The creators of the new musical “Groundhog Day” wouldn’t mind repeating August 16 over and over again. That was the day they awoke to some of the best London reviews for a show in a decade, vindicating the worthiness of a stage adaptation of the 1993 Bill Murray film hit about a cynical newscaster caught in a time loop. “Something extraordinary has happened at the Old Vic,” wrote Dominic Cavendish in a five-star rave in the Telegraph. “A much-loved, ingeniously funny and clever Hollywood film has made a triumphant rebirth — in a show that looks on first viewing, equal to, and perhaps better than, the movie.”In another five-star review, Henry Hitchings of the Evening Standard wrote, “While the movie’s spirit is intact, [Tim] Michin packs in a multitude of new jokes, and his score inhabits half a dozen different idioms, ranging from country and western to anthemic rock.” And Ben Brantley of the New York Times chimed in, “It is cool (as in hip) and warm (as in cuddly); it is spiky and sentimental. And it transforms its perceived weaknesses into strengths in ways that should disarm even veteran musical haters…while transforming Andy Karl into the top-of-the-heap musical star he has deserved to be.”Karl, who played the title role in the ill-starred musical adaptation of “Rocky,” has apparently overcome one of the “perceived weaknesses” to which Brantley is referring. After all, in the glut of movie-to-musical transfers, there have been more than a few disasters and many of those sharing some of the same traits as “Groundhog Day,” most notably high-concept movies, often anchored by a memorable or even iconic performance. The stage versions of “Ghost,” “Rocky,” “Flashdance,” “Spider-Man,” and “Sister Act” have foundered trying to justify musical treatment as an enhancement of the source material.In fact, composer Stephen Sondheim, who’d at one point been attached to a musical version of “Groundhog Day,” lost interest in writing songs for it. He declared in 2008 that “to make a musical of ‘Groundhog Day’ would be to gild the lily. It cannot be improved. It’s perfect the way it is.” Director Matthew Warchus — who presided over the debacle of “Ghost” — had no such reservations about the challenges of “Groundhog Day.” Having been named the new artistic director of the Old Vic, Warchus gathered some of the same team that had molded his “Matilda” into a hit both in London and New York, including Minchin and choreographer Peter Darling. He also worked on the libretto with Danny Rubin, who’d co-written the screenplay with Harold Ramis, the director of the movie. The creative team has apparently cracked in musical terms the story in which a narcissistic and arrogant newscaster, Phil Connors, discovers that he can live a single day — February 2 — over and over again without suffering any repercussions for his acts. That eventually leads to all sorts of decadent indulgences until he learns that true enlightenment resides in being concerned with others — a behavior modification that turns the head of Rita Hanson, his long-suffering producer and romantic interest. In the Old Vic production, the role that was created by Andie MacDowell is being played by Carlyss Peer.“Groundhog Day, ” which is scheduled to play through September 17 at the Old Vic, had been announced as opening on Broadway in the spring of 2017. That date may well be adhered to, especially now that it has the imprimatur of leading critics. However, last June Scott Rudin, one of Broadway’s most powerful and prolific producers, withdrew from his participation in the musical. He cited dissatisfaction with the fact that the London production would be the one seen on Broadway, which was not how the project was originally conceived. “The more it evolved, the more it felt that there was no way for me to do what I like to do, so I asked to withdraw,” he told the New York Times. “Not every ideal show happens in the ideal circumstances for everyone involved. I wish them well with it. It’s a great show, and I’m sure it will be a big hit.”It appears that Rudin was right on that score.
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