PHILADELPHIA, PA — Bob Dylan’s songs will sound a little different in Old City this fall — played live by the very actors inhabiting a Depression-era world of longing, uncertainty and hope.
Arden Theatre Company will open its 2026/27 Mainstage Season with “Girl from the North Country,” playwright Conor McPherson’s acclaimed musical built around reimagined Dylan songs. Directed by Arden Producing Artistic Director Terrence J. Nolen, the production begins previews Sept. 24, officially opens Sept. 30 and continues through Oct. 25 on the F. Otto Haas Stage.
Set inside a run-down boarding house in Duluth, Minnesota, during the Great Depression, the story brings together strangers navigating love, loss and lives knocked off course. Dylan songs including “Forever Young,” “Hurricane” and “Like a Rolling Stone” are woven through the production with Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale.
But this is not a traditional jukebox musical in which familiar songs simply propel the plot.
Instead, Dylan’s music offers a way into the characters themselves, revealing feelings and desires beneath the surface of McPherson’s story. The Arden is taking that connection one step further: all 13 actors will double as the production’s orchestra, making the music live onstage with instruments including piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica.
“What draws me to this musical is that it is so unique,” Nolen said. He described McPherson’s play, inspired by Eugene O’Neill and intertwined with Dylan’s songs, as the meeting of “two brilliant artists” whose work creates an original theatrical experience.
“What will make this production so special is its ensemble – 13 actor-musicians, long-time collaborators and voices new to the Arden, coming together to bring McPherson’s story and Dylan’s songs to radiant life,” Nolen said. “This is such an audacious musical, and I am inspired by its ambition and beauty.”
That ensemble brings together familiar Philadelphia performers, longtime Arden collaborators and newcomers to the company.
Sevon Askew, playing Joe Scott, returns after earning a Barrymore Award for his performance in the Arden’s “RENT.” His credits also include the Broadway national tour of “Hadestown.”
Sarah Gliko takes on Elizabeth Laine after previous Arden appearances in “The Secret Garden,” “Parade” and “Charlotte’s Web.” A founding member of the Wilma Theater’s Hothouse Resident Acting Company, Gliko is a four-time Barrymore Award winner.
Philadelphia theater veteran Scott Greer plays Mr. Burke. Greer, a six-time Barrymore Award winner, has spent three decades performing in the region and previously appeared at the Arden in productions including “The Lehman Trilogy,” “Into the Woods” and “Once.”
Eric Hissom portrays Nick Laine, while Maggie Lakis plays Mrs. Burke. Lakis’ touring credits include “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Something Rotten!” and “Avenue Q,” while Hissom has appeared on stages around the country as well as in film and television.
Matteo Scammell returns as Reverend Marlowe after a string of Arden roles ranging from Roger Davis in “RENT” to Stanley Kowalski in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Charlie DelMarcelle, an associate professor of theatre at West Chester University and another familiar Arden performer, appears as Mr. Perry.
Greg Wood plays Dr. Walker. His extensive stage career includes Broadway appearances in “Our Town” with Jim Parsons, Richard Thomas and Katie Holmes and “Othello” with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. Film and television audiences may recognize him from “The Sixth Sense,” “Signs,” “The Blacklist” and other productions.
The cast also includes Giacomo Fizzano as Gene Laine, Lyndie Moe as Kate Draper, Gabrielle North as Marianne Laine, Harrison Smith as Elias Burke and Candace Thomas as Mrs. Neilson. Moe and North are making their Arden debuts.
Nolen leads a creative team that includes music director Ryan Touhey, choreographer Devon Sinclair, scenic designer James Kronzer, lighting designer Chris Lee, costume designer Alison Roberts and sound designer Damien Figueras.
Event Details
- What: “Girl from the North Country,” featuring music and lyrics by Bob Dylan and written by Conor McPherson
- When: Previews begin Sept. 24; opening night is Sept. 30; performances run through Oct. 25, 2026. Performance times vary.
- Where: Arden Theatre Company, F. Otto Haas Stage, 40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Cost/Tickets: Single tickets vary by performance and start at $32. Tickets are available online, by phone at 215-922-1122, or at the Arden box office.
- More Info: ardentheatre.org
The Arden is also building several special performances and community opportunities around the production.
A final dress rehearsal benefiting the Philadelphia Folk Song Society is scheduled for Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. as a Pay-What-You-Choose performance, with in-person donations accepted. Post-show talkbacks with members of the Arden’s artistic team will follow performances Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.
Young Friends Night on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. will include networking and a pre-show talkback for professionals age 40 and younger. Teen Night follows Oct. 17 at 7 p.m., offering $15 tickets and a post-show conversation for teens ages 13 to 18. A student matinee is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m. for school groups.
Accessibility offerings are also scheduled throughout the run. Caption glasses will be available beginning Oct. 6, while open-captioned and audio-described performances are planned for Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. The Arden also offers assistive listening devices, sensory processing tools and large-print programs.
For the Arden, the season opener brings together two distinct storytelling traditions: McPherson’s theatrical world and songs written by one of American music’s most influential voices. With every actor also becoming part of the band, audiences will see the story and hear its emotional undercurrent coming from the same ensemble — live, together and just a few feet away.
Support the local news that supports Chester County. MyChesCo delivers reliable, fact-based reporting and essential community resources—free for everyone. If you value that, click here to become a patron today.