Review on Joni Mitchell's Official Web site
[url=http://www.jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2081]Review of John Kelly's Paved Paradise Redux on Joni Mitchell's Official Web site[/url] There are 3 more shows - Thursday the 25, Friday the 26 and Saturday the 27. To buy tickets: [url=https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/645565] Online [/url] or call 212-352-3101.

Reviewed by theater_fan on Monday, Jun 22nd, 2009

Theatermania Review of Paved Paradise Redux
Here is a link to the Theatermania review of Paved Paradise Redux: http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/reviews/06-2009/paved-paradise-redux_19698.html Paved Paradise Redux Reviewed By: Patrick Lee ? Jun 22, 2009 When a man dresses up and imitates a female performer the results, even when affectionate, are almost always camp or kitsch. Not so Paved Paradise Redux: The Art of Joni Mitchell, performance artist John Kellys latest loving homage to singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, now at Abrons Arts Center. The two-hour show defies genre expectations and becomes a theatrical communion between the Joni Mitchell fans in the audience and the fan imitating her on stage. Its not as correct to say that Kelly imitates Joni Mitchell as it is to say that he channels her spirit as an artist. He even dubs Zecca Esquibel and Paul Ossola, the on-stage musicians, as Georgia OKeefe and Vincent Van Gogh, respectively. While he does replicate the singer-songwriters vocals to near perfection while cross-dressed in a blonde wig, he doesnt and doesnt seem to want to completely vanish behind the illusion. For example, he speaks his banter between songs sometimes as Mitchell but almost as often as himself. Although he may take a few isolated moments to imitate the way that Mitchell might shyly approach the microphone or savor a drag on a cigarette, he doesnt typically traffic in her mannerisms or facial expressions. There is some physical mimicry but the show is more about summoning Joni Mitchell through the slavishly faithful recreation of her songs. Presented as a concert and directed by Kevin Malony, the show glides from one of Mitchells gems to the next with Kelly usually accompanying himself on one of the guitars that dot the stage. Assumedly, there are several at the ready so that Kelly neednt spend stage time turning knobs to deal with Mitchells famously unique tunings. The song set in the first act, which confines itself to early songs in Mitchells songbook including "Chelsea Morning," "For Free," and "Conversation," though not "Big Yellow Taxi", which shows Kellys voice to dazzling advantage as he climbs up and down Mitchells scales effortlessly. Thats a considerable technical accomplishment, especially since Kelly does the songs in their original keys. But its more than just that, as hes able to put personal feeling into his delivery even while limited to Mitchells exact phrasings and canary-like trills. In the second act, which includes songs from the last couple of decades including two songs from Mitchells acclaimed comeback album "Turbulent Indigo," a costume-changed Kelly adopts a deeper, smokier voice to effectively summon the harder-edged Joni of more recent vintage. The shows coup de theatre comes during the second half of "Down To You," an epic art song from "Court And Spark," when Kelly sheds his Joni drag mid-song and performs as himself. The moment has a surprising impact and seems to dramatize the profound transformative effect of art on its beholder.

Reviewed by theater_fan on Sunday, Jun 21st, 2009