Earlier this week, Bill Murray attended a Broadway production of Groundhog Day, a show based on his 1993 film about an egotistical weatherman who lives the same day over and over again. The actor went to the show on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday.
Murray attended the Tuesday production with his brother Brian Doyle-Murray and Groundhog Day film and musical book co-writer Danny Rubin. The actor was delighted by the production when he saw it, according to the New York Times. He interacted playfully with fans, posed for selfies, and tipped a waiter $50 for a glass of water.
During the first act, the actor laughed wholeheartedly. He was spotted crying at the end of the performance. He explained his emotions during an interview afterwards, revealing, “The idea that we just have to try again. We just have to try again. It’s such a beautiful, powerful idea.”
Murray went backstage to meet the cast and crew and to compliment them on the show. He told actor Sean Montgomery, who played the sheriff: “It was really beautiful. You got me. You really got me.”
Murray also recommended one way to keep spirits high: “When you ever feel you don’t know what to do, sing to the person next to you, and that person will sing to the person next to that person, and then you will have this force that’s even stronger.”
On Wednesday, Murray saw the show again.
Murray famously butted heads with director Harold Ramis while making the film. He wanted the movie to go in a darker, more philosophical direction, while Ramis wanted to present it in a lighter, more comedic tone. The pair, who had previously collaborated on Ghostbusters, Caddyshack and Meatballs, severed their relationship following the completion of Groundhog Day. They reconciled prior to the director’s death in 2014.
Groundhog Day is considered one of Murray’s best films.
