Andy Karl, the star of the new musical “Groundhog Day” opened his show Monday night, donning a black knee brace, but showing nearly no other signs of wear and tear.
During curtain call, the actor swatted away his castmates’ demands he take a third bow — but he soon relented, punching the air in victory, tears in his eyes.
But his big night almost didn’t happen.
Karl suffered a gnarly knee injury during the Friday performance, just three days before the musical was set to open. As a result, the Saturday matinee was cancelled, and his understudy, Andrew Call, went on during the evening.
Critics and reporters’ tickets were rescheduled, and it felt like Punxsutawney Phil had seen his dreaded shadow.
But on opening night, Karl took the stage to a Halleluja chorus of applause and cheers that continued long enough and loud enough that he had to shut it down. His performance — a suave, comic wonder — wasn’t bogged down with wincing or a limp, as many had expected. Rather, he bounded around the stage, exuding the same charisma and golden voice he’s become famous for on Broadway.
The actor’s resume, funnily enough, is checkered with physically grueling parts. He picked up Kristin Chenoweth like a barbell in “On The Twentieth Century,” and duked it out nightly in the boxing ring with Apollo Creed as the title character in “Rocky.” But it was songwriter Tim Minchin’s deliriously zany, yet touching show that really tested the hunky actor’s mettle.
Based on the Harold Ramis-directed 1993 comedy movie, which starred Bill Murray, “Groundhog Day” the musical’s leading man is mysteriously forced to relive the same blasted holiday over and over again, much to his chagrin, and eventually to his merit.
The producers of “Groundhog Day” must be relieved a new day came for their star.
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