The City Theatre’s new addition to the autumn is the musical comedy My Day as a Groundhog

Helsinki City Theatre’s autumn 2020 musical is a new musical based on the popular film Groundhog Day (2016). Composed and written by Tim Minchin and written by Danny Rubin, the musical is directed by Finnish musical comet Samuel Harjanne – the man behind the hit musicals Kinky Boots and The Little Mermaid. The musical comedy about a weatherman stuck in a small town stars Lari Halme and Maria Lund.

“What makes the musical On My Day Groundhog topical is that Groundhog Day will be celebrated again next Sunday! But seriously, the importance of being in the moment, which is emphasized in the story, is always topical. We humans often live either in the future or in the past, but the skill of living in the moment is ephemeral and rare. My Day as a Groundhog makes the viewer think about their own limited time in this life, and how they want to spend their time. Time is our most valuable currency,” says director Samuel Harjanne.

Despite his protests, the self-centered weatherman Phil Connors is sent to a remote village in Punxsutawney to report on the traditional Groundhog Day. Due to a snowstorm, the film crew is forced to stay in the town, and to his horror, Phil realizes that he wakes up again and again to the same Groundhog Day morning and the familiar alarm clock. Living in a loop may feel fun for a while, when actions have no consequences, and in the morning everything is the same and starts again. How can you benefit from the situation yourself, or could it also help others? Over the course of repeated days, Phil has time to get to know the inhabitants of the small town, especially his new colleague, TV producer Rita Hanson. What all has to happen before Phil is ready to wake up to a new morning?

The role of Phil is played by Lari Halme, known from the musical The Bell Ringer of Notre Dame at the Tampere Theatre, and the role of Rita is played by Maria Lund, who is visiting the Helsinki City Theatre for the first time.

The design team includes familiar creators from HKT’s previous favourite musicals, but also new names. The Finnish translation is by Reita Lounatvuori and Hanna Kaila. The choreographies for a group of more than 30 performers are designed by Simon Hardwick from England, and the conductor of the 11-piece orchestra is Eeva Kontu. The set design is by Peter Ahlqvist and the costumes by Elina Kolehmainen. The guest lighting designer is Palle Palmé from Sweden, and the sound designer is Kai Poutanen. The camouflage is designed by Maija Sillanpää.

The film My Day as a Groundhog (1993), starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, is listed among the best films in the world. The musical adaptation, which premiered in London in 2016, was an immediate success and was awarded the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The musical arrived on Broadway the following year, and now it’s time to conquer Helsinki.

Groundhog Day is an annual holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada to predict the arrival of spring. On 2 February, the marmot is lured to peek out of its winter nest. If the weather is sunny and the marmot’s shadow is visible, winter will last at least another six weeks. The most famous celebration of Groundhog Day is celebrated in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

My Day as a Groundhog premiere 27.8.2020 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5)
22 € – 88 € (incl. pm.)

Helsinki City Theatre ticket office, Ensi linja 2, Mon-Fri 9 am – 5.30 pm, Eläintarhantie 5 Sat 11 am – 7 pm and one hour before the performance and Lippupiste Mon-Sat 9 am – 9 pm, Sun 10 am – 6 pm, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) 
www.hkt.fi 
Press photos can be found in the image bank and press releases in the newsroom.

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Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Helsinki City Theatre, Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki