Groundhog Day
Apr. 4th, 2024 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustThe musical! I went down to Melbourne to see it, at the Princess Theatre, because they're advertising it as exclusive to there, and even though they might change their plans (looking at you, & Juliet), if I wait for it and they don't come here, then I'll be annoyed to have missed it.
I really liked Matilda, so I was keen to see another musical where Tim Minchin wrote the songs. And Groundhog Day is such a cultural icon, and time loops are so fascinating, that I was curious about what a stage version would look like.
Really amazing, is what. It was funny, and it was emotional. Phil starts out so cynical and selfish, it's hard to see how to like him. But he goes through the wringer and has an incredible character arc.
Plot spoilers
I've only seen the movie once, years ago, and my memories of it are very dim. So I can't say what they changed in the adaptation. What I did appreciate was how tight the plot was. How do you make a Groundhog Day story feel not repetitive? We know what's going to happen, so there's no need to drag out the suspense.
And they don't. Day 1 is the baseline, Day 2 is noticing weirdness, and Day 3 is freaking out. Phil goes through the various stages of searching for a cure, living recklessly and hedonistically, trying and failing to seduce Rita, and reaching a dead end of despair at being stuck. It's only when he confesses the truth to Rita, and she shows him a new way to see things, that he reaches a turning point.
I like that when Phil is trying to "win" her by replaying their date each loop, it's obviously creepy and weird, and she quite rightly senses it. In the end, it's his simple act of kindness to her as an individual, and her learning of his many acts of kindness to the townsfolk, that makes him shine through as a genuine and interesting person.
Highlights
* "If I Had My Time Again" - This is it, this is the showstopper, the song they use in the trailer. Even though most of us don't get to replay our lives over and over until we get it right, somehow the song still feels optimistic, brimming with joyous possibility: that every day we can wake up and decide to do things differently. (Oh look, there's an official music video, with the original Broadway cast.)
* "Hope" - The darkest song in the musical, at the lowest point in Phil's journey, when he tries to end it all, again and again. There's a relentless energy to it. The lyrics go hard, especially:
Your gaze upon the path you have to tread,
And in your head, that leaden dread:
The fucking roads have all been trod
And there's no way and there's no God
The actual performance is a brilliant piece of stage magic, where Phil disappears every time he dies, and reappears instantly in his bed. It's like something out of The Prestige. (Here's a version sung by Tim Minchin at the 2017 Olivier Awards. Here's a bootleg recording that shows some of the stage magic.)
* "Seeing You" - The final song. Lovely and gentle. Full of humility, reflection, and insight. The bit where the lyrics tie together weatherman and foreknowledge was a lightbulb moment for me:
I've spent a lifetime seeking signs
Reading lines
Trying to forecast the future
Always staying a day ahead
Well that was the idea...
(Here's a version sung by Tim Minchin at the 20th South Bank Sky Arts Awards.)
* The last scene - Normally I expect a musical to end with a big reprise, a rousing ensemble number. But here it was just Phil and Rita watching the sunrise together. And it worked.
Miscellaneous
* Phil was played by understudy Matthew Hamilton, who normally plays the Sheriff. I would not have guessed! He was fantastic. I didn't feel like I missed out by seeing him instead of Andy Karl.
* Rita was played by Elise McCann, who was the original Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda. She was wonderful here too.
* No CDs at the merch stall! I wanted to pick up a copy of the cast recording, but the staff told me, "Sorry, we don't have it. You can find it on Spotify though." I was pretty surprised - I would have thought, this is your audience! Is this the new trend? (I found a copy elsewhere. I want to own my media!)
* The program book had a message from the Minister for Tourism, saying, among other things, "Melbourne is the first city to stage Groundhog Day The Musical outside London and New York. This is another example of why Melbourne is Australia's theatre capital and one of the cultural capitals of the world." Okay, I guess that is pretty cool.
* Trivia: while Groundhog Day has become the trope namer for time loops, the TNG episode "Cause and Effect" actually came out a year before it.
I really liked Matilda, so I was keen to see another musical where Tim Minchin wrote the songs. And Groundhog Day is such a cultural icon, and time loops are so fascinating, that I was curious about what a stage version would look like.
Really amazing, is what. It was funny, and it was emotional. Phil starts out so cynical and selfish, it's hard to see how to like him. But he goes through the wringer and has an incredible character arc.
Plot spoilers
I've only seen the movie once, years ago, and my memories of it are very dim. So I can't say what they changed in the adaptation. What I did appreciate was how tight the plot was. How do you make a Groundhog Day story feel not repetitive? We know what's going to happen, so there's no need to drag out the suspense.
And they don't. Day 1 is the baseline, Day 2 is noticing weirdness, and Day 3 is freaking out. Phil goes through the various stages of searching for a cure, living recklessly and hedonistically, trying and failing to seduce Rita, and reaching a dead end of despair at being stuck. It's only when he confesses the truth to Rita, and she shows him a new way to see things, that he reaches a turning point.
I like that when Phil is trying to "win" her by replaying their date each loop, it's obviously creepy and weird, and she quite rightly senses it. In the end, it's his simple act of kindness to her as an individual, and her learning of his many acts of kindness to the townsfolk, that makes him shine through as a genuine and interesting person.
Highlights
* "If I Had My Time Again" - This is it, this is the showstopper, the song they use in the trailer. Even though most of us don't get to replay our lives over and over until we get it right, somehow the song still feels optimistic, brimming with joyous possibility: that every day we can wake up and decide to do things differently. (Oh look, there's an official music video, with the original Broadway cast.)
* "Hope" - The darkest song in the musical, at the lowest point in Phil's journey, when he tries to end it all, again and again. There's a relentless energy to it. The lyrics go hard, especially:
Your gaze upon the path you have to tread,
And in your head, that leaden dread:
The fucking roads have all been trod
And there's no way and there's no God
The actual performance is a brilliant piece of stage magic, where Phil disappears every time he dies, and reappears instantly in his bed. It's like something out of The Prestige. (Here's a version sung by Tim Minchin at the 2017 Olivier Awards. Here's a bootleg recording that shows some of the stage magic.)
* "Seeing You" - The final song. Lovely and gentle. Full of humility, reflection, and insight. The bit where the lyrics tie together weatherman and foreknowledge was a lightbulb moment for me:
I've spent a lifetime seeking signs
Reading lines
Trying to forecast the future
Always staying a day ahead
Well that was the idea...
(Here's a version sung by Tim Minchin at the 20th South Bank Sky Arts Awards.)
* The last scene - Normally I expect a musical to end with a big reprise, a rousing ensemble number. But here it was just Phil and Rita watching the sunrise together. And it worked.
Miscellaneous
* Phil was played by understudy Matthew Hamilton, who normally plays the Sheriff. I would not have guessed! He was fantastic. I didn't feel like I missed out by seeing him instead of Andy Karl.
* Rita was played by Elise McCann, who was the original Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda. She was wonderful here too.
* No CDs at the merch stall! I wanted to pick up a copy of the cast recording, but the staff told me, "Sorry, we don't have it. You can find it on Spotify though." I was pretty surprised - I would have thought, this is your audience! Is this the new trend? (I found a copy elsewhere. I want to own my media!)
* The program book had a message from the Minister for Tourism, saying, among other things, "Melbourne is the first city to stage Groundhog Day The Musical outside London and New York. This is another example of why Melbourne is Australia's theatre capital and one of the cultural capitals of the world." Okay, I guess that is pretty cool.
* Trivia: while Groundhog Day has become the trope namer for time loops, the TNG episode "Cause and Effect" actually came out a year before it.
