Review: Päiväni murmelina

GALA WOMAN RECOMMENDS: LARI HALME WOULD HAVE DESERVED A STANDING OVATION FOR THE LEAD ROLE IN THE MUSICAL MY DAY AS A GROUNDHOG The musical My Day as a Groundhog at the Helsinki City Theatre, which premiered yesterday, is based on high expectations.

The theatre’s two previous musicals; Kinky Boots and The Little Mermaid, which is still in the repertoire, have become both hits and major musicals of their time. As the director of My Day as a Groundhog, you can find the same man behind these two musicals; Samuel Harjanne, who has undoubtedly become one of the top names among musical directors in Finland.

My day as a groundhog couldn’t be more timely. Originally released as a film in 1993, meteorologist Phil Connors is forced to go on a story trip to a small town to report on Groundhog Day. In reality, the celebration in Punxtatawayney on February 2 predicts the spring weather according to the shadow of a marmot.

In the story, Phil wakes up every day to the same morning on the second of February. The first half is a smooth musical performance, just like in a professional theatre, but it is not until the second act that things take off.

Lari Halme is phenomenal when he first plays the unfriendly and snarky Phil, down to small gestures, who is looking for a reason why and how he has to live this same day again. In the second act, the stories of the other townspeople’s characters also begin to unfold, but Phil’s role is so central and carrying that the stories of the others are bound to be thinner.

My Day as a Groundhog has apparently made use of the stage technique of The Little Mermaid, as the viewer is entertained with sleight of hand tricks that make some scenes of the musical almost cinematic and entertaining.

I didn’t remember the deepest message of the film exactly, even though last spring my day as a groundhog was played more than ever, so I had aha moments in the second act several times.

The script says that according to some who have analyzed the film, Phil will spend 34 years in that repeating time loop on the second day of February. That pain, frustration, uncertainty and realizations about time, its value and what we are here for Lari Halme and the working group paint on stage in their entirety in a believable and entertaining way.

I believe that every viewer will find their own meaning in the message of the musical, especially if it has been a while since watching the film.

The City Theatre has taken the coronavirus restrictions seriously and seats per company are sold every single seat. It is estimated that more than half of the audience wore masks. The corona time also affected the final thanks, which were taken care of faster than usual, as the announcement directed the spectators to move safely out of the hall. It was a bit of a shame, as Lari Halme would have deserved a standing ovation for his role.