Bill Murray saw the Groundhog Day musical for the first time and loved it so much he cried

'The idea that... the idea that we just have to try again. We just have to try again. It's such a beautiful, powerful idea'

When the world faces darkness, it's time to rally around Bill Murray.

And the star has served us well once more, as a sweet story has circulated about his first visit to the musical Groundhog Day at the August Wilson Theater in New York City, based on the classic 1993 comedy in which he starred as weatherman Phil Connors, doomed to live the same day over and over again.

New York Times writer Sopan Deb was also in attendance and documented Murray's time at the production, accompanied by his brother Brian Doyle-Murray, who also starred in the film as Buster, and Danny Rubin, who co-wrote the screenplay for the film and the book for the musical.

"Mr. Murray exhibited a range of emotions throughout the night," Deb wrote. "At first, it was quirky one-liners to gleeful fans who suddenly recognised him. There were gestures and guffaws during the first act. But by the end of the performance, Mr. Murray was visibly sobbing."

His visit was, of course, not without his usual antics. At intermission, he reportedly climbed over a woman in a mostly empty row, rather than walk up the aisle. He also took the time to take selfies with fans, handing two young boys some Junior Mints.

Seeing the cultural impact of one's own work must be a pretty moving experience for any creative, and Murray was still apparently emotional when he joined the cast backstage. He told conductor David Holcenberg, "It really killed me".

"As actors, I can’t respect enough how disciplined you are and how serving you are of the process," he stated in a speech to the cast. "There’s nothing worse than seeing someone that’s out for themselves. And you are all in it for each other. 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."

He later said in an interview that it was seeing the message of the film come to life on stage that moved him so deeply: "The idea that... the idea that we just have to try again. We just have to try again. It's such a beautiful, powerful idea."