Legitimate Theater Bonus: #9. Groundhog Day (2017)

Groundhog Day

Welcome to Legitimate Theater: a column dedicated to movie-based stage musicals. The goal of this series is to explore those stories that originated in films and eventually worked their way onto Broadway and beyond. By the end of each entry, there will hopefully be a better understanding of this odd but rampant trend in modern entertainment. Are these stories really worth telling through song and dance? How can it even compare to the technical prowess of a camera and seamless editing? Join me on this quest as I explore the highs and lows of this trend on the third Wednesday of every month and hopefully answer what makes this Legitimate Theater.

Opening

In the course of cinema, few films have impacted the need for a national holiday quite like Groundhog Day. The Bill Murray classic has helped bring awareness to the February 2 holiday and has gained a reputation for mixing comedy with philosophical exploration. While the movie has a lot to love, what's more impressive is how it took this long to finally make its way on stage. With the writing of Tim Minchin, the story comes to the stage through song and dance in an attempt to make such a novelty holiday into one of the most memorable of the year. It's the day that refuses to end, and there's a good chance that you'll not want this musical to end either. If anything, it will be a new tradition to listen on the holiday with plenty of humor and heart that expands the musical in meaningful ways.

A Quick Background

Tony Wins: 7 nominations (including Best Musical)

Based on: Groundhog Day (1993)

Music: Tim Minchin

Lyrics: Tim Minchin

Book: Danny Rubin

Prominent Actors: Andy Karl, Barrett Doss, Vishal Valdya, John Sanders

Soundtrack

1. "Overture"
2. "There Will be Sun"
3. "Day One"
4. "Day Two"
5. "Day Three"
6. "Stuck"
7. "Nobody Cares"
8. "Philandering"
9. "One Day"
10. "Entr'acte"
11. "Playing Nancy"
12. "Hope"
13. "Everything About You"
14. "If I Had My Time Again"
15. "Everything About You (Reprise)"
16. "Night Will Come"
17. "Philanthropy"
18. "Punxsutawney Phil"
19. "Seeing You"

Note: Listen to the music here

Song Exploration

Opening Song:
"There Will Be Sun"

There's so much to love about the music right away. With plenty of bubbling personality, everything is quickly established in a memorable fashion. Our protagonist is the familiar grump trying to get through a gig for a nonsensical holiday. With plenty of weatherman humor the show kicks into gear and already finds a great way to appeal to fans of the movie. It may not quite be a carbon copy of the film, but it expands upon the character and supporting players in a way that adds to the musical format. If you have to make Groundhog Day into a story full of song and dance, finding a protagonist who is reluctant to play along is the perfect way to go. There will be sun throughout this entire show, and it's both a loving homage and an improvement over the original. This isn't just a musical version of Groundhog Day, it's one of the best Legitimate Theater entries to date.

Carryovers

There isn't much here that's necessarily pulled deliberately from the show. There's a few lines here and there, but for the most part it's a show that adapts to the stage. There isn't any Sonny and Cher, nor is there any of the familiar band music from the Punxsutawney Phil scenes. What is here is a sense of character suffering through the same day over and over and finding the perfect lyricism to make it work. By the end you understand his struggles and have a new songbook to sing along to. While Bill Murray is a great comedic take on the character, hearing his character sing and dance as Andy Karl is on its own special level that rivals him. The show has plenty of charm, and it shows in how the protagonist manages to have a cynical heart without being off-putting in every other way.

High Point:

"Day One"

While the soundtrack is full of great songs, part of its charms is the ability to commit to the story through song. The three track run counting the days reflects an increasing madness that also features singers doing an incredible job of retaining their joy as Andy Karl slowly realizes his insanity. What starts as a miserable day evolves into a series of events that are humorous and enjoyable. They never lose steam and are only the start to a more complex web of songs that are perfectly executed by Minchin. There's humor and action all presented with memorable lyrics that bring this story to life in new ways. The songs' length may seem daunting, but what they have is a dedication to craft and form that never ceases to entertain, capturing the story's insanity forming underneath a seemingly normal day.

Low Point:

"Punxsutawney Rock"

There isn't really any downright bad song, though it does seem hard to call this a standout track. It's a goofy one that recycles a lot of familiar themes from other parts of the show. That's not a bad thing, but it does keep it from feeling like the most essential song on the record. It's goofy and fun, but it's light on the side of ingenuity. The song is something that's needed to reflect the shift in plot towards the end of the story while presenting plenty of spectacle. It's the final party before the triumphant conclusion that is to follow, and we should take that moment to have some fun.

What Does It Bring to the Story?

In terms of overall story, it doesn't change much of the plot. The one thing that is does perfectly is find a way to make the supporting cast a lot more memorable. The love interest in particular, Nancy, is given a lot of life and chances to sing some of the show's most memorable and heart-wrenching songs. The show is better off for it, as it allows for moments of character building that expand the drama. By giving more than one character a chance to shine in the musical version, Groundhog Day becomes its own beast and allows the subject of changing over time to be explored as more than one man's selfishness. There's more to it than that, and having a character whose grief comes from years of influence makes all the difference. 

Was This Necessary?

Yes

As mentioned elsewhere, this is one of the Legitimate Theater entries that's plenty of fun to listen to. While most shows favor just putting songs to plot, Minchin's stroke of brilliance was making the music emphasize not only character and heart, but give new moments within this realm. There's more edgy humor sure, but what it also has is a lot of lyrical wit that at least shows an effort to make this show as funny as many see Murray. It will never replace the film nor does it think it will. Instead, it makes one of the more essential adaptations in quite some time. The music is catchy and has plenty of depth to it. You're bound to remember a few of the songs by the time that it's over. Some of it may seem unorthodox, but it still works at conveying the feel in all of the right ways.