Groundhog Day the Musical - Old Vic

And wink at each other and tap our noses when we agree with a comment the other makes, and pat our heads if we disagree ..

I didn't get an invite. 😞

I guess they already know what I think about it!
😅

IF I were to say anything to them it would be.

I enjoyed the hell out of this ….but…

You need more than one quieter moment where a big song can win us over. I loved the pace it’s all set at, but would like to care a little more for the protagonist. Would it be so awful to let him have a moments reflection? Perhaps he could compose a song?


And…
We saw this the week before we saw Allegro and that was as sexist as hell and the women were just stereotypes…but was Groundhog Day that different? It’s a while since I’ve seen it but in the film Andie McDowell didn’t seem to be so …weak? She was more attractive because of it. In the play the music where we meet her character and the thoughts she ran through were so predictable I found myself wanting her to sing something strong like “I’ll Know” from Guys and Dolls. She was going through the exact same feelings but with no conviction. If you can strengthen her role you will create more interest.

I also wonder what the set will look like if you have more budget. The small town locale meant a low key bedroom set worked well, but with a big budget some dazzling changes could be possible.


So good luck on improving a really good night out into an unforgettable one.

I've been struggling with what I think of the ending, but I'm not sure how I would change it without the show becoming horribly twee. I think I might prefer it if she didn't sleep with him at the end, with the spell instead being broken by him turning down sex (maybe because she's drunk or he feels like he's rushing her because he's had so many days to get to know her whereas she's only had one). That might then be the opportunity for a quiet moment of reflection song. So he promises to see her the next day and is woken up by a phone call from her instead of the usual wake up call set by her. But I really don't know if you could get something like that to work.

Anyway, I think the show just about gets away with it as it is. I certainly don't see Rita as weak. And I think some of the faults in the story are cleverly acknowledged by Playing Nancy. I've been reading the mixed reviews on here and was wondering how perceptions split along gender lines. I'm actually getting the feeling that in general* it's men who are finding it sexist and also tend not to "get" Playing Nancy. I'd like to put this to the test (not that I actually know what I would do with this information once acquired, but humour me!)

So a quick poll:

(i) Are you male or female?
(ii) What are your feelings on Playing Nancy?
(iii) Do you think the ending is sexist?


*Note I am very much generalising here, hence the question.

(i) male
(ii) liked it as a song but found it completely out-of-place (to use your words, I didn't get it)
(iii) no

Well i left this late didn't it and now no tickets are available. Where there is on certain sites but i;m not paying £200 or whatever for obstructed view seats.

Hope some more are released over the next few days.

(i) Female
(ii) Loved it, thought it was very clever
(iii) No

So a quick poll:

(i) Are you male or female?
(ii) What are your feelings on Playing Nancy?
(iii) Do you think the ending is sexist?

(i) Female
(ii) Seemed an odd place to put it. People were bouncing back to their seats after discussing the show in the interval and I found it a bit of a downer (although lovely).
(iii) Ending is sexist? No, having seen the film umpteen times. It is on the basis of the film, nothing more.

1) male.
2) lovely song, clever act two opener.
3) no, he's gone through a lot to find a version of himself who is deserving of love. She is intuitive enough to know which version is worth it, he previously thought that anything/one will do.

1) male
2) I've grown to love it. It's a brilliant song, like others have said it's the position that's jarring. Maybe it would do better just after she appears and gets thrown away again in the first act. Maybe they tried that and it didn't fit there either.
3) not sexist at all although I can see how on paper it might seem that way