Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The astonishing Dylan & McPherson musical GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY returns to Broadway for a limited time

• By drediman
• May 15, 2022
• No Comments

Last week, I had a chance to return to Bob Dylan and Conor McPherson’s astonishing musical Girl from the North Country, which returns to the Belasco Theatre for a limited time (the run is scheduled through June 19, at least for now), just in time to show itself off after having been recently nominated for a slew (seven) of Tony Awards, including nods for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Leading Actress in a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical. No one can blame the musical nor its producers for not being persistent – the current valedictory engagement marks the production’s fourth “mini-run” in New York. Impressively, much of the stellar New York cast has been together since the production’s Off-Broadway stint at the Public Theater in 2018.

Perhaps the show’s staying power speaks to the potency of the show’s clear-eyed depiction of human resilience (set during the Depression in an economically stagnant town in the American Midwest, the musical portrays the trials and tribulations of the tenants of a failing boardinghouse), which is especially affecting after the past few years we’ve had. It’s a testament to the brilliance of Dylan’s songbook and McPherson’s theater-making that the show has adapted with the times and is perhaps even more relevant now than it was when it premiered in New York four years ago. Seeing the show again once again impressed upon me the genius of McPherson’s use of the Dylan songbook, which disrupts the action to underline and inform the playwright’s book scenes – and, quite frankly, vice versa – as opposed to harmoniously moving the plot forward. It’s a delicate, singular kind of symbiosis between book and score that I find awfully compelling.

Unfortunately, Covid seems to be currently working its way through the cast. Indeed, at the performance I attended, four roles (Reverend Marlow, Dr. Walker, Mrs. Neilsen, and Nick Laine) were admirably played by understudies. Nonetheless, the show retained its stark forcefulness, largely thanks to how tightly McPherson has written and staged his ensemble-focused production. I’m happy to report that the show’s originating performances are digging and slicing deeper than ever (I’m talking to you Mare Winningham, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, Luba Mason, Austin Scott, and Todd Almond). The company’s significant new addition is Craig Bierko as Mr. Burke (taking over from Marc Kudicsch), who dulls the edges of the role and brings a more likable quality the character.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY
Broadway, Musical
Belasco Theatre
2 hours, 30 minutes (with one intermission)
Through June 19