring Queenie van de Zandt
With Max Lambert on piano, Roger Lock on guitars & Dr Bob on double bass
Musical Director & Sound Design Max Lambert
Arrangements Max Lambert, Queenie van de Zandt & Anton Koch
Lighting Design Matt Marshall
Set & Costume Design Queenie van de Zandt
Key Art Design Jeff van de Zandt
Design Roll Out & Marketing Kai Mann Robertson

Broadway World Best Cabaret Performer Winner
Broadway World Best Cabaret Performance Winner
Glug Award Most Outstanding Cabaret Performer Winner
Helpmann Award Best Cabaret Performer Nominee
Sydney Theatre Award Best Cabaret Production Nominee

  • “★★★★☆...it’s hard to imagine a better celebration of Joni Mitchell’s timeless artistry than Queenie van de Zandt’s tribute...The deftness with which van de Zandt interwove the story-telling and Mitchell’s songs exemplified cabaret at its most sophisticated… Capping it all was the glorious translucence of her voice…”

    Sydney Morning Herald

  • “★★★★☆ A beguiling night of melancholic songs, poetic storytelling and haunting vocals…perfect intimate setting…incredible empathy and emotion…all beautifully sung…van de Zandt and Lambert have crafted a gently melancholic, poetic show that can speak to anyone regardless of whether you know the material, but fans of Mitchell’s music will find it particularly appealing.”

    Limelight Magazine

  • "★★★★★...A beloved identity on the national entertainment scene...an award-winning talent of tremendous range and emotional depth...van de Zandt is at absolute ease in the spotlight...Blue is an experience which will cater to fans of Mitchell, Woodstock, and van de Zandt alike.”

    Theatre Matters

  • "★★★★☆...The audience was enraptured and shouting for more... This is a wonderful celebration of Joni Mitchell and the emotional connections we form with music that is borne out of emotion. It deserves to be a huge success”

    Scenestr.com.au

  • “★★★★…to write a musical story with such sincere heartfelt emotion and have the audience spellbound for one hour, now that takes some serious ‘star power’…A memorable night by two of the best in the business, highly recommended!”

    OUTinPerth.com

  • ‘★★★★☆…wonderfully moving, insightful and musically luminous…van de Zandt has an extraordinary ease on stage and a rare ability to transfer that ease to the audience, but it’s her vocal performance that really stands out most…she delivers Mitchell’s lyrics with a subtlety and integrity that puts the poetry front and centre...”

    Daily Review

  • “…as exquisite a biography as you’re likely to hear. Near aural perfection…extraordinary and emotional… Queenie does a magnificent job”

    Australian Arts Review

  • “Queenie van de Zandt...summoned her muse to perfection, with awe-inspiring soul and emotion, in song”

    The Age

  • “...the exceptional, vocal powerhouse that is Queenie van de Zandt...uses her thrilling voice and soaring range to explore the music of Joni Mitchell...”

    Herald Sun

  • “a stunning evocative show... a highlight of the Queensland Cabaret Festival”

    MustDoBrisbane.com

  • “...perfect for ardent fans of Joni and for the novice”

    The Creative Issue

  • “Queenie van de Zandt performed as exquisite a biography as you’re likely to hear. Near aural perfection...It’s a well-written show...Queenie distilled Joni Mitchell’s life, liaisons, and art, into a tincture of love and grace...extraordinary and emotional...Queenie does a magnificent job”

    Australian Arts Review

  • “…spellbinding performance...van de Zandt inhabits the songs with uncanny power to bring out the stories behind the album’s creation...van de Zandt delivered lines...with such conviction it seemed to come from her own lived experience and earned her and her three-piece band a standing ovation.”

    Shepparton News

  • “...talent such as hers is a rarity…poignant and moving throughout... “Both Sides Now” touched the audience in a way that we will remember forever. The standing ovation amongst an ordinary non-celeb audience…was just another example of how we all connected... Queenie’s Blue is Pure Gold.”

    Stage Whispers

  • "The music is glorious, and the performances both vocally, and from the tight-as-a-drum trio under Max Lambert’s confident hand, give them plenty of room to fly… wonderful music and a great singer.”

    The Advertiser

  • “Beautifully told…warmly received by an appreciative audience…several five-star moments…Judging from audience comments afterwards Queenie has hit the spot.”

    TheClothesline.com.au

  • “You know you are in for a special evening when a few bars into the opening song, the hairs on the nape of your neck stand on end…She woos an already attentive audience with her smooth and emotive voice and leaves you wanting more… I was swept away by the beauty of her voice and stage presence…a once in a lifetime experience…”

    Stage Whispers

  • “…exquisitely constructed cabaret…van de Zandt is a consummate song stylist. Her phrasing of Mitchell’s haunting lyrics is masterful as she allows her voice to float and soar, adding an occasional jazz inflection, but never at the expense of the integrity of the lyrics… superb cabaret… Don’t miss it.”

    Canberra City News

  • “Queenie van de Zandt sings the songs with great depth of feeling…her delivery is emotionally truthful and very appealing…(a) memorable evening filled with fine singing.”

    Canberra Critics Circle

  • “…emotive, raw and vocally charged…It is a hauntingly beautiful production…van de Zandt’s voice pierces your heart…A captivating life recounted by a master artist”

    Stage Whispers

PAST PRODUCTIONS
Wangarratta Performing Arts Centre | Bondi Pavillion | Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre | Ballarat Civic Hall | Kingston Arts Centre | Gasworks Theatre | Cardinia Cultural Centre | The Wedge Performing Arts Centre | P&O Pacific Explorer | Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre | P&O Pacific Adventure | Colac Otway Performing Arts Centre| Illawarra Performing Arts Centre | P&O Pacific Encounter | P&O Pacific Encounter | Costa Hall | Hayes Theatre Co | Chapel Off Chapel | Clocktower Centre | West Gippsland Arts Centre | Moncrieff Entertainment Centre | Riverlinks Eastbank | Frankston Arts Centre | Her Majesty's | Capital Theatre | Kyneton Town Hall | Lighthouse Theatre | Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre | Mildura Arts Centre | Chaffey Theatre | Northern Festival Centre| Middleback Arts Centre | Blue Mountains Theatre | Hamilton Performing Arts Centre | Arts Centre Port Noarlunga | Riverside Theatres (Lennox Theatre) | Brunswick Picture House | Home of The Arts | North Hobart Uniting Chuch, as part of the Festival of Voices | Ensemble Theatre | St Bernard's Church | Jindabyne Memorial Hall | Royal Hotel Wyong | His Majesty’s Theatre | Dunstan Playhouse, as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival | Bing Concert Hall Studio, Stanford University, as part of the Stanford Cabaret Festival | The Queanbeyan Art Centre (The Q) | Hayes Theatre Co | Chapel Off Chapel, as part of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival | Brisbane Powerhouse Theatre, as part of the Queensland Cabaret Festival.