A Historic Night On Broadway

On Friday, May 13, 2022, I was blessed to witness a historic night on Broadway. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that enthusiasts would be talking about and writing about forever.

I’d purchased great tickets to see “Girl from the North Country.” The New York Times called it the best musical of the year.

“Girl from the North Country.” takes place in a rundown Duluth boarding house during the brutal winter of 1934, in the middle of the great depression. Using songs by Bob Dylan, the plot interweaves the stories of a disparate group of people trying to cope with life in hard times. Narrated by the local physician, Dr. Walker, we are drawn into the fascinating stories of each of the people.

A Historic Night On Broadway

Just before the show began, the producer came on stage. That’s never a good sign on Broadway! He explained that due to a Covid outbreak among the cast, they did not have enough performers to do the show. I was sure that he was going to announce a cancellation. That is when a historic night on Broadway took place. The producer made a startling statement, drawing an ear-splitting response of cheers and applause from the audience.

“Girl from the North Country’s” star is the Tony-nominated Mare Winningham. That afternoon, when the cast learned that the show would likely be canceled, she called her husband, actor Anthony Edwards. Many people are fans of his from the TV show ER. He had seen the musical many times but had only once before appeared on Broadway- and that was for a month! And his wife’s request, he immediately drove two hours from Connecticut to Manhattan, got one hour of rehearsal with the cast, and then performed the role of Dr. Wilson, using a script for some scenes!

Even the Playbill was hastily amended to include the last-minute addition of Anthony Edwards as Dr. Wilson!

The amazed audience met Anthony Edwards at his first entrance with a resounding ovation. He seemed not to notice it. Although he had a script in his hand, he handled every line, every movement, every nuance as if he had been starring in the musical for months! At the final curtain call, he got a standing ovation not just from the audience but also from the cast!

In show business, there’s an old saying, “the show must go on.”  Unfortunately, several top shows on Broadway have had to cancel performances in May 2022 because of Covid.

I can’t imagine the courage and skill it took for Anthony Edwards to make his debut on Broadway in such a terrifying, unusual manner. He said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I love this show; I love everything about it. And if this means like 800 people, 1,000 people get to see it tonight as opposed to canceling it. I’m in! Let’s go.”

He was excellent in the role, and the entire show was magnificent. Two days later, the cast was at full strength again, and Anthony Edwards was back in Connecticut. But I’m sure that all of us in the audience will never forget our historic night on Broadway!