CRITICS REVIEWS
20 critics reviewed the show, resulting in a weighted average of 76.
The New York Times
ShowScore: 90
"A rich and strange marriage of the talents...If you’re a hard-core Dylan fan, you’ve heard these songs before. But, for me at least, they’ve never sounded quite so heartbreakingly personal and universal at the same time...The most imaginative and inspired use to date of a popular composer’s songbook in this blighted era of the jukebox musical...A uniformly excellent American cast that wears its roles like confining and prickly skins."
Theatermania
ShowScore: 90
"An extraordinary musical, unlike any currently playing in New York...Hunger rumbles off the stage in McPherson's urgently staged production, with earthy, emotionally raw performances from the entire cast...By incorporating its big, contemplative set pieces into a difficult, complicated story of American life, 'Girl From the North Country' draws on the deeper traditions of opera and American folk music to create something that feels avant-garde by the current standards of Broadway."
DC Theatre Scene
ShowScore: 65
"A slow, sad, elliptical and occasionally exquisite theater piece...The odd pairing of McPherson’s scenes of hard luck lives with Dylan’s songs of yearning, delivered by a splendid 17-member cast, work better than you might expect, but not as well as you might have hoped...The playwright...seems more interested in presenting a community than in focusing on individual characters...The saving grace are the songs, aided by Hale’s orchestrations and the performers’ powerhouse singing."
“Girl From The North Country” was also reviewed by Brian Scott Lipton of Theater Pizzazz, Greg Evans of Deadline, Peter Marks of The Washington Post, Sara Holdren of New York Magazine / Vulture, Tim Teeman of Daily Beast, Adam Feldman of Time Out New York, Marilyn Stasio of Variety, Elysa Gardner of New York Stage Review, Allison Adato of Entertainment Weekly, Barbara Schuler of Newsday, Michael Sommers of New York Stage Review, Roma Torre of NY1, David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, David Cote of The Observer, Robert Hofler of The Wrap, Matt Windman of AM New York, and Robert Sholiton of Gotham Playgoer.
MEMBER REVIEWS
The show was also reviewed by 75 Show-Score members, whose collective ShowScore is a weighted average of 80.
Top five adjectives describing the show:
Great singing, Great staging, Great acting, Disappointing, Absorbing
See it if…"You like shows with music tangentially related to the story, or you want to hear Dylan's songs EXQUISITELY performed by jaw-dropping talent."
Don't see it if…"You need a clear connection between songs and storyline. It's more 'Once' than 'Fiddler.' It's a parable of a family during the depression."
See it if…"You want to see a cross between 'Once,' 'Spring Awakening,' and the darkest episode of 'Prairie Home Companions News From lake Wobegon' EVER."
Don't see it if…"You dislike Bob Dylan's lyrics. The orchestrations are light-years away from Dylan's own but the lyrics are intact."
See it if…"You love more intimate musicals a la 'Band's Visit.' It helps to like Bob Dylan's music–with this show you'll hear it done in a whole new way."
Don't see it if…"You're expecting a traditional jukebox or bio-musical. This is more a play with music but it wows."
See the Show Page with all critic and member reviews.
Note: The ShowScore displayed above is current as of right now, and may be different from the ShowScore when the article was published.