Let’s face it…Leonard Cohen was Montreal’s greatest export to the world of contemporary literature and music.
And what an impressive body of work he contributed to that world during his 82 years on Earth. Novels (The Favourite Game, Beautiful Losers); poetry collections (Death of A Lady’s Man, Book of Longing); and hauntingly beautiful songs (Suzanne, I’m Your Man, Dance Me to the End of Love).
His birthplace/hometown has never forgotten this iconic troubadour, as his likeness has been painted on the side of a 21-storey building overlooking Crescent Street. And since this larger-than-life mural was unveiled in 2017, it has become one of the most familiar —and photographed— views of the downtown Montreal skyline.
Personally, Leonard Cohen’s music has the power to enchant and transcend generations. Case in point, whenever I staff regional and international conventions held by BBYO (B’nai B’rith Youth Organization), one of the songs that’s on the repertoire for their Shabbat services is Cohen’s 1984 ode “Hallelujah”; and these teens sing it word for word, maintaining the original tempo and melody that would have made him proud.
It’s been exactly 10 years since Leonard Cohen’s death, yet his musical legacy lives on. To kick off its 2026-2027 season, the Segal Centre gloriously celebrates this legacy with the return of the tribute revue The Secret Chord: A Leonard Cohen Experience, which runs until October 25.
Through his own words and music, the show examines every facet of Leonard Cohen’s life and career, from his upbringing in Westmount, to his fame as a best-selling author, to his Jewish roots, to his stay at a Buddhist monastery, to his many celebrity encounters as a result of being a popular recording artist.
The setting is a combination of a cabaret, theatrical one-man show and coffeehouse poetry slam, as five vocalists (Divine Brown, Beau Dixon, Andrew Penner, Emily Schultz and Michael Torontow) and a multi-talented musical quartet magically open the door and invite the audience into Leonard’s world. The autobiographical mini monologues are honest, humourous, self-deprecating and thought-provoking; but the main strength of the show is how the five vocalists’ interpretations of the featured songs become more amazing with each performance along this journey. Personal highlights include the duet that recalls Cohen’s fling with Janis Joplin at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City (“Chelsea Hotel #2” and “Piece of My Heart”); “Dance Me to the End of Love”; and of course, “Hallelujah”, which brought the show to a rousing conclusion.
The Secret Chord is a captivating 90-minute musical tribute experience that gives a fitting salute to the Westmount kid who, through his unique talents as a narrative and musical storyteller, became a worldwide legend. And as a native Montrealer, we are steadfastly proud to call him one of our own.
photos by Marie-Andree Lemire
