Review: The musical version of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ is both garish and dull

Ross Raihala, Pioneer Press
·4 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Some 30 years after it first hit the big screen, the comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” remains a fondly remembered classic by moviegoers. And it’s not the story — which requires a Herculean leap in logic to make basic sense — but the presence of Robin Williams, who was given a role perfectly suited for his wild, one-of-a-kind comic talents.

The musical take on “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which runs through Christmas Eve at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre, makes the fatal mistake of attempting to recreate Williams’ manic spirit and comes across as a garish spectacle stuffed with dull gags and lifeless performances.

The story follows voice actor Daniel (Rob McClure) whose carefree, live-in-the-moment attitude proves to be too much for his wife Miranda (Maggie Lakis), who asks for a divorce, even if it crushes the couple’s three children. Through a convoluted series of events, Daniel decides the only way he can spend more time with his kids is to don a wig, fat suit and fright mask and impersonate an elderly Scottish nanny who wins over their hearts. And, yes, the audience is expected to accept that Daniel’s family has no clue whatsoever, until his son accidentally walks in on him in the bathroom.

The musical opens with a seemingly standard “turn off your phones” message broadcast over the loudspeakers that quickly turns into a repetitive joke that is then immediately repeated on stage by Daniel. (Repetition, it turns out, is a major theme of the show.) In his first few minutes, McClure rattles off a rapid-fire barrage of mediocre impressions, from Homer Simpson to Donald Trump to Yoda. He starts at a frenzied 10 and has nowhere else to go in the two-plus hours that follow.

To be sure, the role of Mrs. Doubtfire is a tough one physically and I couldn’t help but wonder what a number all of that ripping off of masks and sticky wig glue is doing to McClure’s hairline. And the book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell essentially demands a performance that mirrors Williams, which McClure gamely attempts, even if he comes across more like Fox News’ resident comedian Greg Gutfeld doing a Williams impression.

The script is set in the present, but still follows the main beats of the film including its iconic sight gags familiar even to those who’ve only seen the trailer — McClure dances with a vacuum cleaner, hastily applies a face mask of whipped cream and slaps his fake breasts with pot lids after they accidentally catch on fire.

Kirkpatrick and O’Farrell also pack the show with gags, far too many of which are just endless spins on the “Ha, that’s a man wearing a dress” variety that were already tired in the original film. For reasons unknown, they also toss in a few overly broad ethnic stereotypes as well as an Austin Powers joke. (What, no room for similarly timely pokes at Viagra and Monica Lewinsky?) The songs by brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick are big, bright, utterly unmemorable and sound as if they were written by an AI trained on “Mamma Mia!”

“Mrs. Doubtfire” enjoyed a successful premiere in Seattle in late 2019, but the pandemic botched the musical’s Broadway run, with previews starting just days before the Great White Way shut down in March 2020. After restarting, shutting down a second time and reopening yet again, the show limped its way off Broadway after a mere 43 previews and 83 regular performances. (McClure has played the title role from the start.)

That said, “Mrs. Doubtfire” radiates with the look and feel of a proper Broadway blockbuster, with a huge cast and eye-popping number of costumes. But, oof, the choices the production made for the Mrs. Doubtfire character are questionable, starting with the mask that’s supposed to look like Williams (not McClure) in drag but instead feels almost inhuman.

As “Mrs. Doubtfire” the musical so closely apes “Mrs. Doubtfire” the film, it’s difficult not to make comparisons. McClure is clearly no Williams. As his wife Miranda (a role criminally underwritten for the stage), Lakis is no Sally Field. As his gay brother Frank, Aaron Kaburick is no Harvey Fierstein. As Miranda’s boyfriend Stu, Leo Roberts is no Pierce Brosnan and, well, you get the point.

Speaking of points, it’s difficult to understand the actual point of this show. The book and music add nothing to a production that lacks heart, spirit and wit. Folks who love the film are best served by simply returning to the source material.

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’

  • When: Through Sunday

  • Where: Orpheum Theatre, 910 Hennepin Ave. S., Minneapolis

  • Tickets: $159-$40 via hennepintheatretrust.org

  • Capsule: “Mrs. Doubtfire” is a misfire.

Related Articles