Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen
Songs and stories of Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen collide in a moving theatrical concert about love, longing, and the courage to be human.
“Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff…” With these words, audiences are drawn into Both Sides Now, a deeply moving theatrical concert exploring the music and intertwined lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen—longtime friends, kindred spirits, and one-time lovers.
Created by and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, this cabaret-style performance journeys across decades through iconic songs including “A Case of You,” “Hallelujah,” “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Suzanne,” and many more. Blending storytelling with live music, Both Sides Now exists both as a love letter to the 1960s and ’70s and as a reflection of right now. At its heart, this performance is about the messiness of being human—lives lived at the edge of growth, the risks of vulnerability, and the courage it takes to turn toward one another again and again.
At its heart, this performance is about the messiness of being human—lives lived at the edge of growth, the risks of vulnerability, and the courage it takes to turn toward one another again and again.
Artist Bios
Robbie Schaefer
Robbie Schaefer is a rabbi, singer-songwriter, and theatre/film artist. He is the guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio and has released multiple solo projects, including the 2023 single Under the Sun.
Robbie is the founder of Lamplighters, an online community cultivating inclusive, relationship-driven Judaism, and OneVoice, an international nonprofit that united and empowered youth through music and the creative arts from 2011–2023, with projects spanning Tanzania, Nicaragua, India, Greece, and Israel.
He has shared the stage with Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Keb’ Mo’, and Emmylou Harris. His first musical theatre work, Light Years, premiered at the Tony Award–winning Signature Theatre in 2018 and has since been adapted into a feature film, Burst The Silence, scheduled for streaming release in 2025.
Robbie is currently developing The Blue Poppy, an Irish-Jewish ghost story musical, and Songs From The Wilderness, a new album of Jewish musical midrash, due in early 2026. Also, he likes olives. A lot.
Danielle Wertz
Danielle Wertz is a storyteller, jazz musician, composer, arranger, and collaborator, praised as “untarnished by the politics of music” (Jazz Music Archives) and “a masterful ballad interpreter” (New York City Jazz Record). A 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition semi-finalist, Danielle released her debut album Intertwined, which ranked #4 on Capital Bop’s Best DC Jazz Albums of 2017. That same year, she placed 2nd in the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition.
Her 2023 sophomore album, Other Side, marked a major artistic evolution—pairing original compositions with reimagined Great American Songbook standards. Jazziz called the album “expressive and polished,” while Jazz Weekly noted a “Joni Mitchell’d tenderness” to her work. Danielle continues to collaborate internationally and is set to headline her first European tour in 2025. Also, she loves chocolate. A lot.
An intimate evening of music, storytelling, and timeless songs—Both Sides Now invites you to listen closely, feel deeply, and see life from both sides.
