(seen at the preview performance on 21st September 2025)
Another “film to stage” adaptation of a movie the monkey has never seen and only vaguely remembers hearing about.
It’s “Groundhog Day” lite as a story, and indeed as a musical. Most important of all, do not examine the original George Wing nor the present David Rossmer and Steve Rosen plot too carefully. Holding it up to the light will reveal that the pastel is painted on binca, music and lyric passing through the holes with varying precision.
The opening number is lively. As with most new musicals, there is no title list, but the monkey’s spirit rose as it was introduced to Florida Keys life.
From there, the “Florida Keys” theme is the strongest melody in the show, and it is used a lot. And therein lies the central issue.
Though this show is only 100 minutes long, there are at least 20 minutes of surplus thanks to a lack of gravitational pull in the logic holding it together.
It takes 36 minutes for us to learn of Lucy’s (Georgina Castle) memory affliction. That leaves very little time for us to understand who she is and win our sympathy.
Conversely, her savior love interest Henry (Josh St. Clair) is given so much back story that it is confusing whether he is a travel blogger sincere or entirely “on the make.” If the latter, why would he undergo a complete personality transplant when we learn in the opening minutes that he is an immoral “hit and run” merchant?
Either way, both performances are fine. Castle seems very comfortable in her addled state, bringing out a sweetened edge to her work in a way not previously seen in other roles.
St. Clair demonstrates a fine range dealing with his awkward personality changes. A growing mature masculinity convinces us to the extent we are cheered by the ending.
Casey Nicholaw directs well on the small stage to make it feel like an authentic small town where everybody knows everybody else’s business. Filling almost every scene with people, he is careful not to over-crowd things.
Among them, Disney fan Chad Saint Louis as Sandy steals the show with perfectly timed (censored) one-liner quips and a warmth which marks them as a very useful performer for any future casting.
Aiesha Maomi Pease (Ukulele Sue) matches him for warmth and adds illuminating vocals whenever required.
John Marquez as father Marlin is as strong as always, communicating easily his pain in defeated physicality. Son Doug (Charlie Toland) is more vocal and violent about his sister’s condition, but we understand his suffering.
The experienced Fly Davis gives them a sunny yet slightly shadowed environment. A simple central revolving unit allows her to slide a diner on and off, provides a wooden shack home and space for well-designed projections (George Reeve) to be thrown.
Notes too for Adam Fisher’s sound design bringing George Carter’s band and musical direction to us with pleasing crisp tone.
With the backing of the mighty Ambassador Theatre Group, they clearly have high hopes for the work. As it stands, fans watching the show with the monkey seemed very happy with the result.
The unaccustomed eye of the monkey concluded that it was watching a decent effort with either tightening cuts to be made or a second act – preferably with considerably more sub-plot and less focus on location – to be written.
For the moment there is no bite as “Groundhog Day The Musical” offers. Bite this and you currently get a mixture of sugar and sand, a bit like Lucy and Henry’s picnic.
Solve how the grit is incorporated so that it enhances the structure rather than affecting the flavour, and the show could work.
As it stands, it is rather pleasant, a little bland, and 24 hours later you may well not really remember much about it beyond a hazy memory of a happy moment. The monkey will take that – life is too short not to enjoy them while you can.
