Watch a Triumphant and Emotional Andy Karl on the Groundhog Day Red Carpet

It was a precarious 48 hours for the cast and creative team of Groundhog Day after their leading man Andy Karl tore his ACL during a performance of the show—just two days out from opening night. In a remarkable feat, Karl returned to the stage on April 17 to perform the show for its Broadway opening.

On the red carpet following his performance, Karl told Playbill that he injured himself doing a simple leap frog, a move he’d performed “a million times.” “I was on the floor crying—not from pain, but because we were so close to opening. Through a lot of love and physical therapy, and getting my mind in the right head space that the show must go on, I made it to tonight,“ he said. Karl went on to say that though he had to limp through a few of the evening’s moves, he was overall very happy with the opening night show.

The musical, directed by Matthew Warchus, features a score by Tim Minchin and a book by Danny Rubin. Tickets can be purchased here.

Watch Karl, along with the Groundhog Day cast and creators speak to Playbill on the red carpet, in the video below.

Scroll through opening night photos below: