Stage Hog
Tim Minchin’s musical set for repeat shows
Having turned Roald Dahl’s Matilda into the best stage musical in decades, Australian tunes whimster Tim Minchin’s next big stage project is a Groundhog Day musical, set to premiere on Broadway in March 2017. Minchin, who has written the music and lyrics, has been working on the musical for over two years, and tells SFX that actors have already given the songs a thorough workout. Three of his Matilda collaborators – director Matthew Warchus, choreographer Peter Darling and set designer Rob Howell – are also on board the project.
“Groundhog Day is a tough ask,” he admits of the unusual source material, the high concept 1993 comedy movie starring Bill Murray. “What we’ve made is very interesting and very dense and very funny. And certainly not a light fluffy night at the theatre. It gets dark. And it gets very romantic.”
It was the film’s redemptive theme that really fired his imagination: “This notion that wisdom is getting to a point of no longer being a narcissist and no longer aspiring for more. The point where you sit there and realise that everything you need in life is in front of you if you know how to look at it right. And at the point you figure that out you become loveable.
“I’ve loved making it. And of course I want people to come and see it and not prejudge it and not bring too much baggage from the movie. But in the end you can only make something that you’d want to see, and so far, I’ve made something I’d really like to see.”
Groundhog Day: The Musical will premiere on Broadway on Thursday 9 March 2017.