If there's one thing that's kept people from appreciating the literary voice of Bob Dylan, it's the literal voice of Bob Dylan. As expressive as it may be, the Nobel Laureate's rusty hinge of an instrument has held the door shut on many potential admirers of his melodic poetry.
"The Girl from the North Country," on a national tour which begins a three-week run at the Golden Theatre on July 30, can help change that.
The Tony-nominated musical, with book and direction by Irish playwright Conor McPherson ("The Weir," "Shining City") is more jigsaw than jukebox, interlocking 28 Dylan songs with the stories of over a dozen characters assembled in a Minnesota boarding house amidst the great Depression.
McPherson connects Dylan's songs to his narrative and dialogue in an unorthodox manner that's simultaneously essential and ephemeral. Rather than conventionally advancing the story, the musical numbers illuminate it, as if projecting the rough-hewn characters' unarticulated inner souls from within.
The lyrics' link to the dialogue is oblique, but undeniably resonant. And the singing, more Broadway than hootenanny, is gorgeous. The cast's vocal talent and the lushly textured arrangements by Simon usher audiences toward fresh admiration of Dylan's songcraft.
Dream show
"This is a show for audiences that like to go to the theater and then go talk about it afterwards," said cast member Ali Regan in a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter. "It's not about settling back and just being entertained. You need to lean in and pay attention.
"When I've been out and about in cities where we're touring, I've met people who have already seen the show and the thing I've heard from them a lot —and which I love— is, 'We weren't sure what to think about the show when it was over. After we got home, we started talking about it. And then we couldn't stop talking about it."
A fellow cast member, Aidan Wharton —whose older brother, Quinn, danced with the San Francisco Ballet from 2005 to 2012— said, "This is the kind of musical I always dreamed about doing. But given the way I look, I tend to get cast in more happy, shiny old-fashioned shows." (He's a strapping 6' 2" and had a featured role in the movie "Fire Island.")
"I love things like 'Cabaret,' 'Assassins,' and 'Floyd Collins' that are deep and complex and kind of play-esque, so this is perfect for me. It's a show for people who are ready to be surprised by a piece of theater. There are lots of mysteries within it, and that's very intentional."
Neither Wharton nor Regan, both queer Gen Zers, had much exposure to Bob Dylan's music prior to auditioning for "The Girl from the North Country."
"I grew up in a small town on the Big Island of Hawaii," said Wharton. "My parents weren't particularly into music, and I didn't have much access to much other than what was on the radio. I was really a pop girl, into Gaga and Katy Perry. I think I was introduced to Dylan through 'Battlestar Galactica' on TV, which used 'All Along the Watchtower.' And I knew 'The Times They are A-Changing from the original 'Watchmen' movie, which I was really into."
Despite being an aspiring singer-songwriter herself, Regan's familiarity with Dylan was also negligible.
"I grew up with a lot of jazz in the house," she said. "So, I remember listening to Sarah Vaugh and all the great female vocalists. I knew I wanted to do musical theater from a very young age," she said, recalling singing endless renditions of "Tomorrow" from "Annie" accompanied by the karaoke machine in her family's basement.
The first pop music performer Regan saw in concert was KT Tunstall who, coincidentally, has covered several Dylan songs including "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Simple Twist of Fate."
"But I can't say I was really familiar with Dylan until I auditioned for this show," she said. "I don't think that's what Conor was looking for, though. My sense is that he was looking for performers who could really feel a connection with the songs.
"It makes me giggle sometimes when a Dylan fan who comes to the show tells me that they were able understand lyrics they'd never really heard before."
'The Girl from the North Country,' through August 18. $49-$150. Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., S.F. www.broadwaysf.com
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