I won the Lottery tonight for Groundhog Day and...

[EthelMae]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 9:27pm

I'm at Intermission and this show SUCKS! I didn't even look for a thread that exists for this show. I can not believe this thing. I haven't hated anything this much since the Beach Boys' musical Good Vibrations. I'll stay for the 2nd Act. But I can't believe anything will make this tortuous hour and a half better. No wonder this is ironed on TDF and TKTS. This has to fold by summer's end. Sorry you guys who liked it but I haven't clapped once. And, Mr. Karl should relax at home. He still has a brace on his knee from last Spring's accident on stage.

I don't like this show. 

[10086Sundays]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 9:31pm

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 9:44pm

We liked Act I lots more than Ethel Mae, but found that Act II was as sublime as anything we saw onstage this season-- the journey to the end made all of what came before absolutely worth it. Hopefully Ethel Mae will keep an open mind till the end. Please report back to the board.

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 10:11pm

I liked it ok, nothing bad, nothing great, just a pleasant evening. I found myself eventually more interested in following the staging than the story. (No technical glitches the night I saw it.) **SPOILER PERHAPS** This included trying to see into the shadows and around moving set pieces to how Andy ended up back in bed in his t-shirt, striped boxers, and black socks so quickly. I know a few times there are body doubles but still I found the staging impressive. Maybe because I knew the movie and how the romance would end up I was less interested in the plot and more in the staging. 

And IMO really no denying Andy's energy, vitality, and charisma, torn ACL and all. I still agree Ben deserved the Tony over Andy, but just by a hair.

[Big Apple2]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 10:37pm

That's why I always say YMMV. 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 11:06pm

Act 2. Nothing. That show is about a turntable. Haven't seen a turntable used that much since Les Miz. And that poor ensemble. Nothing to do. And it doesn't let out at 10:30. It's over at 10:40. Sorry. A tuneless bore. Get me back to Dolly.

Updated On: 7/14/17 at 11:06 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 11:12pm

I agree with you regarding Groundhog, yet, I thought Good Vibrations was much better than Groundhog. At least it had cute songs.

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 12:36am

ok

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 12:41am

This show was one of my very, very favorites of this season (as well as the past several seasons). Everybody's entitled to their opinion.

[ebontoyan]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 12:51am

I love this show.  My best of the season. I saw it 2x in one weekend visit to NYC.  To each their own

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 12:52am

BC, what exactly did you love so much about it? I've only heard the album and while I thought it was OK I just can't see what would be so good about it. Asking seriously, no snark intended!

[EthelMae]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 1:01am

Yeah. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I've calmed down a bit after that ordeal tonight.

Tell me, what did you like? Certainly not the score. I admit I'm moving on in years but there isn't a tune in that whole show. As I said, the Ensemble works their tale off all night and does nothing. The female lead role is weak. And Mr. Karl, who I've admired since his Altar Boyz days, runs around all night and has a gag here and there but no big number. I knew from the lame opening number, I was in for it. 

The audience tonight seemed to like it, although the woman next to me was looking at her program to see how many songs were left. As I said, I didn't applaud once and the show meanders from song to song without any buttons to them. Well, I guess I said enough. I was just so disappointed because I had heard it was "fun". 

[schubox]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 1:08am

I loved it. I thought Karl alone was worth the price of admission. He has so much presence and charisma. And a lot of the technical stuff is pretty great. I would agree there is no stand out song, but I did enjoy the songs. 

I can get why people wouldn't like it, but to hate it seems odd 

[JustAnotherNewYorker]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 1:15am

I'm also a fan, and am quite fond of a few of the songs: Playing Nancy, Night Will Come (both from minor characters) and Hope. Tim Minchin doesn't always hit it out of the park, but his lyrics are clever and have a nice mix of pathos and a spot of irony. 

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 1:33am

Loved it so much, most people i know loved it as well. Cast was terrific, Andy was phenom, I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts, thought much of it was very clever. Loved the final moments - reminded me of the final moments from Matilda.

To each his own....

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 2:55am

Didn't love it, but certainly didn't hate it.  I doubt I'd ever watch it again and no one in my family is interested in obtaining the cd.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 4:52am

My friends and I were in the “hated it” section. I can’t believe someone that this story would need so much tech. Awful songs. I don’t find Andy Karl to be that charming. I find him to be rather vanilla.

To each their own though!!

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 5:14am

At first I liked it.  I then saw it a second time and thought it was borderline awful.  The problem with this show is the same problem that I have with Sunset Blvd.  They took a great film and made a mediocre musical.  I adored Minchin's work on Matilda, but I find his work here, frankly, uninteresting.  The best song in the show is certainly "Seeing You" and even that has completely boring lyrics.  His humor here is juvenile and not in a good way like in Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, but in a way that just wasn't particularly funny to me.  I've seen Minchin be filthy and genuinely hilarious, but I didn't find much in this show to be very funny.  I thought the set was hideous and the choreography uninspired and the cast to be just serviceable.  Andy Karl (who has done some incredible work in the past) isn't really doing anything special here.  He's charming, charismatic, and handsome and is occasionally humorous, but his role could really be filled by a slew of other leading men and I found his singing left a lot to be desired.  He's a great guy and a wonderful performer, but I can't help but think that maybe some people are judging his performance based on how much they like Andy Karl and not on the actual quality of his performance or role.  As for the rest of the cast, there is a great deal of extreme over acting, which was a problem that I noticed in Come From Away too.  It made the show feel unbalanced especially because I thought that Karl was actually giving a very nuanced performance.  Basically, the show feels ridiculously messy and underwritten.  It really leaves me cold.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 8:08am

EthelMae said: "Yeah. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. I've calmed down a bit after that ordeal tonight.

Tell me, what did you like? Certainly not the score. I admit I'm moving on in years but there isn't a tune in that whole show.

"

Actually the score was my favorite part of GHD. I thought numbers like "Hope," "One Day," "Night Will Come," "Seeing You," "Nobody Cares" are all great tunes, I play the GHD album when I go running in the morning. To each his own.

I also liked Andy Karl's portrayal very much.

With that being said I did find the show had some structural problems especially in Act 2:

http://poisonivywalloftext.blogspot.com/2017/05/groundhog-day-and-who-deserves-tony.html#more

Updated On: 7/15/17 at 08:08 AM

[mc1227]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 10:29am

I thought it took a bit too long to get started in Act I but it was an enjoyable evening overall, especially with a TDF ticket.  Not the best but far from the worst.  There are enjoyable moments and Andy was great.  The score was weak as well, but the cast performed the songs well.  Not for everyone's taste but certainly not awful, imo.  

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 10:49am

It took Ebeneezer Scrooge only one night to learn the lessons Phil the Weatherman learned after days and days and days and days....

[Kara Lee Sweeny]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 11:32am

schubox said: "I loved it. I thought Karl alone was worth the price of admission. He has so much presence and charisma. And a lot of the technical stuff is pretty great. I would agree there is no stand out song, but I did enjoy the songs. 

I can get why people wouldn't like it, but to hate it seems odd 

 

"

I couldn't agree more with you! I've seen it twice and liked it better the second time around. Andy Karl is so amazing on stage, he just has this thing about him.

[Glittergrrl]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 7:30pm

EthelMae said: "I'm at Intermission and this show SUCKS! I didn't even look for a thread that exists for this show. I can not believe this thing. I haven't hated anything this much since the Beach Boys' musical Good Vibrations. I'll stay for the 2nd Act. But I can't believe anything will make this tortuous hour and a half better. No wonder this is ironed on TDF and TKTS. This has to fold by summer's end. Sorry you guys who liked it but I haven't clapped once. And, Mr. Karl should relax at home. He still has a brace on his knee from last Spring's accident on stage.

I don't like this show. 

 

 

"

Ethel! I couldn't agree more! I loathed this show. I think it's the worst thing I ever saw on Broadway, and yet, I really like the film. I've never said it out loud, because I have friends who love it, but I just don't get it. I thought the humor was broad and crass (and I'm not a delicate flower). I found it tedious. The music is not memorable. Aside from some clever staging, I found it absolutely grating.

[Margo319]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 7:59pm

I can totally understand people not understanding the love for the show if they only listened to the score.  You are missing the performances, Andy Karl's expressions, the hilarity that happens on stage.  His behavior when he is having the snow fight with the kids?  Oh ma GOD that left me nearly on the floor laughing.  People who hear it when I am listening to it say it's way too much for them, so I think you really need to see the show to appreciate the score.  It's a sweet show, and I hope it lasts until the holidays.  

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 8:07pm

Even thought I didn't really enjoy it and didn't think it was Broadway quality, I think this show would be a great choice for high school and community theatre.  I see this show having a very strong regional theatre life.