Groundhog Day tells the story of Phil Connors (Andy Karl), a disgruntled big-city weatherman mysteriously stuck in small-town America reliving the same day over and over and over again. But when he gets to know associate TV producer Rita (Barrett Doss), he discovers that a day of second, third and fourth chances just might bring him the promise of a lifetime. It's a classic boy meets girl... boy meets girl... boy meets girl story.
Based on the iconic film, Groundhog Day is re-imagined by the award-winning creators of the international hit Matilda The Musical- including director Matthew Warchus and songwriter Tim Minchin- with a book by original screenwriter Danny Rubin. Starring two-time Tony Award nominee Andy Karl, Groundhog Day is the new musical comedy about living life to the fullest, one day at a time.
It would be nice to report that, despite these travails, the show, with a book by Danny Rubin, who co-wrote the 1993 movie, and a score by Tim Minchin, of 'Matilda' renown, deserves the plaudits it has already received in London, including an Olivier Award for best musical and another for Karl as leading actor. But I'm afraid the production, simultaneously frenetic and static, left me just about as glum as its protagonist is at curtain rise. Life would be grim indeed if I had to wake up and face this tedious, charm-free and often tasteless show again day after day.
Which is not to say that the manic business of the first act is entirely excused by the richer reflectiveness of the second. There were plenty of times throughout when I felt, with Phil, that I'd seen this all before. The adaptation from the film is, in that sense, too faithful; despite the musical's theatrical cleverness it is often literal and choppy, like word-by-word Google translation. But at least it gets better as it loops along. Perhaps all it needs is a few thousand more iterations.
2016 | West End |
World Premiere Production West End |
2017 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2023 | West End |
West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Andy Karl |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Andy Karl |
2017 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Broadway of Off-Broadway Musical | Groundhog Day |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Andy Karl |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Danny Rubin |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Matthew Warchus |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | Groundhog Day |
2017 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Tim Minchin |
2017 | Theatre World Awards | Outstanding Broadway or Off-Broadway Debut Performance | Barrett Doss |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | Danny Rubin |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Ellen Kane |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Matthew Warchus |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Groundhog Day The Musical |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Tim Minchin |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Andy Karl |
2017 | Tony Awards | Best Scenic Design of a Musical | Rob Howell |
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