Review: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY at Golden Gate Theatre

It’s a shame this excellent touring production of Bob Dylan’s Girl from the North Country is not reaching a wider audience, perhaps due to its untypical jukebox musical approach to the material or Dylan’s heady, thought-provoking lyrics. For lovers of musical theatre, you’ll be treated to some brilliant vocal performances det amidst a dark, foreboding tale of Midwest Depression America.

Unlike most stories that follow an arc from beginning to end, Girl from the North Country defies that style and unfolds as slice-of-life vignettes interconnected through their proximity at a Duluth Minnesota inn circa 1934. Their stories of loss, abandonment, unfulfilled dreams, and broken relationships could easily make a compelling drama. Dylan’s music, an amalgam of Americana characters both unsavory and heroic, heartbroken and romantic provides a deeper layer of humanity and raw emotion.

Sometimes it was difficult to parse the song selections to the action on stage like “All Along the Watchtower”, other hit the mark like associating 1975’s “Hurricane”, about the imprisonment of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, with the character of Joe Scott (Matt Manuel), himself a victim of racial profiling and false imprisonment. Jennifer Blood is a standout as Elizabeth Laine, the dementia suffering innkeeper’s wife who has no filter to her outbursts, yet grounds the show with her compassion.

There are many fine performances among this strong ensemble cast: Sharaé Moultrie as Marianne Laine, Jay Russell as Mr. Perry, and David Benoit as Mr. Burke. The production looks great and is staged well by director McPherson with lighting by Mark Henderson, and orchestral arranger and music supervision by Simon Hale. The gritty realism of Depression heartaches is beautifully realized, and Dylan’s music adds to the emphasis on nostalgia and broken dreams.

Girl from the North Country continues through August 18th. Tickets available at http://www.broadwaysf.com/ or by calling 888-746-1799 opt. 3.

Photo Credit: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

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