Bob Dylan Musical Gets Broadway Premiere Date
Girl From the North Country, a musical based on the songs of Bob Dylan, will begin previews at New York's Belasco Theatre on Feb. 7, 2020, with an opening night scheduled for March 5.
The show, which was first staged at the Old Vic in London in 2017, made its Off-Broadway debut at the Public Theater a year later. Deadline reports that much of its cast -- including stars Mare Winningham, Colton Ryan, Marc Kudisch and Kimber Sprawl -- are among those who will reprise their roles from the Public run. The full cast is expected to be announced soon.
With a book by Tony Award-nominated playwright Conor McPherson, Girl From the North Country is set in 1934. "A time-weathered guesthouse in the heartland of America," reads the official synopsis. "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."
The script incorporates roughly two dozen Dylan numbers, Including the title track and ranging from classic '60s material such as "Like a Rolling Stone" and "I Want You" to more obscure tracks like "Sign on the Window" and "Went to See the Gypsy," with the most recent song being 2012's "Duquesne Whistle."
"It works rather like a ritual or a church service in that there is dramatic dialogue, story and then you become airborne for a moment in the Bob Dylan music," Matthew Warchus, artistic director of the Old Vic, said in 2017. "It is very clever and unique. There’s nothing really to compare it to."
The show will be staged at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto for two months beginning this Saturday, and will return to London from Dec. 10 until Feb. 1. A pre-sale for the Broadway run is currently underway through tomorrow at 10AM local time. You can get full information at Dylan's website.