Rialto Chatter: Broadway-Bound GROUNDHOG DAY to Play Schoenfeld Theatre This Spring?

As BWW reported earlier this week, following rave reviews for the new musical GROUNDHOG DAY now running at London's Old Vic Theatre, producers have announced that the show will be making the transfer to Broadway as planned.

In a statement, André Ptaszynski and Lia Vollack commented: "The intention is for GROUNDHOG DAY to go to New York after the world premiere at The Old Vic in London. The show is being produced on Broadway by Whistle Pig and Columbia Live Stage. Additional information will be announced at a later date."

While the duo remains coy regarding an opening date and theater for the production, The New York Post's Michael Riedel reports today that according to sources, producers have a Shubert theater lined up. He writes: "It will likely be the Schoenfeld, currently the latest home of the hit play "The Humans," which is booking through the end of December. "Groundhog Day" could get in there after the New Year and open in April just under the cutoff date for Tony eligibility."

Read the article in full here.

In London, the musical stars Carlyss Peer as Rita Hanson, alongside Andy Karl in the role of Phil Connors. Eugene McCoy plays cameraman Larry, and the ensemble cast includes Leo Andrew, David Birch, Ste Clough, Roger Dipper, Georgina Hagen, Kieran Jae, Julie Jupp,Andrew Langtree, Vicki Lee Taylor, Emma Lindars, Antonio Magro, Carolyn Maitland,Kirsty Malpass, Lisa Mathieson, Jenny O'Leary, Leanne Pinder, Mark Pollard, Damien Poole,Jack Shalloo, Andrew Spillett and Spencer Stafford.

GROUNDHOG DAY is the story of Phil Connors, a cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in the isolated small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, when he finds himself caught in a time loop, forced to repeat the same day again and again...and again. As each day plays out exactly the same as before, Phil becomes increasingly despondent, but is there a lesson to be learnt through his experiences, will he ever unlock the secret and break the cycle?

The new musical is created by the team behind hit musical Matilda - Old Vic artistic directorMatthew Warchus, composer and lyricist Tim Minchin, choreographer Peter Darling and designer Rob Howell ­- alongside writer Danny Rubin. It's based on the 1993 Bill Murray-starring Columbia Pictures film, which had a screenplay by Rubin and Harold Ramis.

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan