Girl from North Country advice

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 3:08pm

I just won the lottery for Girl from North Country for tomorrow. I need to decide whether to take my theater-loving 11 year old daughter or my husband. Has anyone been off-broadway, and can give me some advice? My daughter loves musicals with a lot of singing and dancing. Loved Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Hadestown... She loved the soundtrack to DEH, but found the play to be too dialogue-heavy for her taste. She does love the music of Bob Dylan, though. Thank you for any help.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 3:19pm

Husband. If as a 30 yo I was bored, and I feel like someone younger will definitely be as well. I don't mind the folk singer/songwriter type, but other than "hurricane' it was also too slow, musically, for me. 

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 3:27pm

I'd say your husband as well. Seeing this in a few weeks, but my understanding is that it's a slow and austere production that younger audiences would be less likely to appreciate.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 3:40pm

Unless your child is a die hard Dylan fan, this show won't do much for her. The audience for this is more The Bands Visit, not Mean Girls. 

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 3:51pm

Thank you everyone. Now I am wondering if I should even go. I don't want to drag my hubby to a boring performance 😭

[MelissaF]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 4:33pm

I saw this in Toronto. I know some people have raved about this show, but I just couldn’t get Into this one at all. Everyone in our group was bored silly. I’ve spent more than two decades being a regular theatregoer but I had to say this was one of my least favourite ever. I hope you enjoy if you do go! Just my two cents

[astorian_ofthe_heart]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 4:45pm

I saw this at the Public, and I was completely entranced. I loved it from start to finish. Material-wise, it's definitely more of a play-with-music than using the songs to move along the plot. Think more "Once" vibes, if you saw that. It's a very quiet little musical, but wow. I don't think you'll be disappointed you won lottery for this. It was a sold-out run at the Public, and it should be a strong contender in some Tony categories. Certainly not an uplifting show by any means, and I completely understand where everyone's coming from when they say they were bored. I guess it's just my kind of show. 

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 5:43pm

Michelle chouraqui said: "Thank you everyone. Now I am wondering if I should even go. I don't want to drag my hubby to a boring performance ?"

Take a chance and go see it. You might absolutely love it. 

[Scott19]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 6:20pm

I saw the production at the Public as well as the Toronto and West End productions. I think it's an amazing piece of work. So beautiful and so poignant. And the musical performances are really terrific.

But I'm just one more opinion on this thread.

Take your husband and go. It's definitely worth the risk. :)

[jakethesnake]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 6:40pm

You literally WON THE LOTTERY.  Why wouldn't you go?   Form your own opinion.  Don't do things based on others' tastes.  Personally, I thought it was breathtaking.  And I'm not even a Dylan fan.  The person who compared it to Band's Visit, which I hated, is right on the spot.  Same feel, though a completely different type of show. 

[persephone88]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 7:13pm

I enjoyed it. It is a moody, loosely plotted piece that I can't see appealing to an 11 year old who is more into Mean Girls type musicals.Go and take your husband.

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 7:56pm

jakethesnake said: "You literally WON THE LOTTERY. Why wouldn't you go? Form your own opinion. Don't do things based on others' tastes. Personally, I thought it was breathtaking. And I'm not even a Dylan fan. The person who compared it to Band's Visit, which I hated, is right on the spot. Same feel, though a completely different type of show."

 

Haha!  I will see ANYTHING.  My husband just started getting into theater, and I'm terrified of scaring him away from it.  I need him to come to Flying Over Sunset with me, as I definitely cannot take my daughter to that one.  Luckily, my sister in law just let me know that she can come!  Yay!  I will report back tomorrow.   Thank you so much, everyone,  for your responses.  I really needed to work this through with some people.  :)

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 9:35pm

See, I LOVED "The Band's Visit" was incredible. Wasn't over the moon about "Once" or "The Girl From the North Country".

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 2/6/20 at 10:41pm

I love the Band’s Visit for its subtlety and delicate weaving of emotions. Does this show do the same or they similarity only lies in that they are both quiet shows?

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 12:21am

I was bored BORED bOReD with this. It's pretentious & just downright a poorly constructed show! (I couldn't believe how many times scenes/songs/music just stop midnote & go into another with no artful transition or applause closure!) Thoughtless, unfinished results without attention to musical, choreographic or storytelling detail.

In regards to this thread & some of its previous comments, just because you win a tkt lottery doesn't mean it's free. The musical theatre customer who created this posting has shared enough to tell us all that this is NOT the show for her & her daughter or husband.

Writer directed & created it. Wrong move for Bwy. Deadly, actually.

Updated On: 2/7/20 at 12:21 AM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 12:27am

Is there any interesting directing or is it the same look throughout?

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 3:09am

I don't generally care for "serious" musicals, but this was a notable exception when it played The Public. Loved how the Dylan songs (many "deep tracks") fit the characters and the dynamics of the play that was built around them. That said, most of the play is sad (The Great Depression, don't ya know?), yet it was cathartic for me. I was moved to tears at the end.
I'm attending a second time on 4/1 during my spring NYC visit. Even taking friends.

[76trombones2]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 8:18am

And I loved Girl From the North Country -- thought it was beautiful and moving -- and was bored by much of The Band's Visit!  (Incidentally, my teenage daughter was fairly bored by both.)

Can't tell unless you go.  

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 8:48am

I really appreciate the posts about being bored, as I said, my hubby and daughter are in a more sensitive place when it comes to Broadway. My daughter's last show was DEH, which she didn't love. I did get tickets for her to see Six, and I know she will love that, as she already memorized the soundtrack. I've been playing MR lottery for 8 months with no luck...
I'm really excited to go tonight, as I will happily see any talented performers in a live setting. And taking my SIL, is perfect because a. she literally loves everything she sees and b. i don't really care if she's bored.
As one of the other posters said, lottery isn't free, and I live in northern westchester and have a young child (6), so it is a bit of a to-do to make it work. I'm really curious now with the polarized reviews! Hoping for the best.

[amaklo]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 8:49am

I loved this show at the Public, but I can't imagine many 11 year olds enjoying it. It's a bleak, sad story, occasionally interrupted by great Dylan songs.

[forgetmenotnyc]

Posted: 2/7/20 at 2:47pm

Southerncakes: Its not the exact same look throughout - but I wouldn't confuse that with interesting direction? Most of it is lit darkly & the crew pull some things up & down & there is one brightly lit # - but the quasi radio show motif is used again & again, where singers use the old vintage looking mic.

Updated On: 2/7/20 at 02:47 PM

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 9:52am

I really enjoyed the show. Maybe I had low expectations, considering the mixed reviews on here. It wasn't without its faults, and there were some 1st night sound issues, staging, etc. But most importantly, I was invested in the characters, and (as one poster noted) entranced with the musical performances. I came out of the show singing the songs, which is always a good sign. But, there were walkouts, and I heard MANY negative comments while leaving. I did note that those who did not enjoy the show, appeared to be on the younger side. Maybe its a generational thing? Whomever said it was a play with music, hit the nail on the head. And the acting felt forced at times. On another thread, someone said that the London performers seemed more invested in their roles, I would have liked to see that.. Maybe it will come with time. I hesitate to recommend, as the show seems to have such personal reactions. But I couldn't believe I ever considered not going, as I enjoyed it so much more than DEH, my other 2020 show. Thank you again everyone.

[terrilovesNY]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 10:25am

Glad to hear you enjoyed the show. This is one I am looking forward to. Where were your seats located and how was the view? Thanks!!

[Michelle chouraqui]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 12:59pm

terrilovesNY said: "Glad to hear you enjoyed the show. This is one I am looking forward to. Where were your seats located and how was the view? Thanks!!"

Orchestra row M, seats 18 & 20.  They were far side, but not marked partial view, and shouldn't have been, as I never really felt obstructed.  There weren't any speakers (like in jagged) blocking.  I happened to be sitting behind a very tall man, so my view was not perfect.  But, as a frequent lottery winner, I'm quite skilled at viewing in precious situations.  the theater is beautiful.

[terrilovesNY]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 8:09pm

Thanks!! I’m hoping to be just as lucky next weekend when I visit NYC.