It’s becoming less and less common for 25-year-olds to say that they grew up listening to Bob Dylan. And that makes a lot of sense—he’s definitely not been as prolific in recent years as he was in the prime of his career, but his music and poetry shaped the generation preceding ours. For some of us, his gravelly voice was the soundtrack to our childhood.
My dad was a touring musician before he abandoned that less-than-certain life in favour of pursuing his current career, but that never stopped him from taking in and creating as much music as he could. My dad’s been on Dylan’s side since the very beginning, since “Like a Rolling Stone” changed him from a folkie to a rocker. Dad loved him through the roller coaster that is Tempest, and through some of his less successful attempts at smashing a record together. Dylan has earned himself a Medal of Freedom, presented to him by Barack Obama in 2012, a Nobel Prize in literature, and countless other accolades that make him one of the greatest artists of all time. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that a musical featuring only his music would eventually be written.
Thankfully, the best part of A Girl From The North Country is the music. There’s absolutely no question that some of the finest vocalists around took part in putting on the show. About three songs in, Gloria Obianyo, playing Marianne, opens her mouth, and you forget that anything else in the world exists. I’ve never heard a voice like that; it was at once soft, but gripping. She hardly moved when she sang, every inflection coming from her voice alone. She sang almost mournfully; her character is in a pretty rough spot, and it shows. Still, what could’ve been a weepy rendition wound up being more of a haunting one, and it was one that no one wanted to end.
Katie Brayden plays Elizabeth Laine, one of the more eclectic characters on stage. She suffered from mental health issues, and since the show is set in 1934, her debt-stricken husband is doing the best he can to take care of her, in spite of his waning willpower, fidelity, and finances. Her voice is perhaps the most surprising of the cast. She opens her mouth and it’s almost like Janis Joplin stopped by. She sings in a way that makes you wonder whether or not she can actually sustain the notes that she’s attempting. They sound strained, burdened, like she’s putting so much work into every word that you’re worried she might not make it through the line. But she always does, and manages to outdo herself the very next one.
Unfortunately, that’s about as far as my enjoyment went. What no one tells you is that it’s a downright depressing way to spend a couple of hours. Which is fair, since it’s set during the Depression of the 1930s where nothing was working out for anyone. They even mention how high the suicide rates were during the show. I didn’t really know about this going into it, but I think, had that been my only issue, I would’ve been able to get over it. Depressing is one thing, senselessly disorganized is another.
My main critique is that the first half of the show is spent setting the stage for too many storylines. I understand that stems from the show’s premise that everyone is crossing paths thanks to one of the protagonists renting out rooms in their house, and they’re all staying the night. Still, part of me thinks that’s somewhat of a cop-out, especially for an artist with a repertoire like Dylan’s. I just think there must’ve been a way to make a real story out of his songs, and not simply settle for having them all cross paths haphazardly.
All in all, if you’re a Dylan fan and you know what you’re getting into, you know the music is going to blow you away, and you have a better appreciation for history than I do, you’ll enjoy yourself. The voices you’ll hear and the arrangements of Dylan’s songs are worth the fairly reasonable ticket price.