If They Had their Time Again

Groundhog Day Production Photo

I've never been a huge fan of movies or shows that are labeled as "boy" shows or movies.  I understand it's perfectly acceptable to be a fan even though I'm a girl, but I just don't enjoy them.  I do enjoy all the stereotypical girly things like love stories, romantic comedies, and the usual whodunnits.  This love of all things "girly" also applies to the theatre.  So it was a bit of a conundrum as to why I wanted to see Groundhog Day.  Because in the list of boy movies, that one falls pretty close to the top.  But Andy Karl's attitude toward the entire production in the wake of his injury was pretty uplifting.  After tearing his ACL 2 days before opening night, he could have left the production and no one would have faulted him.  But he stuck to his guns and his #ChampionsAdapt attitude, and blew audiences away.  

He was the sole reason I wanted to see this show.  Also, he's a Maryland guy - you have to support the hometown dudes.

After finally seeing it months after it premiered, I'd like to say that I loved it.  But I didn't.  I didn't hate it by any means, and Andy Karl & Barrett Doss are revelations who work their tails off the entire 2 hours - I still have no idea how Andy does what he does 8 shows a week, let alone how he did it on a torn ACL - but the show itself is a "boy" show, which as I said just doesn't thrill me. 

Here's my main issue.  The first act is hilariously funny.  Phil Connors is a bit of a jerk - played wonderfully by Andy Karl - and because he's a jerk, he gets sucked into a time loop which, as you can imagine, is a major drag for someone who wants to leave Punxsatauney so badly.  The entire act, is Phil living his day over and over to varying degrees of ridiculousness.  

Then things get weird.  Well, weirder than the song about Phil getting stranger and stranger advice from "medical professionals" which may entail someone referencing a particular body part of a rhinoceros...

The second act begins with a fairly sweet song sung by a minor character, that we've barely met.  It moves on to the murder of a groundhog (puppet, of course!) and Phil committing "suicide" multiple times in sequence.  To say things get dark is an understatement.  What was meant to be a lighthearted show based on a well-loved musical, devolved into something somber and violent before it went for straight up laughs again on it's way to the conclusion. The laughs were funny, don't get me wrong, but it's a little hard to laugh after witnessing about 10 different "suicides."  

Call me crazy, but I like my comedies funny, not depressing.

Now that's not to say that this show is entirely without its merits.  The entire cast is top notch.  I called out Andy Karl and Barrett Doss as the highlights, but every other actor was equally good.  The choreography in this show is incredibly intense.  Each actor should be applauded for the skill it takes to navigate that stage each night, while singing and acting.  It was definitely a sight to see.

The design choices were also a highlight for me.  Between a super-creative car chase sequence, to the use of Phil's hotel room, the set was not only beautiful but also functioned perfectly to move the story along.  I'm still marveling at two specific instances of Andy Karl apparently being in two places at once.  He sauntered off stage left, and was in bed centerstage 2 seconds later.  I have no idea how in the world they did it, which I secretly kinda love.

In the end, I loved the show in theory and I'm glad I had the chance to see it before it sadly closes next month.  The actors, and the choreography and the gorgeous design make this show into something special.  I only wish they would have spent a little more time on refining the story and the songs.  With that cast, and that creative team and a slightly less disjointed story - they would have been unstoppable.