Great news: a dear friend of RWB (FORWB?) motored down to San Diego yesterday and saw The Times They Are A-Changin’, the new Broadway-bound musical of Bob Dylan songs directed by Twyla Tharp, currently in previews at the Old Globe Theater.

Even better news: she called and told me about it today. I’m not going to try and convey all that she told me, since I would garble it—and besides—it’s just impressions and not a formal review. Nevertheless, it’s many steps ahead of where we were, and I’m undyingly grateful for the call.

Firstly: she thought it was great. And she predicts it will make it to Broadway (the audience as a whole enjoyed it).

As for specifics about the content (this contains potential spoilers, so don’t read if you really want to see it without prejudice someday) here we go:

There is no dialogue. The story therefore unfolds through the acting, the dancing and the songs themselves.

Let’s recap the official storyline:

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ is set within a low-rent traveling circus run by Capt. Arab, whose wagon hasn’t moved from its location in some time – though not by lack of effort from his ragtag band of clowns and performers. One such performer is the animal trainer Cleo, a young woman exploited by Capt. Arab and loved by his son, Coyote. Coyote longs for a world outside the confines of the family business, and as the circus show plays out, he must decide whether to flee or stay, and if he does stay, how to inspire change within the troupe. At once dark and humorous, this provocative new musical offers an iconic story – of fathers and sons, of leaders and followers, of immobility and change – that uniquely connects the worlds of music, theatre and dance.

I’ll just give a few examples of what my friend told me about how the songs tell the story. Not all the verses of the songs are sung in all cases.

The musical starts with a chorus of The Times They Are A-Changin’. Soon after that, it’s Captain Arab who steps up and sings a version of Gotta Serve Somebody. A version,that is, because he doesn’t include the line “it may be the devil or it may be the Lord.” Implicit in his performance of the song is the message that you gotta serve him (directed to his son and circus crew).

Cleo (the girl) sings Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, conveying her character’s restlessness. Captain Arab and his son Coyote duet on Just Like A Woman; both in their way singing about Cleo. Cleo sings Everything is Broken—apparently a comment on her life in the low-rent circus.

Captain Arab solos on Desolation Row; perhaps his own comment on his circus. (Dylan has said before that this song was inspired by the carnivals he saw in Minnesota as a kid. He must take pleasure in returning it to its roots.) Throughout the play there are performers doing acrobatics, contortionist manoeuvres etc. During Desolation Row a man walks on an actual tightrope.

Another big scene then is Coyote singing Rainy Day Women #12 & 35. “Everybody must get stoned.” This scene includes Coyote undergoing a mock crucifixion (uh oh!). The sense, according to my source, is the song’s message that literally everybody must get stoned sometimes. Even including Him.

Cleo and Coyote have a romantic interlude singing Lay Lady Lay (with the assistance of a trampoline) and I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight. Captain Arab laments the turn of events with a rendition of Simple Twist of Fate. A little later on Coyote sings the full version of Gotta Serve Somebody.

Things turn dark at a certain point, with the circus crew singing Maggie’s Farm while trashing Captain Arab’s trailer. I will refrain from making explicit the details of the denouement (both out of discretion and the fact that I don’t really have a grasp on it), but, suffice it to say, things take an uplifting turn at the end. Coyote sings “May God Bless and keep you always (Forever Young)” to the audience, with Cleo alongside. There is a crescendo which includes the musical element of Like A Rolling Stone and a chorus of The Times They Are A-Changin’.

My source says that the overall feeling at the end is one of hope. Things may be chaotic and broken at times, but there is consolation.

…

So that’s that! My source also says that Dylan was seen attending one of the preview performances. Oh, and the guitarist in the accompanying band is named as one John Jackson. She thinks there’s a strong possibility that it is the same John (J.J.) Jackson who was once part of Dylan’s “Never Ending Tour” band.

The show “debuts” properly on Thursday, February 2nd. I assume that it is after that date that we’ll see reviews in the newspapers. The show is, of-course, subject to revisions based on how it’s going. Don’t take anything here as gospel, or, God forbid, make up your mind about whether you like it or not based on my feeble attempt to communicate what someone else thought.

My own thoughts at this point go to how delighted Dylan must be to be able to bring out surprising aspects to these songs, and to have them sung in contexts that no one ever thought to use them in before.

Oh, and it sounds like a blast to me!

…

Addendum: See pictures from the show here in Playbill.

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