Penn State grad talks ‘Girl From The North Country’ role and giving back

The music of Bob Dylan dominates the soundtrack of many lives. In the musical “Girl From The North Country,” the legendary singer-songwriter’s catalog helps to tell the story of hardscrabble life in Duluth, Minn., at the height of the Great Depression. Written and directed by Tony-nominated playwright Conor McPherson, the musical is on a successful national tour after engagements on Broadway and London’s West End. Penn State graduate Aidan Wharton joined the touring company after performing in the show’s New York engagement, and he is using his platform to raise money for LGBTQ+ causes across the nation. PGN spoke with Wharton about his plans for the Philadelphia engagement of the tour, which runs from Feb. 27-March 10 at Forrest Theatre. Some responses have been condensed and lightly edited.

Can you give our readers some background on “Girl From The North Country” and your character in the show?
The show takes place during the Depression, around Thanksgiving in 1934, and it takes place in a boarding house. It follows the proprietor, his wife, their two kids, and all of the people who come and go during that period of time. My character, Elias, is the son of a couple who are staying there. It’s hard to say much more without giving things away, but he is sort of the innocence within the piece.

You were involved with the show during its Broadway run. Did that lead to your role on the tour?
I joined in December of 2021, during the Omicron surge. I originally joined to cover for a few weeks while somebody was on vacation, but then Omicron really did a number on all Broadway shows. The producers were like, “We think you should probably stay.” I ended up staying with the show through our closing in June 2022. Last summer, the producers put out feelers that they were starting to cast the tour, and they said they’d love to have as many Broadway folks return as possible. I emailed them and was offered Elias, and the rest is history.

What has the experience of touring been like?
This tour and this group of people are really stellar. The way that we inhabited the rehearsal process really made us feel like a family. It’s a dark show, and the fact that our cast and crew are so joyous is really the best thing I could ask for. I did the tour of “Wicked” in 2019, but the sit-downs for each tour stop were so long. To be able to go to cities for a week or two now, and see the country in a way that I haven’t before, is really special. Especially because New York audiences are one thing, but when you take a show on the road — and do it in places where the lived experience of the audience is closer to that of the characters — is a really unique experience.

Didn’t the tour start in Minnesota?
Yeah, our first engagement was in Minneapolis, actually in a theater that Bob Dylan owned. The jokes definitely landed a bit differently, and you could really tell that the audience was with us, because the material was so close to home.

Did you have a history with Bob Dylan’s music before joining this company?
I hadn’t really. I encountered his music mostly through stuff like “Battlestar Galactica.” I loved that show, and it used “All Along the Watchtower” in a way that was super integral to the plot. I encountered his music as it was reused through other pieces of art, and I think that’s a really cool experience, because we are reusing it in similar ways. His music is so beautiful and poetic and universal, and it can really live within hundreds of different projects.

How did you come up with your project to highlight and raise money for LGBTQ+ causes throughout America?
Last summer, I started a newsletter called “Gay Buffet.” After that, I traveled pretty extensively with my fiancé, and part of what I ended up writing about was the gay history in each of the places I went. Once I learned I was going to do the tour, I thought it was a really beautiful opportunity to learn about queer history all over the country. Something in me said I wanted to do something else, and this idea came about: finding a nonprofit in each city, learning about them and showing the incredible work these people are doing. Obviously, our rights are under attack from all sides right now, and it’s been so special to meet these people who are on the front lines to protect LGBTQ people.

Have you decided what your charity is going to be for the Philadelphia stop?
It is SisterSpace of the Delaware Valley, which is a woman and femme camping retreat that takes place in Northern Maryland. I’m not raising tons of money in each place, so I want to make sure that the organizations I find are hyperspecific and hyperlocal. The festival is based in Philadelphia but held in Maryland, and from what I’ve seen, it’s a really beautiful, incredible and inclusive safe space.

“Girl From The North Country” plays Feb. 27-March 10 at Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St. For tickets and information, visit ensembleartsphilly.org.