After premiering at London’s Old Vic in August 2016 to rapturous reviews, including a five-star critique in Limelight, Tim Minchin’s new musical Groundhog Day opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway on Monday to a standing ovation and mostly good reviews.

^{Andy Karl and the cast of Groundhog Day. Photography © Joan Marcus}

Featuring a book by Danny Rubin – who wrote the screenplay for the 1993 film on which it is based – and music and lyrics by Minchin, Groundhog Day is helmed by British director Matthew Warchus, who also directed Minchin’s musical Matilda.

The show scored a rave in the all-important New York Times by Ben Brantley, who described the show as “dazzlingly witty” and praised Minchin’s score writing: “The insanely talented Mr Minchin writes songs in many shades, though he’s probably most at home where the shadows lurk. As in Matilda, his undulating melodies and whip-smart lyrics tap into the brooding sides of the supporting characters, extending the reach of existential anxiety beyond Phil’s solipsism.”

At the other end of the spectrum, one of Brantley’s predecessors Charles Isherwood was much...