Girl From the North Country
A PLAY WITH MUSIC
1934. A time-weathered guesthouse in the heartland of America. Only a song can shake off the dust for one group of wayward souls—and old dreams may hold the promise of new beginnings. As they pass in and out of each other’s lives, their stories awaken with passion, fury and extraordinary beauty. Reimagining the music of Bob Dylan as roof-raising ensemble pieces and soul-stirring solos, celebrated playwright Conor McPherson (The Weir, The Seafarer) writes and directs this heartbreaking and universal story about family and love.
After critically-acclaimed, smash-hit runs at The Public Theater, The Old Vic London, and in the West End, Girl from the North Country brings its rousing spirit to Broadway.
CAST ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE: ORDER NOW
“And how they sing… Moments I seem destined to recall forever include Ms. Mason’s wounded cynicism of a seen-it-all barroom chanteuse.” “…a knock-out on the drums!” NY Times - Ben Brantley”
REVIEWS
"Squigs" Robertson - Broadway.com
"Ravishing and singular", "profoundly beautiful." - Ben Brantley, New York Times
- Mason's jaded Mrs. Burke a knockout on drums."
"A rapturous act of theatrical storytelling." - David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
- The willowy Mason's Laura moves like a floppy Olive Oyl, especially once she starts hitting the medicinal drops supplied by Doc Walker. She can be hilariously jaded, but that cynicism cuts deep, manifesting as impatience and frequent disgust with her husband. When she straddles the drum kit and launches into a boozy take on "Sweetheart Like You," she seems to be asking how an elegant woman like herself ended up in such a dump. Lapsing into scratchy, Dylan-esque talk-singing in parts of the number is an inspired touch. And there's wrenching sadness when Laura and Frank follow a devastating loss with "Is Your Love in Vain?" Mason makes the lines "Do you love me? / Or are you just extending goodwill?" perhaps the most shattering words in the show.
"One of the most haunting – and hauntingly beautiful -- musicals I’ve ever seen.” - Brian Lipton, Citi tour
- ...and Luba Mason as his unhappy, drug-addicted wife can shake you to your soul. (Their duet on “Is Your Love in Vain” is just stunning, and Mason shines on “Sweetheart Like You.”)
"Ravishing" - Greg Evans, Deadline
- Also on second viewing, I was reminded of performances that might have gone overlooked – or at least unmentioned – the first time around, notably that of Luba Mason, who plays Elias’ mother Mrs. Burke, a woman who may once have been the life of any society party until the burden of protecting her damaged son from a dangerous world (and vice versa) has curdled her old social charms into pathetic displays of drunken promiscuity. When the smartly dressed character sits herself at the on-stage drum kit and starts beating the rhythm to a superb “Sweetheart Like You,” the image is at once amusing and poignant.
"Nothing less than a Broadway revelation." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
"Brilliantly reborn" - Tim Teeman, The Daily Beast
"A genuinely soulful and cathartic experience," "The ensemble is uniformly excellent." - Matt Windman, AM NY
"The moody music and lyrics from the Bob Dylan playbook both define and heighten Conor McPherson’s haunting vision of the Depression." - Marilyn Stasio, Variety
"Spiritually rousing musical" "This production is the best North Country yet." - Peter Marks, Washington Post
"Back home again on Desolation Row. Wonderful news." Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal
"Knockout new musical" - Roger Friedman, Showbiz 411
"And how they sing, every one of them. Moments I seem destined to recall forever include...Ms. Mason (who doubles as a drummer) singing "Is Your Love In Vain?" with the wounded cynicism of a seen-it-all barroom chanteuse." (Public Theater) - Ben Brantley, New York Times