SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 13, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — “Girl from the North County,” with book by Conor McPherson, music and lyrics by Bob Dylan, is set in a harsh, Minnesota winter of 1934, the middle of the Great Depression.
The Tony winning musical, with the touring production playing through through Sunday at the Eccles Theater, attempts to tell the stories of a man, Nick, struggling to keep his boarding house open while he cares for his wife, Elizabeth, who has periods of dementia, their unemployed son, Gene, a heavy drinker; and the couple’s adopted foundling daughter, Marianne, who is Black in a family of Whites and who is pregnant with no supportive partner in sight.
Only Nick knows his inherited boarding house is about to be repossessed, and everyone evicted.
And his boarders are wayward souls with sad stories of their own, including the parents of an adult son with intellectual and emotional impairments; a widow waiting for a long-delayed insurance payment; and two men who showed up in the middle of the night, Joe, a boxer, and Rev. Marlowe, a Bible salesman.
All are just doing their best to persevere.
Others in the community include a doctor who narrates the show and treats Nick’s wife, among other patients; and elderly, desperately lonely shop owner who Nick hopes to pair with the young, pregnant Marianne; and the fed-up girlfriend of Gene, who is ready to leave him and move on.
And if you are thinking it might be hard to absorb and process the abbreviated and emotional back stories of more than a dozen characters, you are right. Each character seems to get a few lines or a song to sum up their sad pasts and current states. It’s hard to emotionally invest in most of the characters, most of whom are victims and some who are there to victimize.
But if the playwright intended to wash over the audience with relentless waves of teary stories, that goal is realized.
The songs, accompanied by on-stage musicians, are beautiful and moving, although many of them are unrecognizable as Dylan’s, with his distinctive singing style and edge removed. Not all of them seem to relate to what is going on in their scenes. But the playing and singing is folksy and enjoyable.
The staging is striking in places, such as when the chorus is backlit, and stands motionless and unconnected, each person alone in the world. The backlighting is also dramatic in musical numbers where each chorus member claps or plays a small percussion instrument.
I think the audience members who would get the most out of this show would be those who go in without defined expectations and just let the non-traditional theater experience wash over them, then absorb the effect.
But on opening night, a noticeable number of audience members didn’t stay past intermission. The partially full row containing my seat was emptied other than me and my guest. (I am trying really hard not to take that personally.)
And for people who think they will stay for the happy endings, those are in limited supply.
All performances are strong, despite a script that flounders. The standout performer is Francis McNamee as Elizabeth, whose clarity comes and goes and who adds moments of levity to the show. Other amazing voices included those of Sharaé Moultrie as Marianne and Matt Manuel as Joe.
To see “The Girl from the North Country,” hear some lovely music, and make up your own mind about the show, find tickets and more information at this link. This show has adult language.
