Bill Murray goes to see Groundhog Day musical... twice

The musical version of Groundhog Day, written by Tim Minchin, has made its way to Broadway. For those uninitiated, the iconic 1993 comedy follows Phil Connors, a curmudgeonly weatherman who gets stuck in an unexplained time loop, which results in him reliving the same day over and over again. And this week Bill Murray, who played Connors in the original, went along to see the production, and he did so in the most Bill Murray way possible.

The New York Times reported on Murray's visit to the August Wilson Theatre, where he was seen goofing around with patrons and leaving bartenders ridiculously large tips ($50 for a glass of water!). Word is, Murray had a whale of a time. The NYT’s Sopan Deb notes that the actor was bobbing his head to the music and punched the air when Ned Ryerson, the pushy insurance salesman Connors keeps bumping into in the film, gets one right in the kisser from actor Andy Karl (who’s playing Connors).

After the show Murray took selfies with fans, including an 11-year-old boy who was on crutches. Murray gave the lad some sage advice: “Don’t sell short on the rehab. Otherwise, you’ll limp and gimp for a long time.”

The performance left Murray in tears. After the show, he explained to reporters what moved him so much about the musical, and Groundhog Day in general: “It’s the idea that we just have to try again,” he said. “We just have to try again. It’s such a beautiful, powerful idea.” How much did Murray love the show? So much that he came back for seconds last night too. Or more likely Murray is just riffing on Groundhog Day itself, the story of a man who has to keep repeating himself.

Will Murray continue the joke and attend the show tonight? We wouldn’t put it past him.