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[title]Whether you’re a fan of the original ‘90s movie (starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell) or have ever wondered what it would be like to relive the same day over and over and over again, you’ll be thrilled to know that Groundhog Day the Musical is making its Australian debut in Melbourne for a strictly limited and exclusive season.
Direct from a record-breaking run at London’s Old Vic, the production will transform the Princess Theatre from January 24, 2024 for 13 weeks only. The Tony-nominated and Olivier Award-winning musical-comedy tells the story of Phil Connors, a self-centered weatherman from Pittsburgh who is sent to cover the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. When he becomes trapped in a time warp that sees him forced to replay one particular day on a loop, he embarks on a hilarious journey of enlightenment and redemption.
The brainchild of Tim Minchin AM and director Matthew Warchus (who are teaming up again after collaborating on Matilda the Musical), as well as Danny Rubin, the film’s original writer, Groundhog Day the Musical is set to deliver a heart-warming experience that theatregoers are guaranteed to love.
The full cast has been revealed, with Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated Andy Karl announced in the lead role as Phil Connors. Karl originated the role of Phil at London’s Old Vic Theatre before also going on to perform the role on Broadway. Joining him is Elise McCann as Rita Hanson, alongside a talented company of Australian performers.
“I have waited seven years for this moment!” said Tim Minchin AM. “Groundhog Day the Musical, like Matilda the Musical, has a unique mixture of darkness and light, of head and heart, and of complexity and joy, and I’ve been convinced since its first iteration that Australians will love it! I’m so excited that the run is going to be in Melbourne, the city I lived in when I wrote my break-out comedy shows, and the place where – when things weren’t going so well – I learned how important it is to find the beauty and hope in the day to day.”
Groundhog Day the Musical will run from January 24, with tickets currently on sale until April 7, 2024. Tickets are on sale now via the website.