Thursday, May 21, 2026

Broadway: Bill Murray’s Visits Didn’t Help, “Groundhog Day” Will Close Anyway Next Month

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It’s all over for “Groundhog Day.”

I told you on Monday that Bill Murray’s two visits last week to the Broadway show based on his hit movie helped the box office– a bit.

But the $96,000 Murray added wasn’t enough. “Groundhog Day” will close on September 17th. It joins “Bandstand” and “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet” as shows that– without winning Tony Awards– failed to find audiences.

Andy Karl was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for “Groundhog Day.” He was killed off of “Law & Order SVU” so he could play the role. Maybe they can bring him back as a twin.

Next to go should be “A Doll’s House, Pt. 2” which no one is going to, “1984”– a puzzlement anyway, and “War Paint.” The whole 2016-17 season is going to be left with “Evan Hanson,” “Hello, Dolly!” and two terrible musicals cashing in on movie tie-ins– “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Anastasia.”

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman is the founder and editor-in-chief of Showbiz411. He wrote the FOX411 column on FoxNews.com from 1999 to 2009 and previously edited Fame magazine and wrote the "Intelligencer" column at New York magazine. His bylines have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Vogue, Details, and the Miami Herald. He is a voting member of the Critics Choice Awards (Film and Television branches), and his movie reviews are tracked by Rotten Tomatoes. is articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. With D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, he co-produced the 2002 documentary "Only the Strong Survive," which screened at Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.

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