Groundhog Day to return to the Old Vic in 2023

Award-winning musical Groundhog Day is to  be re-staged at London`s Old Vic from 20 May to 12 August 2023, with a press night on 8 June. Tickets are now on sale

Based on the much-loved book (and subsequent film adaptation), the musical is penned by Danny Rubin (who wrote the original screenplay) with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin (Matilda the Musical) and direction by Matthew Warchus, artistic director of the Old Vic.

It tells the story of a meteorologist stuck in a time loop in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, But when the cynical Pittsburgh TV weatherman is sent to cover the eccentric annual Groundhog Day event, he finds himself caught in a time loop that sends him on a hilarious path to enlightenment and redemption.. Andy Karl (Pretty Woman) will return to the leading role of Phil Connors for the London run, with further casting to be revealed. Warchus has also stated that the show's set and revolve will be simplified for this new run, making the production better suited to touring.

Groundhog Day has choreography by Lizzi Gee, set and costume by Rob Howell, orchestration, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker, illusions by Paul Kieve, additional movement by Finn Caldwell, video by Andrzej Goulding, casting by Will Burton for GBC, musical direction by Alan Berry, voice by Charlie Hughes-D'Aeth and dialect by Penny Dyer.

The associate directors are Paul Warwick Griffin and Nik Ashton and the assistant musical supervisor is Jack Hopkins.

 

Groundhog Day returning to London?

GROUNDHOG DAY is currently being revised with hopes for a return to the West End according to the Daily Mail.  Director Matthew Warchus and other executives connected to the production said they would do more work on the show adding some new songs from Tim Minchin, and re-writing Danny Rubin’s book.

 

No date or theatre has been announced for the London transfer. An 18-month National US Tour has been scheduled for  next year.

The production when opened at the Old Vic last year and played a sold-out run, but the Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical  did not fare so well in New York  playing  just 176 performances and closing in  September  2017.

Groundhog Day tells the story of Phil Connors (played Andy Karl), who is 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, 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.

Andy Karl confirmed for Groundhog Day Broadway

London critics and audiences raved about  Tony nominee Andy Karl,  as he headlined Groundhog Day at the Old Vic, it is now confirmed that Karl will lead the the production when it  opens at the August Wilson Theatre where the  stage adaptation of the 1993 film is set to begin previews on March 16  and  open on April 17th .

Karl received Tony nominations  for his two most recent Broadway performances: On the Twentieth Century and Rocky. His additional Main Stem credits include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Jersey Boys, 9 to 5, Legally Blonde and Wicked. He recently appeared on Law & Order: SVU as Sergeant Mike Dodds, playing son to his former On the Twentieth Century co-star Peter Gallagher.

Directed by Matthew Warchus, the musical features a score by Matilda's  Tim Minchin and a book by Danny Rubin (who co-wrote the original film). No word yet on further casting; Karl played Phil in London opposite Carlyss Peer as Rita.

Cast announced for Tim Minchin's new Groundhog Day Musical at Old Vic

Full casting details have just been released for   for Tim Minchin's musical adaptation of Groundhog Day at the Old Vic.

As already  announced,  the show will star Andy Karl as Phil Connors, Carlyss Peer as Rita and Eugene McCoy as Larry. Joining them are 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.

With book by Danny Rubin and choreography by Peter Darling, the musical is directed by Matthew Warchus who previously collaborated with Minchin on Matilda. It will open at the Old Vic on 16th August 2016 (previews from 11th July) for a limited run of 10 weeks followed by a Broadway opening (theatre TBA)  on 9th March 2017 (previews from 23rd January) starring Karl.

Tickets for Groundhog Day
  

Andy Karl to star in Warchus and Minchin's Groundhog Day at the Old Vic

Updated 29th January:  according to Baz in today's Mail Andy Karl will star in GROUNDHOG DAY THE MUSICAL, in the role made famous by Bill Murray in the film of TV meteorologist Phil Connors.

He has appeared in over eight Broadway shows. He received Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Award nominations as Rocky Balboa in Rocky and Bruce Granit in On The Twentieth Century, and a Drama Desk Award nomination for Roundabout's revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Off-Broadway: Altar Boyz and Saturday Night. He is currently recurring as Sergeant Dodds in Law & Order: SVU. Films: The Silent Treatment (upcoming), And So It Goes, and Joyful Noise.

Updated 21st April:  it is now confirmed that  Groundhog Day will premiere at the Old Vic with a ten-week run opening in June 2016 (exact dates tba). It will be directed by Matthew Warchus with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, it features choreography by their Matilda collaborator Peter Darling and a book by Danny Rubin.

Groundhog Day has had three workshops, with Karl  not participating in any of them, but apparently  his series of auditions were ‘stunning’.

The plan is that  it will  debut at the Old Vic Theatre as part of Matthew Warchus' first season at the helm. It is  slated for a 2017 bow on the Great White Way, with Warchus aiming for several more West End and Broadway transfers during his first couple of seasons with the Old Vic.

Tim Minchin and Matthew Warchus' Groundhog Day new musical

Matilda's writer and director Tim Minchin and Matthew Warchus are working on the comedy movie Groundhog Day to turn it into musical.

They are collaborating with Danny Rubin who created the screenplay for the iconic1993 film (which starred Bill Murray and Andie McDowell) about a dispirited weatherman who is forced into a time loop repeating the same day again and again. After indulging in hedonism and numerous suicide attempts, he begins to re-examine his life and priorities.

Warchus said  ‘We’ll be doing the first workshop in the spring. Tim and Danny have been working on it for a while.I’ll decide where it should go — London or New York — once I see what kind of show it is. We won’t know until we run it through at a workshop.’