It has been 30 years since Robin Williams wowed audiences in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire. Makes certain audience members feel old, doesn’t it? However, that may be a benefit when watching Mrs. Doubtfire the musical, now on tour at the National Theatre. Those who have seen the film may have memories of specific moments, but the details are a little hazy. And of course, there is an entire generation or two that may never have seen it! The stage musical pays a loving homage to the movie, with its iconic moments and lines that are punched out to satisfy our sense of nostalgia. The plot remains amazingly intact. The larger question is, can the musical stand well on its own if one has never seen the movie? The answer I believe is Yes!
For those of you too young to remember, the basic plot is that an immature male actor, Daniel Hillard (played by Rob McClure) is married, with children he adores, yet his wife Miranda (played by Maggie Lakis) wants a divorce. Daniel needs to get steady employment to gain joint custody of his children yet since he cannot be away from them for long, he poses as a woman, Mrs. Doubtfire, to become their nanny: hilarity and few touching moments ensue.
The tour is fortunate enough to have the Broadway actor who was nominated for a Tony for this role, Rob McClure, headlining this production! His take on the iconic role of Mrs. Doubtfire, the feisty yet wise Scots nanny, is a triumph. He walks a seemingly impossible line of paying homage to one of the greatest film performances by Robin Williams, one of cinema’s greatest comedians, while making the role his own. It is hard to imagine another actor pulling off this feat when you watch McClure handle comedy, singing, and dancing with such ease. The quick changes are many and eventually done in front of you so you can appreciate what a great costume designer (Catherine Zuber) and hair and wig designer (David Brian Brown) can do. There is an art to playing a leading role with humility and McClure never forgets when to allow the spotlight to shift to one of the many other talented actors on stage.
Maggie Lakis has the thankless role of Miranda Hillard. In the movie we are given more time to see Sally Field, an actor we are programmed to adore, agonizing over the decisions that will forever change her family. In the stage show these moments often must fly by. She is given one big ballad, “Let Go,” and unfortunately it is not stellar musically or lyrically. However, Lakis does not let that bother her, delivering a knockout performance every single moment.
The Hillards have three children who are all cute and adorable and not given nearly enough time to show us who they really are. Giselle Guttierrez, who plays “Lydia” the eldest of the children, is the one who gets the most chances to shine including some power ballad moments in her songs. We get a well-rounded character even if she has to go through her emotional journey at lightning speed.
Personally, my favorite moments of the night were turned in by a truly stunning supporting cast. David Hibbard playing the aging children’s TV star “Mr. Jolly” finds the joy of playing a single note character with great timing. Jodi Kimura as the TV show’s producer Janet Lundy works her moments for all they are worth. And as the court-appointed child advocate “Wanda Sellner” Romelda Teron Benjamin scores so many humorous and powerful moments, it’s impossible to count.
Aaron Kaburick as Daniel’s brother “Frank” and Nik Alexander as his husband “Andre Mayem” appear to have a blast as they easily walk away with every scene that they are in. Portraying make-up artists who help Daniel become a believable woman, these roles are the only ones that have become more developed from the movie. Now these two are clearly loving members of the family and have been given some of the best new lines in the show.
The essential theme of the play (not unlike that of Tootsie, another film made into a stage musical) is that the fictional female character created by a male actor, for subterfuge, takes on a magical life of her own, changing everyone, for the better, in the process. Although the actor must be punished for his deception, his forgiveness and reintegration is also ensured.
The music and lyrics written by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick are for the most part effective, though perhaps a bit overwrought at times. The book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell pays homage to the movie almost to a fault and shines best when they write their own takes on a scene. A big shout out to the sound ops who seemed to nail the magic spot for great acoustics at the National Theatre.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Mrs. Doubtfire plays through October 15th 2023 at The National Theatre— 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC. For tickets call the box office at 202-628-6161 or purchase them online.
