Groundhog Day the Musical - Old Vic

Hi Jean! Didn't have time to log onto TheatreBoard yesterday and so much interesting discussion has taken place on this thread!! But since your questions were so genuinely interesting and the basis for a great theatre discussion, I'll have a go at answering them!

I'm not a cry-er, and I didn't cry at this, but I did think it was moving. I wasn't as necessarily as moved by Rita's arc as I was by Phil's, but I certainly was by Nancy and Ned. I had not seen the film when I first the saw the show (I have now), but to me, this is about the people who Phil meets, not about the people who meet Phil. It's *his* encounters, day after day after day, that begin his psychological and emotional transformation, it's not about the people who encounter him. I think that's why this musical is so damn refreshingly brilliant, the supporting characters take step-by-step identical days with no transformation, yet Phil manages to completely change around them by getting the chance to see them day after day and learn so much more about them than he ever would've done originally. For me, this is supported by the decision to list all characters as Ensemble, with their character name in brackets, as if their name is secondary to their purpose, they are the ensemble around which Phil is trapped as the star. Notable exceptions are, of course, Nancy and Phil. This is where it feels like a film, showing us only what they want us to see. Like a close up or or a cut away, where we see only the what the camera shows us. There's the meta use of Nancy, making a point about Nancy's own Groundhog Day and of course about theatre itself. I thought that was incredible. And we only find out about Ned, because of Phil. He is the catalyst for the audience discovering his back story. Without Phil beginning to change, their exchange where we discover Ned's back story simply wouldn't take place. But yes, there were other ensemble members who caught my eye, I think most specifically David Birch as 'Chubby man' or whatever he's listed as. I thought he was an outstanding performer in this - what if it was him they decided to pan to for us to discover about? But they didn't and we'll never know. And that's quite moving. 

I was never bored. Honestly. The same scene is played out just once, at the beginning. It's pretty clear that the focus is Phil, and from the 2nd day onwards, it's Phil (or more specifically, Andy Karl's performance) and his reactions that makes it interesting. His encounters with everyone over again as if, to them, nothing has happened. What a situation to find yourself in if you were Phil. How the hell would you react to that?! No wonder he goes to a doctor, or drinks himself into oblivion, or all the other "spoiler"y things he does that he only does *because* of Groundhog Day. Even with the bar/dinner scenes that keep replaying day after day (achieved with such brilliant stagecraft) are hilarious, more than anything, because of Phil (/Karl), and that's the whole point. No one *but* Phil is experiencing this. That's the whole story - I knew that much! It's almost impossible for an ensemble of characters to develop when we only see them in one, relatively ordinary day. So they don't try to, apart from the obvious. That's just brilliant. And why is an ending only good if it's surprising or moving? What about true satisfaction? I think that's a much more natural and relatable feeling for the majority of an audience. It's a rather understated, beautiful ending, and one that surely was only going to go one of two ways, and I think it's pretty easy to guess which way it probably was going to go. But when the ending comes, and it's over (the show and the loop), that's such a relief, no? How satisfying! And what moved me, is the the thought of the journey Phil has been on. From loving the fact that there's no consequences, to deep depression that there is no consequence and everything in between. I'm single, so maybe for those in a relationship there is another level of having that one person you love that you would do anything for. Even after spending maybe close to 40 years in the same day on the same place, if your love wants to spend just one more day there, you do it. And you watch the sun rise on February 3rd. 

As for the music, for me it was just wow. Echoes of the best of Sondheim and the very best of Tim Minchin. Irregular timings, irreverent lyrics, un-hummable tunes (so what?), different styles for different characters Phil meets. This was the biggest revelation to me. Sure, musicals have songs that are intrinsically linked to the story that you can hum, but what if you had songs in a musical that will only ever work inside that musical, and probably never out of context? Is that a bad thing? There must be so much information in that song that's there for a reason. The lyrics come so very thick and fast (yes, very Minchin-esque), it's almost blink and you miss it. Maybe a factor as to why some make multiple return visits, something new to discover every time. And if you're happy with the gist if your first visit, that's great too! But I don't think the lyrics nor music were there to be remembered and recited outside of the musical. To me, just like character names being secondary, it felt like making songs memorable came second to making them part of the plot (and mostly Phil & Rita's) development. Even things like the doctor song is making a comment on something quite prevalent, hence the audience reaction (both times I went, anyway). And anyhow, after the 2nd visit, I had no struggles reciting certain sections of both music and lyrics so it can work both ways!

I didn't anticipate writing quite an essay - I guess I really just love this show!

Saw this for the first time tonight. Have to say that I loved it. There is as a moment near the start where I worried that the repetition would grow tiresome but it most definitely didn't. Loved the staging, loved the cast and loved the humour. Really like the music but my only gripe was that stylistically a lot of the songs just didn't feel like they followed on from one another. Very glad I caught it before it finished.

Ah nice one. I was up in the LB circle so had no idea they were in!

I hope all you lucky people who managed to grab tickets for tonight's final show have a grand old time. I'm so glad I made the effort to see this and I'd love to see it again if I can. Hats off to Andy Karl for a wonderful central performance around which all the other characters spin. Some very entertaining cameos from "the ensemble" too.

Tim Minchin's lyrics always bear a 2nd/3rd/4th/5th etc etc listen so I hope we get news of a cast recording soon.

I didn't even get the "so how old are you?" phone call.

I do hope, seeing as the show is positively rushing towards Broadway, that a cast recording is forthcoming sooner rather than later, and I do hope that any of the producers who've expressed doubts about 'Playing Nancy' get firmly put in their place.

Me neither... and there was me thinking my over enthusiastic reply within 2 mins of the email arriving would get me in! Oh well.

I am going to the show tonight though, 7th visit and i'm so thrilled that i'll be at the last one.

Finally seeing the show tonight!

Just picked up my ticket for tonight, so thrilled to finally be seeing this!

Free programmes tonight if you're there!

Wow. Wow, Wow, Wow. THAT WAS AMAZING!! Andy Karl is phenomenal. Hope I can see it again next yes on Broadway, it is such a good show!

Would've loved to have met Andy Karl at stage door afterwards, but he was doing a meet and greet which people had paid for so decided to head home. Funnily enough, whilst waiting at stage door Mark Shenton walked past me. Was so tempted to say hello, but didn't in the end.

Was anyone else surrounded by friends/family of the cast or just me? It was quite fun to eavesdrop!