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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Girl from the North Country Also see Gil's reviews of Brighton Beach Memoirs and The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The musical is set in the midst of the Great Depression in Duluth, Minnesota, and explores the intersecting lives of a group of struggling individuals at a boarding house, where their personal hardships and desires unfold against a backdrop of economic despair. The plot centers on the Laine family. Nick, who runs the boarding house, is overwhelmed by his financial woes and the care of his wife Elizabeth, who suffers from dementia. Their adopted daughter Marianne is a young, Black, unmarried woman who is pregnant under mysterious circumstances and their son Gene is a troubled young man with artistic aspirations struggling to find his place in a world that seems to be crumbling around him. The house is also filled with a diverse group of residents and drifters, including a once-promising boxer, a widow hoping for a new start, a Bible-selling preacher, and a once well-off family and their mentally challenged son who have fallen on hard times. As these characters' lives intertwine, their personal struggles and secrets come to the surface. Among the most moving aspects of the show are the musical performances. The cast deliver stunning vocals and harmonies that bring a soulful, raw energy to the music, making even the most familiar Dylan tunes feel fresh and emotionally resonating. Songs like "Forever Young," "Like a Rolling Stone," and "I Want You," take on new meaning, capturing the longing, regret, and fleeting moments of hope that define the characters' experiences and the Depression-era feelings of so many others during those times. Each number is beautifully orchestrated, with Tony winning arrangements from Simon Hale that thoughtfully incorporate folk, blues, and gospel influences. However, while the songs are beautifully performed, they don't always seem to drive the narrative forward or deepen our understanding of the characters. Instead, the music often serves as a backdrop, creating a mood or evoking emotions of the characters. Also, shows at Gammage have sometimes had audio issues and while the recent tour of Hamilton had an audio design in which the lyrics and dialogue were crystal clear, here they are muddy, often unbalanced, and hard to understand. Also, where Girl from the North Country further stumbles is in its narrative and character development. McPherson's plot feels underdeveloped and at times disjointed. While the setting and mood are well-established, this is mainly an ensemble musical and the individual stories of the characters lack depth, making it difficult for the audience to fully invest in their journeys. Many of the characters come across as archetypes rather than fully realized individuals and their personal struggles and relationships are not explored in a meaningful way, with several questions that come up about the characters that are never fully answered. This lack of character development leaves the story feeling somewhat superficial, with emotional beats and plot points that don't always land as powerfully as they could and with characters that you never fully connect with. Fortunately, the national tour cast bring realism and authenticity to their roles. The ensemble is uniformly strong, with each actor fully inhabiting their character and conveying the weight of their struggles, even if McPherson's book doesn't always give their characters depth. At the heart of the production are John Schiappa and Jennifer Blood, who portray Nick and Elizabeth Laine. Blood is especially heartbreaking and captivating, capturing the fragility of a woman who is slowly losing her grip on reality, and Schiappa plays Nick with a quiet intensity that effectively depicts a man burdened by financial woes, a deteriorating marriage, and uncertainty of how to help his children. The supporting cast is equally impressive. Sharaé Moultrie shines as Marianne, the Laines' adopted daughter, whose mysterious pregnancy and uncertain future add an element of intrigue to the narrative, and Matt Manuel is impressive as Joe Scott, the boxer who has made some bad choices in his life. As Gene Laine, Ben Biggers perfectly evokes the anguish and uncertainty of a young man who sees an uncertain future ahead of him, and Carla Woods is wonderful as Mrs. Neilsen, a widow who is waiting for her husband's will to clear probate; Woods' voice excels on many songs, including the exceptional finale, "Pressing On." David Benoit, Jill Van Velzer, and Aidan Wharton are very good as the members of the once wealthy Burke family, who have found themselves as tenants in the Laine boarding house, and Jeremy Webb is appropriately shady as the Reverend who shows up at the boarding house in the middle of the night. The rest of the ensemble play a few smaller roles and provide superb harmonies throughout. The small onstage band, including Van Velzer on drums, is exceptional. Lucy Hind's movement and McPherson's staging of the show are also commendable. Hind's movement feels natural and enhances the storytelling without overwhelming it. McPherson's staging has his actors seamlessly moving between scenes and interacting with Rae Smith's simple but effective set in ways that feel organic and fluid and also, when combined with Smith's movement and Mark Henderson's lush lighting, create some beautiful stage images. While the character development in his script is lacking, McPherson as director derives rich performances from the cast. This helps to create a cohesive, immersive atmosphere that draws the audience into the world of the play, despite the limitations of the plot and the fact that the large Gammage venue doesn't provide much intimacy for the production to draw you into the story, especially if you're not seated in the first few rows. While Girl from the North Country excels in its musical elements, with impressive harmonies, orchestrations, and thoughtful staging, its underdeveloped plot and characters prevent it from being a fully satisfying theatrical experience. If you're a Bob Dylan fan you will most likely find it intriguing to hear his songs in a new light and while the production is worth seeing for its, at times, haunting musical performances, it falls short of delivering a compelling story that resonates on a deeper level. Girl from the North Country runs through August 25, 2024 at ASU Gammage located at 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.asugammage.com or call 480 965-3434. For information on the tour, visit northcountrytour.com. Writer and Director: Conor McPherson Cast: |
