Joni Mitchell calls Broadway take on ‘Almost Famous’ “better than the movie”

Joni Mitchell attended the opening night of Broadway’s Almost Famous and called the musical “better than the movie”.

Originally released in 2000, Almost Famous was written and directed by Cameron Crowe and tells the semi-autobiographical story of a teenage journalist writing for a music magazine in the 1970s, his efforts to get his first cover story published alongside hi-jinks from touring with the fictitious rock band Stillwater.

The movie featured a shot of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue’ album, and the singer can also be heard performing ‘River’.

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The Broadway musical version of Almost Famous had its opening night last week (November 3) before cast and crew were joined by Joni Mitchell making a rare public appearance. Speaking to People, Mitchell said she found the musical “even better than the movie.”

According to Variety, Crowe said that watching Almost Famous alongside Mitchell was “an elixir that is really hard to contain that comes straight from the heart”

Almost Famous is currently showing at New York’s Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre until April 9.

Back in July, Joni Mitchell surprised the crowd at Newport Folk Festival when she joined Brandi Carlile on stage for two songs. Together, the pair sang Mitchell’s classics ‘Both Sides Now’ and ‘A Case Of You’. Mitchell also played the guitar solo from her 1974 song ‘Just Like This Train’.

Following the gig, Mitchell revealed that she had to re-learn the guitar using online videos after suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015.

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According to Carlile, Mitchell is due to play her first headline show in 23 years next year.

Speaking on The Tonight Show, Carlile revealed that she would be performing at the 27,500-capacity Gorge Amphitheatre inGrant County, Washington on June 9, 2023. She also confirmed that Mitchell will play the same venue the following night.

Back in April, Mitchell performed publicly for the first time since 2013, taking to the stage at a benefit gala for MusiCares, where she was bestowed with their 2022 Person Of The Year award.