By Brittany Lee
Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone?Witness a story of young love inspired by the songs of iconic folk songstress Joni Mitchell at The Belfry Theatre from Nov. 8 to Dec. 4.An original production, I Think I'm Fallin': The Songs of Joni Mitchell features favourite hits including Big Yellow Taxi, Chelsea Morning, Both Sides Now and You Turn Me On I’m a Radio. The Canadian singer/songwriter became a mainstream success in the ‘70s, and is best known for her poetic lyrics about love and in particular romantic longing."We're setting it in an urban park and the idea is it's sort of a refuge for the heartbroken," says Michael Shamata, creator and artistic director at The Belfry. "Through the choice of songs and the order of the songs, and who's singing them, we're creating a story of young love through disillusion, through hope for a more mature, wiser love for the future."Starring a cast of five, including Jonathan Gould and Evangelia Kambites, the play revolves around the personal stories of each character, with the relationships between them revealed through song. All music, whether it’s a classic take or modern twist on a beloved hit, is arranged by local composer and co-creator Tobin Stokes."They (the audience) will piece together a story as the evening goes along in a kind of non-traditional fashion," says Shamata. Continuing with The Belfry's season of female writers, Shamata says, choosing to do a play inspired by Joni Mitchell was a no-brainer."I wanted it to be a Canadian female writer so Joni Mitchell was a pretty obvious person to turn to," he says. "Her songs are so remarkable and the lyrics are so incredible and enlightened and thought-provoking, the material is so rich that there's lots for us to explore with."