Girl From The North Country - Broadway Previews- Page 2

[BroadwayLuv2]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 4:23pm

So unbelievably boring.  I can't believe this transferred.  Don't understand the appeal.  

[steven22]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 4:27pm

I agree with most people here. The show was slow and unbearable for me at The Public. I couldn't imagine sitting through it again.

[Skip23]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 4:32pm

That about sums it up, Luv.  A big head scratcher!

 

 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 5:02pm

Saw it in London- it is DREARY. Did not enjoy it at all.

[LetTheSunshineIn2]

Posted: 2/8/20 at 6:01pm

VotePeron said: "I was there tonight - it was my first exposure to the show/the songs. I'm pretty torn. Comparisons to The Bands Visit will be prominent, and rightly so. It is identical in almost every way to TBVin terms of structure, and hell, even narrative (Lost souls meeting at a guesthouse and discuss their turmoils.) I really didn't like The Bands Visit or understand why it was so lauded, but I will say I enjoyed this more.

I found the show admirable in it's intentions, but at the end of the day, it's still a jukebox musical: 5-7 minute scenes, and then a character walks center stage and stands at a microphone singing a moody song that...kind of fits the narrative,if you suspend enough disbelief?That got old really fast - and that happens like 20 times.

I definitely cared about the characters much more here than TBV, and Mare Winningham is doing SENSATIONAL work. Act 2 is MUCH stronger than Act 1, although "Slow Train" is the highlight of the show and happens 15 minutes in. The lighting is so dark it definitely hinders the experience more than enhances, and the clipart they printed on the scrims are baaaaad. The choreography is also clunky and tired.

I love me a slow burn play, and dark moody musicals. But maybe slow burn dark moody musicals that want to be Very Important by saying Very Little are just not my style. I would much rather this win Best Musical than Moulin Rouge, but this is no where near Fun Home or Hadestown in terms of overall quality.

Also, Hadestown called, they'd like their encore back."

 

Was at today’s matinee and I agree with the above 100%.  I didn’t hate it but am surprised that it transferred.  

 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 12:03am

This is a weird one. As I watched it at the Public I found I was admiring it more than loving it - but suddenly I was in tears at the end. It snuck up on me.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 12:21am

So basically ... this is the type of show to pick up on TDF but not pay full price. 

[wolfwriter]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 12:56am

Saw this pretentious mess, tonight, but I didn't hate it.

I spent 2/3 of the first act wondering what was the point of it all. It was then, that I accepted that it was a 'slice of life' show and I was okay with that.

My reactions were all over the place, ranging from confusion, to like, to love, to total boredom and back again. Much of this is boring in a way that The Band's Visit never was. The craft of The Band's Visit is what's missing here. Maybe writing and directing was too much for Conor McPherson, of whom I am a fan. It wasn’t dreary enough to convey what I think was intended but there is a dearth of humor to break the tedium.

The short scene-song-short scene structure might work in the hands of a strong director, but so often, it looks like the cast was told to just go onstage and do whatever.

As others have said, the London cast sounds much stronger. The current cast seems oddly detached from the material. Some are better than others, but I'm not sure what Mare Winningham was doing. She does have a nice voice, though.

I liked the music and the arrangements of the Bob Dylan songs. It was nice to actually understand some of the lyrics I have never understood when Bob Dylan sings his own songs.

There were a number of walkouts and I overheard a number of negative conversations at intermission. My companion hated every second of this and doesn't understand why I didn't.

I can’t say that this is a must-see, but if you can go on the cheap and are in the mood for something unusual, you might find something worthwhile in it.

 

Updated On: 2/9/20 at 12:56 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 1:00am

I, for one, was so into this, having loved Fun Home, The Band's Visit, etc. I love an off-beat musical. But, this sounds so dreary and just not my thing. I'm not even sure, as a millennial, that I like Dylan's music enough. But the fact that it has played London and Toronto makes me feel like it can't be that bad? 

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 1:01am

So how well has this been selling? Excited to see next weeks grosses, though I know they just began previews on Thursday and I'm sure a reasonable sum of tickets may have been comp'd/offered to people affiliated with the production. Wonder how long this will be around.

[Susanswerphone]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 8:57am

Saw this at the Public and I really liked it. In retrospect and reading here, I can see why transferring this wasn't an ideal choice. Some things are meant for "Broadway", others aren't. It could probably run forever in a spot like the McKittrick. It has appeal and there's definitely an audience for it. Maybe not straight 30 year old men, but so what?!😀

[ShowBro]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 8:57am

wolfwriter said: "Saw this pretentious mess, tonight, but I didn't hate it.

I spent 2/3 of the first act wondering what was the point of it all. It was then, that I accepted that it was a 'slice of life' show and I was okay with that.

My reactions were all over the place, ranging from confusion, to like, to love, to total boredom and back again. 

SAME!!

Much of this is boring in a way that The Band's Visit never was. The craft of The Band's Visit is what's missing here. Maybe writing and directing was too much for Conor McPherson, of whom I am a fan. It wasn’t dreary enough to convey what I think was intended but there is a dearth of humor to break the tedium. 

100% TRUE!! - this was not *DREARY ENOUGH* to convey the bleakness of the time or the authors depressing plot lines and the characters’ back stories. I never got a true sense of desperation that I feel needed to be felt throughout the show.

The short scene-song-short scene structure might work in the hands of a strong director, but so often, it looks like the cast was told to just go onstage and do whatever.

I can’t say that this is a must-see, but if you can go on the cheap and are in the mood for something unusual, you might find something worthwhile in it.

I REALLY wanted to *love* this, but will agree with much of what this poster says. I am much much more inclined to like smaller moodier pieces of musical theater, but TBV this is NOT. I would say it is closer to Once, another one of my favorites. What this show is missing however with the comparison to other more arty / non commercial pieces is star turn performance like Katrina Lenk or Steve Kazee respectively. With the exception of Mare Winningham, I thought the acting was very weak, but I’m not sure if that’s due more so with the direction choices or weak book. There are many plot points that are just thrown out there randomly with absolutely no resolution. The clear star of this show are Bob Dylan’s rich ravishing music.

I am also a millennial, and am not familiar with Bob Dylan’s song book, besides listening to the UK cast recording a few times before seeing the show. The magic in this show truly lies in the musical performances, and I will say each time the cast started to sing, I was transported to a beautiful place (overall). 
 

My husband and I got lottery tickets (partial view orchestra), so if you enjoy shows like The Band’s Visit, Once, Fun Home, I feel like there are portions of this show (the music) that you will appreciate. 

Lastly, the poster who commented on HADESTOWN wanting their encore back - I feel like this is a low key racist comment. Just because a person of color comes out and rips a song after the bows, does not mean it is a stolen moment or copy. The encore song of GFTNC is perhaps one of the strongest scenes of the entire show, and HADESTOWN wishes “We Raise Our Cups” could be as effective. Just saying!!! 

And on that note, does anyone know what the name of the last song they sing??

 

 
 

Updated On: 2/9/20 at 08:57 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 8:58am

Michelle chouraqui said: "I wonder if age has anything to do with reception of this musical? As the "younger" crowd around me were not enjoying themselves, while the 37 (my age) and older appeared to really enjoy themselves. Maybe the 20-early 30s crowd are too removed from the depression-era or maybe they are used to more polished, focused musicals."

Under-30 here! Does this show have anything to offer if I basically don't know any Bob Dylan songs? I feel like the big selling point of a jukebox musical is hearing a particular musician's catalog. 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 11:58am

ShowBro said: "Lastly, the poster who commented on HADESTOWN wanting their encoreback - I feel like this is a low key racist comment. Just because a person of color comes out and rips a song after the bows,does not mean it is a stolen moment orcopy. The encoresongof GFTNC is perhaps one of the strongest scenes of the entire show, and HADESTOWN wishes “We Raise Our Cups” could be as effective. Just saying!!!"

What the actual ****? My comment on Hadestown wanting their encore back is based solely on narrative structure, and has nothing, I repeat, nothing, to do with race.

Both shows:
- end on an overall somber note, with a touch of optimism
- immediately following bows, the house lights do not turn on and the audience doesn't leave
- the ensemble stands still down stage center, singing directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall
- they dive into a final slow, nostalgic/melodic song that aims to end the evening on a happier/sweeter note
- the song ends, the performers walk offstage still in character, house lights up.

So, thank you for analysis, but the fact both are led by performers of color is sincerely the last aspect of the encores I would've ever considered. I didn't say the encore was bad or the cast of Hadestown is superior. Never would've imagined by comment could be misconstrued in such a way.

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 2/9/20 at 1:36pm

VotePeron said: "ShowBro said: "Lastly, the poster who commented on HADESTOWN wanting their encoreback - I feel like this is a low key racist comment. Just because a person of color comes out and rips a song after the bows,does not mean it is a stolen moment orcopy. The encoresongof GFTNC is perhaps one of the strongest scenes of the entire show, and HADESTOWN wishes “We Raise Our Cups” could be as effective. Just saying!!!"

What the actual ****? My comment on Hadestown wanting their encore back is based solely on narrative structure, and has nothing, I repeat, nothing, to do with race.

Both shows:
- end on an overall somber note, with a touch of optimism
- immediately following bows, the houselights do not turn on and the audience doesn't leave
- the ensemble stands still down stage center, singing directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall
- they dive into a final slow, nostalgic/melodicsong that aims to end the evening on a happier/sweeter note
- the song ends, the performers walk offstage still in character, house lights up.

So, thank you for analysis, but the fact both are led by performers of color is sincerely the last aspect of the encores I would've ever considered. I didn't say the encore was bad or the cast of Hadestown is superior. Never would've imagined by comment could be misconstrued in such a way."

Nothing on here surprises me anymore. You shouldn't have to respond to such a ridiculous interpretation of your comment. How anyone could get racism from something so obviously not racist truly boggles my mind.

[Skip23]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 2:24am

Wait - Broadway is ALL about PC, so why wouldn’t you be aware/concerned?

[Michelle chouraqui]

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

VintageSnarker said: "Michelle chouraqui said: "I wonder if age has anything to do with reception of this musical? As the "younger" crowd around me were not enjoying themselves, while the 37 (my age) and older appeared to really enjoy themselves. Maybe the 20-early 30s crowd are too removed from the depression-era or maybe they are used to more polished, focused musicals."

Under-30 here! Does this show have anything to offer if I basically don't know any Bob Dylan songs? I feel like thebig selling point of a jukebox musical is hearing a particular musician's catalog."

Funny enough, as someone who has seen Bob Dylan live in concert, I didn't recognize 80% of the songs.  It was practically an original score to me.  Most of his popular songs were done in a quick mash-up. I wouldn't let that deter you from seeing it.  But as I said in some post, I hesitate recommending it.  My biggest gripe was the lack of connection with some of the characters, but it certainly could have been first night nerves.  The music was great.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 9:47am

It's wild for me to hear the comparisons to "The Band's Visit". I remember watching the Tony Awards, and reading people's reviews here about the show, and said "this can't as good as they say". I caught the tour a few months ago, and was sucked into this world and music that I want to revisit over and over again. With "Girl from the North Country", I couldn't wait to get out. I get it. You're lives suck. The "radio show" vibe that is used a couple of times throughout the show I could see used to really pull it together, but every time a new character appeared one stage, I lost my mind, because I knew that in a few minutes, someone was going to sing a boring song, which I couldn't connect to the narrative. 

It should also be noted that the Toronto production was a limited run of the "remount" or "limited run West End revival".

[bwayoutdoors]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 10:44am

I have loved the "quieter" shows like The Bands Visit, Once, and Hadestown, but saw this with a friend at The Public (who is also a big theater goer), and neither one of us enjoyed it. Didn't connect to the characters or the story. I don't know much of Bob Dylan's catalogue, and while the singing was fine, the performances didn't really do anything for me. I know a few people who saw the first preview last week and loved it, but I will not be seeing this again.

[a-mad]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 10:48am

Wow... after hearing reactions from the West End I truly thought this would be a huge contender for awards this spring.  I know we have to wait for critical notices, but this isn't looking good so far.  I thought JLP might be a longshot to get a nomination, but perhaps its chances are much better now...?  Moulin Rouge FTW?

[persephone88]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 11:19am

Wow, you guys are pretty harsh! I saw this at the Public, and while I wasn't blown away, I thought it was entertaining enough. I'm not a huge Dylan fan, but I love their renditions of many of his songs. While I remember reviews from the Public being mixed, I don't recall this universal criticism of the show. Has it changed that much in a negative way from how it was performed at the Public? I was sad that Sydney James Harcourt did not reprise his role, as I thought he was wonderful, but is the current production all that different, or just not exciting enough to make the transition to Bway?

 

[katy_kat5283]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 11:32am

I saw the first preview and I thought it was incredibly boring. The acting was pretty bad, and there were times the lighting was so dark, you could barely see the people onstage. I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters. The only thing I liked about the show was the singing, so if you want to see Bob Dylan songs sung very well, this is the show for you. I personally loved the Band's Visit, and I don't see how people think they are similar. 

[RexInLights]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 12:05pm

Allow me to also add to the chorus of those who found this show quite awful. While the orchestrations are nice and some of the musical numbers are okay, the overall impact is interminable and very dull. There's no real narrative drive, thinly drawn characters, and book scenes that go on and on with the most rote and uninteresting ideas. I was quite taken with Austin Scott's performance and vocals, but that wasn't enough. 

[amaklo]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 12:14pm

Good grief.  Is there anyone here who saw it and liked it at the Public, but didn't like this production?  

I'm hoping the negatives are due to early preview issues that get ironed out before opening.

[InTheBathroom1]

Posted: 2/10/20 at 1:25pm

I don’t think these negatives are preview issues. I think it’s just the piece itself and it’s structure.