MUSE/IQUE: DEFIANTLY JONI

Muse/Ique returned, once again, to its most frequent home in LA, downtown’s Mark Taper Forum, with its new show, Defiantly Joni. And you have just tomorrow through Sunday to see it for yourselves.

Several of my friends and I have become big fans of Muse/Ique in the past year. If you’ve missed my previous reviews of this company’s shows, let me briefly explain the concept: Muse/Ique is an orchestra of different musicians for each show, depending on what’s needed, led by long-time conductor Rachael Worby. When the show is about one person’s work, they play not only the songs of that featured artist, but also a few artist-adjacent numbers. (Example: They ended this presentation, of Joni Mitchell’s music, with Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, a song written by Carole King and made famous in 1960 by The Shirelles. It’s included here because when Carole recorded it for her own album in 1971, Joni and James Taylor did background vocals for it. Hence artist-adjacent!)

And along the way, Rachael shares stories about each song. And, actually, gives us general information that surrounds the singer(s) or composer(s.) In this case, we even learned a bit about a bunch of Joni Mitchell’s former neighbors! And Rachael always seems so happy to impart all this info!

I love variety in all things in life, so I appreciate that each Muse/Ique show is done a bit differently from each other. They actually happily make me hark back to all my fabulous bday bashes that I used to throw—I changed-up the location and execution every year! And that’s exactly what Muse/Ique does now! Sometimes it’s a big orchestra, and sometimes, as for this one, they go with a much smaller group of stellar musicians. Occasionally there are dancers, and they vary the two to three soloists. I adore that we audiences get to experience so many talented music people each year!

The “Joni” of the title this time is Joni Mitchell. (Is there even another one?) Somehow, although I didn’t move out here to LA until that whole Laurel Canyon period of fame was over, I already knew a bunch of the stories about her younger self because Angelenos loved telling stories about that musical posse to this wide-eyed teenager from New York. I can’t believe that I’ve still never gone over to see Joni’s old house that Graham Nash, her former bae, immortalized in Our House, (which still makes me cry. Or perhaps those tears are due to even hearing about cats, to which I’m deathly allergic!)

I think a lot of us, including myself, (which is what made me think of it to begin with!,) take Joni Mitchell for granted. Her music has always just been there, so I never think about it. But this show inspired me to go home and research her for the first time in my life, and I’m absolutely amazed at everything she’s accomplished! For we fans who thought we knew everything about her from our decades of fanship, there’s so much more to learn! And Rachael Worby really helps with that.

The female vocalist this time is Effie Passero, who I read also sings in Postmodern Jukebox, a show I had just learned of the night before this one! And let me tell you—this chick can sing! The guy singer is Chris Pierce, who is very smooth, especially on The Circle Game, which I’ve been humming ever since. And I was very happy to see and hear a quartet of members of the DC6 Singers Collective again.

Musicians are magic to me, and this time, percussionists Sidney Hopson and Mona Tavakoli really add to the proceedings, especially on I Shall Be Released. And there seems to be a bigger wind section than usual, which really works for A Case of You. We’re also treated to one very special musician—dulcimer designer and player, Joellen Lapidus, who sold her first one to Joni in Big Sur way back in the day. I had never heard of this woman before, but I got all choked-up when she appeared on stage and then played.

I have always loved I Shall Be Released, but I never heard it performed this way, with bongos and Chris Pierce on harmonica. They turned this usually somber-esque piece into very jazzy music. It took me a second to get used to it, but then I was all in.

I hope that some of you remember my precious Clarence, The Singing Dog, who sang on my TV show back in the day. We usually did Whitney Houston songs, (although I cannot sing myself, at all!,) but his favorite at home was Joni’s Conversation, so I sort-of wish they had done it in this show. (But I have a feeling that no one in the world but Joni Mitchell can really sing that song.)

Actually, truth be told, I care about Joni’s music only if she is the one singing it. But I’m so fascinated by Muse/Ique that I always want to see everything they present. There is no easier life music experience anywhere! And I have to say that they totally made me appreciate all these songs, even done by other people.

I’m so happy that this show also featured some of Joni’s fabulous artwork, pointing-out that she painted all her own album covers! I had forgotten about that aspect of her many talents. And it gave me a wonderful personal memory. (Of course!) Decades ago, I had taken my friend Nancy to the opening of a gallery show of art from famous musicians, and she fell in love with Joni Mitchell’s painting of a rain barrel on the side of Georgia O’Keefe’s house. I always did very special things for the birthdays of close friends in those days, but I, of course, could not afford to buy it for her. So I…painted a copy of it! I was shocked that I did it myself. And my pal, an artist herself, thought it was the real thing! I had totally forgotten about that entire experience until Muse/Ique jogged my memory. And now I’m on a search through my house to find a photo of it.

I have a feeling that at least some of Muse/Ique’s Defiantly Joni will also bring up special feelings and memories for everyone who sees it in these next few days. So please make sure that you’re one of them!

Muse/Ique: Defiantly Joni running through July 19, 2026
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org/shows-tickets/taper/2025-26/museique-defiantly-joni