New_York_Magazine_-_March_16_2020

78 new york | march 16–29, 2020

a couple of years ago, when Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize, a lot of us

thought carefully about whether a Dylan song is “literature.” Dylan was surprised

to find his work evaluated in that light, so he and we spent a while pushing around ideas

about his approach to text and the nature of a lyric without its tune. In Conor McPherson’s

play-with-music Girl From the North Country, now on Broadway, you get to have an up-

side-down version of that conversation all over again. The Irish playwright was given carte

blanche to use Dylan’s songs in a theatrical treatment, and the not-exactly-jukebox result

is an Americana-flavored atmospheric. So what’s left when Dylan’s literary lyrics are abrad-

ed by deliberate misreadings? What’s left when all those wildly varying songs are smoothed

into pretty, same-sounding mood pieces? Dylan without the music wins a Nobel—but

Dylan’s music without the meaning wins ... less.

McPherson, who also directs and co-arranged some songs, responded to the Dylan cor-

pus by dumping all elements of biography but one: his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota.

He then concocted a soap-opera version of Great Depression–era Duluth, extremely hard

up yet surprisingly diverse and rich in complication. The staging itself evokes a radio drama:

theater / tv / movies

As the company fills an empty stage with

pieces of mismatched ’30s furniture, Doc

(Robert Joy), a knockoff of the Stage Man-

ager from Our Town, grabs a microphone to

give us the character rundown. We’re in a

hotel run by Nick Laine (Jay O. Sanders),

who is perilously close to foreclosure and

ruin, constantly distressed by his wife, Eliza-

beth (Mare Winningham), who has demen-

tia, and mildly involved with a boarder, Mrs.

Neilsen (Jeannette Bayardelle). He’s also

keenly irritated with his children, the drunk

writer- wannabe Gene (Colton Ryan) and

pregnant but unmarried Marianne (Kim-

ber Elayne Sprawl). The hotel and town

have their own crooks and seekers too, but

despite the many satellite narratives

McPherson throws up in orbit, Nick is

clearly his central point. Don’t worry about

that title—swap out that “Girl” for a Man.

Doc, when he ge ts on that Garrison Keil-

lor mic, talks very quickly. It’s the winter of

1934, and the economy is about to tear all

these people apart. Before that, he’s got to

download whole life stories, like how a PHOTOGRAPH: MATTHEW MURPHY

The CULTURE PAGES

CRITICS

Helen Shaw on Girl From the North Country ... Matt Zoller Seitz on Westworld ...

David Edelstein on First Cow.

THEATER / HELEN SHAW

No Direction Home

The new Bob Dylan musical Girl From

the North Country sinks like a stone.

Todd Almond & Co.

ADVANCED FORM

TRANSMITTED

________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC

young black M

be a g

will hear “I

with the mind of a child? Don

bother e

far

lem here is magnitude. T

when undis

with the rider g

work

wa

J

lea

wonder

with secre

AD

0620CR_Critics_lay [Print]_36887654.indd 78 3/12/20 5:51 PM

78 newyork| march16–29, 2020

a coupleofyearsago,whenBobDylanwontheNobelPrize,a lotofus
thoughtcarefullyaboutwhethera Dylansongis “literature.”Dylanwassurprised
tofindhisworkevaluatedinthat light,soheandwespenta whilepushingaroundideas
abouthisapproachtotextandthenatureofa lyricwithoutitstune.In ConorMcPherson’s
play-with-musicGirlFromtheNorthCountry,nowonBroadway, yougettohaveanup-
side-downversionofthatconversationalloveragain.TheIrishplaywrightwasgivencarte
blanchetouseDylan’s songsina theatricaltreatment,andthenot-exactly-jukeboxresult
is anAmericana-flavoredatmospheric.Sowhat’sleft whenDylan’sliterarylyricsareabrad-
edbydeliberate misreadings?What’sleft whenallthosewildlyvaryingsongsaresmoothed
intopretty,same-soundingmoodpieces?Dylanwithoutthemusicwinsa Nobel—but
Dylan’s musicwithoutthemeaningwins...less.
McPherson,whoalsodirects andco-arrangedsomesongs,respondedtotheDylancor-
pusbydumpingallelementsofbiography butone:hisbirthplaceofDuluth,Minnesota.
Hethenconcocteda soap-opera versionofGreatDepression–era Duluth,extremelyhard
upyetsurprisinglydiverseandrichincomplication.Thestagingitselfevokesa radiodrama:

theater / tv / movies

Asthecompany fillsanempty stagewith

piecesofmismatched’30sfurniture,Doc

(RobertJoy),a knockoffoftheStage Man-

agerfromOurTown, grabsa microphoneto

giveusthecharacterrundown.We’reina

hotelrunbyNickLaine(JayO. Sanders),

whois perilouslyclosetoforeclosureand

ruin,constantlydistressedbyhiswife,Eliza-

beth(MareWinningham),whohasdemen-

tia,andmildlyinvolvedwitha boarder, Mrs.

Neilsen(JeannetteBayardelle).He’salso

keenlyirritatedwithhischildren,thedrunk

writer-wannabeGene(ColtonRyan)and

pregnantbutunmarriedMarianne(Kim-

berElayneSprawl).Thehotelandtown

havetheirowncrooksandseekerstoo,but

despite the many satellite narratives

McPhersonthrowsupinorbit,Nickis

clearlyhiscentralpoint.Don’t worry about

thattitle—swapoutthat “Girl”fora Man.

Doc,whenhege ts onthat GarrisonKeil-

lormic,talksveryquickly. It’sthewinterof

1934,andtheeconomyis abouttotearall

thesepeopleapart.Beforethat, he’s gotto

downloadwholelifestories,like howa PHOTOGRAPH: MATTHEW MURPHY

The CULTURE PAGES

CRITICS

Helen Shaw on Girl From the North Country ... Matt Zoller Seitz on Westworld ...

David Edelstein on First Cow.

THEATER / HELEN SHAW

No Direction Home

The new Bob Dylan musical Girl From

the North Country sinks like a stone.

Todd Almond & Co.