‘Groundhog Day’ Musical Coming To Broadway In 2017
Update:It’s official: the Groundhog Day musical will open on Broadway at the August Wilson Theater on April 17th 2017, with a start date for previews announced. Casting has also not been announced butVarietyexpects Andy Karl to reprise the Bill Murray role which hasearned him raves in the UK.
Angie Han’s original article from April 3rd 2015 follows:
Much in the same way Phil Connors relives February 2 over and over again, we may be able to reliveGroundhog Dayall over again in the not-too-distant future. AGroundhog Daymusical is officially in the works, with plans to hit Broadway in 2017. Get all the latest on theGroundhog Daymusical after the jump.
According toTHR, theGroundhog Daymusical will begin previewsJanuary 23, 2017, with an official opening set forMarch 9, 2017.
TheGroundhog Daymusical reunites much of the same team that turned the Roald Dahl tale Matilda into a Broadway and West End hit, including directorMatthew Warchus, composer-lyricistTim Minchin, choreographerPeter Darling, and set and costume designerRob Howell.Danny Rubin, who scripted the originalGroundhog Daymovie withHarold Ramis, is writing the book for the musical.
The stage show will follow the same basic plot as the movie. Phil Connors (played byBill Murrayin the film) is a cranky TV weatherman who’s none too happy about traveling from Pittsburgh to Punxsutawney to cover the annual Groundhog Day event. A blizzard forces him to stay in the town overnight. When he wakes up, he discovers that he’s stuck in a time loop that has him reliving February 2 over and over again.
AGroundhog Daymusical has been in the works for years, in various forms. We first heard about this particular iteration of the projectlast year. Before that,James LapineandStephen Sondheimwere rumored for the project. Rubin has been on board since at least 2009.
Whistle Pig Productions, Columbia Live Stage, andScott Rudinare producing theGroundhog Daystage show. Casting and theater details have not yet been confirmed.THRspeculates, however, that theGroundhog Daymusical could make its world premiere at London’s Old Vic Theatre, as Warchus is set to take over as its artistic director this fall.
