Patrick Page & Perla Batalla went looking for Leonard Cohen and I think they found him!
An idea that came to Perla Batalla and Patrick Page before Covid happened and shut everything down, came to full-blown life last night, Saturday September 21 on the stage of 54 Below. The story told from the stage was that Batalla reached out to Page, after a couple glasses of wine, "messaging" him and not expecting to hear back, was thrilled when he responded immediately. Patrick said to her, "Let's just do it and we'll do it at 54 Below." The rest, as they say is history. Ms. Batalla is known for her rich history with the legendary Leonard Cohen and Mr. Page, of course, is known for mining excellent material , so richly, here investigating the prolific songwriter and perfectly titling the show Looking for Leonard Cohen. With an excellent group of musicians and backup girls, one of which is Perla's daughter, the sound was full and full of discovery. A beautifully curated song list, they were living the words right before our very eyes. This was one of the more thrilling evenings of originality we've seen in some time. I imagine this will have a life of its own and the packed house was so appreciative, many of them clearly knowing the source material. The pairing is a bit of 'lightning in a bottle' and Page continues to conquer all areas of his career with aplomb, intelligence, charm and literally, a unique voice for the ages. He is an actor of the highest caliber our country has to offer and, happily for us, has been rewarded with excellent and challenging work in his already storied career. Tonight was no exception. We can only celebrate the fact that Ms. Batalla had the courage to send Mr. Page that "message." Lucky us. Enjoy my photos from what can only be described as a magical night. Congratulations.
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Perla Batalla
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Perla Batalla
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Perla Batalla & Patrick Page
Looking For Leonard Cohen
Looking For Leonard Cohen
Perla Batalla
Patrick Page & Perla Batalla
Eda Sorokoff & Page Davis
54 Below
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