‘Girl From the North Country’: Theater Review

Easy Women — Photo: Christopher Mueller

In David Lean’s 1945 film of Noël Coward’s ghostly comedy “Blithe Spirit,” Margaret Rutherford memorably embodied the role of local spirit guide Madame Arcati — but she was given a run for money by her surrounding players. These days, the balance has shifted.

Jeffrey Seller, the producer whose penchant for Broadway long-shots paid off with Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights and Hamilton, less so with The Last Ship and The Cher Show,looks to have a new hit ready to go — only this time he's backing familiar material. Fly, which just opened at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego for a monthlong tryout, is yet another take on the adventures of Peter Pan, Wendy, the Lost Boys and Captain Hook.

Keep calm and Bob Dylan on.

No disrespect to Bob Dylan, one of the greatest songwriters in modern American music, but hearing his tunes sung by the melodious voices in Girl From the North Country is a revelation — the second time even more than the first. Moving to Broadway after a hit 2018 run at the Public Theater, this brilliantly conceived project from Irish writer-director Conor McPherson could be called the anti-jukebox musical.

The opening night performance of the new Broadway musical Girl from the North Country had so many stars on the red carpet on Thursday (March 5) at the Belasco Theatre in New York City.

By Greg Evans

A series of unfortunate events has come to Broadway.

Suddenly Last Summer — Photo: DJ Corey

The Bitter Earth — Photo: Manaf Azzam

There’s a lot of tsuris in Richard Greenberg’s witty and quite wonderful “The Perplexed,” — at least for the older generation of characters on this 10-actor cast. In this new play now making its bow at Manhattan Theatre Club, they’re struggling madly with changing times they can’t fathom, family wounds that won’t heal and a posh wedding that no one particularly wants — except perhaps for the off-stage, wicked, ancient billionaire whose palatial home is the setting for the event.

Dillon James is an aspiring country singer who’s packed a lot of living — good and bad — into his 26 years, and he put it all on full display when he auditioned for “American Idol”.

The cast of Timon of Athens — Photo by Henry Grossman

Amen Corner — Photo: Scott Suchman

The Wanderers: Theatre J — Photo: Teresa Castracane