Hello, Poppets! Mrs. Doubtfire here to welcome you back to another week of From Silver Screen to Spotlight: the only blog that reviews, critiques, and rates movie musicals! So far on this blog, I have covered musicals that lived a tremendous life on the Great White Way; musicals like Legally Blonde, Beetlejuice, and Mean Girls (all of which you can read about in this blog) have all amassed great popularity and press during their respective Broadway runs. However, there is one musical that I believe had its life on stage taken away too soon—Mrs. Doubtfire. I know what you are thinking—they turned Mrs. Doubtfire into a musical? The short answer is yes, Broadway turns everything into musicals nowadays. But jokes aside, Mrs. Doubtfire had the potential to be as memorable and beloved as Legally Blonde, Beetlejuice, and Mean Girls, but due to a brigade of trials, setbacks, and unforeseen circumstances, its life on stage was sadly cut short.

Mrs. Doubtfire’s Broadway Divorce
Mrs. Doubtfire’s first preview was on March 9, 2020, just three days before Broadway’s pandemic shutdown. After a year and a half of inactivity, Mrs. Doubtfire officially opened on Broadway on December 5, 2021. However, the show took another hiatus from January 10, 2022, to March 14, 2022, due to an outbreak of Omicron cases among the cast and crew. Unfortunately, tragedy continued to plague the show. On May 12, 2022, Mrs. Doubtfire—unable to make back the financial losses it endured—officially announced its closing on May 29, 2022. And after only 83 performances, Mrs. Doubtfire said goodbye to Broadway.

I had the privilege and honor to see Mrs. Doubtfire on its closing night in May, so I figured I would give Mrs. Doubtfire the recognition and life it deserved—the recognition and life that COVID so rudely claimed.

Mrs. Doubtfire (Movie)

Mrs. Doubtfire hit the silver screen on November 22, 1993, with Robin Williams starring in the titular role. The comedic film tells the story of Daniel Hillard—an actor, a father, and a recently divorced husband—who disguises himself as a Scottish nanny (Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire) to spend time with his three children held in custody by his ex-wife, Miranda. What is not to love about this movie? It has drag, comedy, heart and soul, and of course, Robin Williams. But for me, this movie is far deeper than a silly comedy. As a child of divorce, this movie holds a very dear spot in my heart. I was five when my parents divorced (the same age as the youngest Hillard child in the movie), therefore, I can relate to the children’s varying emotions in the movie.

Undoubtedly, Robin Williams steals the show. Williams has had several high points in his career, but his work in Mrs. Doubtfire arguably rivals the rest. He brilliantly captures the heartbreak of a recently divorced husband and father willing to do anything to see his children. He effortlessly lightens the heavy plot with comedy as both Daniel and Mrs. Doubtfire. Most of all, he captures the audience’s heart with his charismatic characters and empathetic acting. Quite simply, he does it all and takes the audience on a rollercoaster of emotion in the process.

But the true heart of the movie is the familial message. Mrs. Doubtfire exemplifies how important family is. Even after Daniel lost the custody battle over his children, he still did anything and everything in his power to be with them (even if his actions were a bit deceitful). By the end of the movie, audiences understand why it is imperative that children have both a mother and father in their life—a remarkable and impactful message. I absolutely love everything about this movie from Robin Williams to the script to the message it teaches us. Consequently, I was so eager to purchase tickets to the musical adaption and see for myself if it lived up to its predecessor.

For the full cast and crew, check out: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0107614/fullcredits/cast

For a trailer to the movie, check out: https://youtu.be/3euGQ7-brs4

 

Mrs. Doubtfire (Musical)

When I found out that Mrs. Doubtfire was making the leap to Broadway, I couldn’t help but purchase tickets for the show. After all, the movie is so incredible, the musical surely had to be just as good, right?

In my opinion, I think the musical lived up to expectations. It was funny, campy, and emotional just like its predecessor. Because I saw the show on its closing performance, the adrenaline in the theater (from both the actors and audience) was astronomical. Throughout the entire performance, the cast exploded with energy in their acting, singing, and choreography. As an audience member, it was very enjoyable to watch and experience, especially since I had never seen a show on its closing performance.

Undoubtedly, the standout of the show was Rob McClure who played the titular role. McClure’s performance truly impressed me. As any actor or actress can testify, it is already an adversity having to play a character that has already been originated. I know from experience just how difficult it can be to take a beloved character and make it my own. Now imagine trying to follow the showstopping performance of Robin Williams and make it your own. I would be scared too. But I must hand it to McClure because he really held his own. Considering the legacy he had to follow, I thought that McClure did an excellent job at making the character campy and energized. As Daniel, McClure not only had a keen sense of comedic timing but was brilliant at delivering gut-wrenching monologues. As Mrs. Doubtfire, McClure was warm, maternal, and hilarious. And, for those of you wondering, he nailed the perfect Scottish accent. But the most impressive part about McClure’s performance was his stamina and endurance. According to McClure himself, he had 31 quick changes per show. By the end of the show’s run, McClure had executed 5,208 quick changes, most of which were head-to-toe transformations in as little as 18 seconds. This blew my mind! You would see McClure in the show as Daniel and within seconds, he looked like a completely different person. It was truly a remarkable and exhilarating experience watching him change between Mrs. Doubtfire and Danielle right before my eyes. It was no surprise that McClure received a Tony Nomination for his performance as Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire. Another honorable mention goes to Analise Scarpaci whose acting and singing as the eldest Hillard child, Lydia, gave me chills throughout the night.

Scenic Design

            I really liked the scenic design of the musical! Since the show takes place in San Francisco, it was important that the scenic designers allude to this, They do so well with a silhouette of San Francisco’s famous row of houses, the Paint Ladies. I had the opportunity to see the Painted Ladies in person and I can assure you that the silhouette for the stage looks identical to the real Painted Ladies. Furthermore, the Hillard house was just incredible. The scenic designer, David Korins, truly outdid himself with the Hillard house. Everything, from the minute details to the full kitchen looked like it belonged in a real house mot a Broadway stage. Overall, the set was classy and well done. As any good set should do, it did not overpower the scenes but enhanced them instead. It is truly a shame that very few people had the chance to see it live.

 

Book and Score

For the most part, the book is completely identical to the movie. Of course, there were some minor logistical changes to certain scenes given the fact that a musical cannot be stopped like a movie. For instance, the playwrights of the musical had to tweak the dinner scene near the end of the show so McClure could change between his Daniel costume and Mrs. Doubtfire costume. The biggest change from movie to musical was the increased presence of Wanda Sellner, Frank Hillard, and Andre Mayem. In the movie, these characters are tertiary but are principal roles in the musical complete with their own songs. Other than that, the book and script are rather identical.

As for the score, I would say it’s decent. While there are some great, foot-tapping songs in the show like “What the Hell,” the soundtrack is not very memorable. However, the true 5 o’clock number of the show is “About Time” performed by Rob McClure. The song (a rap about time) features a loop machine to create various different sounds, beats, and voices throughout the song. But the real kicker is that McClure is operating this machine live. The song alone is already catchy, but the added element of the loop machine truly separates this song from the rest. I remember the entire theater erupting into applause for at least two minutes by the song’s conclusion. But overall, the rest of the soundtrack is okay. It is by no means terrible, but it does not strike me as overwhelmingly memorable.

“About Time” from Mrs. Doubtfire: https://youtu.be/iCkXClzvmL4

“What the Hell” from Mrs. Doubtfire: https://youtu.be/CA64E9Q4Sho

Full soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-aGPlErDdY&list=PLYtb2hjiu9J9u3WLmn7V-sy1R1zQ88GCQ

Movie or Musical?

Although the musical did an excellent job of overcoming its adversities and putting on a good show, the movie still edges out the musical. Even if the musical did have a longer run on Broadway, I don’t think it will ever beat this staple Robin Williams film. That being said, the musical still deserves recognition. It was evident how clear the cast and crew adored this show, and it breaks my heart how unfortunate their luck turned out to be. Had COVID not existed, I believe that the show had the potential to be a great hit on Broadway. But for now, Mrs. Doubtfire will continue to live its life on the screen and, of course, in our hearts.

Thank you, Poppets!

Best,

Mrs. Doubtfire