When I heard that “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the 1993 film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field, was being made into a Broadway musical, I had my – pardon the pun – doubts. So many attempts to turn hit movies into musicals fall flat. “Pretty Woman” and “An Officer & A Gentleman” are recent examples.
So, walking into the Providence Performing Arts Center, I had my fingers crossed. Not only was the film a hit, it showcased the comic genius of Robin Williams. How could this musical hope to capture that?
No need for crossed fingers or doubts. “Mrs. Doubtfire” is genuinely funny and touching too.
While the curtain is still down, we’re treated to some funny pre-show announcements. Different voice impressions doing the normal curtain speech. Turn off your cell phones, and things like that. When the curtain rises, we see Daniel Hillard (Rob McClure) in a sound booth, doing a variety of voices for a director. He’s a little out of control, and his humor is not appreciated by the director, who ends up firing him.
McClure, who originated the role on Broadway, is a skilled impressionist, which he demonstrates throughout the show. When demonstrating that he “does voices” to a court-appointed overseer, he effortlessly riffs as Kermit the Frog, Yoda, Gollum from “Lord of the Rings” and more.
He’s also a gifted physical comedian. He’s not Robin Williams, but he’s not trying to be. When I spoke with McClure before the show, he made it clear he was not doing a tribute show. He has truly made Euphegenia Doubtfire his own.
The musical loosely follows the film’s story. Daniel is an out-of-work voice actor. His wife Miranda (played by McClure’s real-life wife, Maggie Lakis) files for divorce, and a judge limits Daniel’s interaction with his three kids to a once-a-week visitation. The judge promises to revisit his order if Daniel can secure a job and a suitable living arrangement.
Miranda’s self-employment is taking off, so she needs to hire a nanny to care for the kids after school. Daniel sabotages the interview process, and creates the character of Mrs. Doubtfire, landing the job as nanny to his own kids.
The children’s TV show where Daniel plays around on the set and what Daniel does have also been changed. In the movie, Daniel played with dinosaurs, giving them voices as he riffed a dialogue. In the musical, Daniel plays with some DJ equipment, using sampling to create a rap song about telling time. And the creation of the rap and the rap itself are absolutely hilarious.
Many of the jokes and a lot of the shtick from the movie are found in the musical. But there are changes. For instance, Miranda is an interior designer in the film, and a clothing designer in the musical. Daniel’s brother Frank (Aaron Kaburick) has a larger role than Harvey Fierstein had in the film. In the musical, he and his husband Andre (Nik Alexander) play a bigger part in Daniel’s life and are themselves trying to adopt a baby.
Daniel’s fever dream in the second act features ten Mrs. Doubtfires, another moment of hilarity in the show.
Besides McClure, there are amazing performances by so many cast members. Let’s start with the Hillard kids. Giselle Gutierrez (Lydia), Cody Braverman (Chris) and Emerson Rae Chan (Natalie). They all have amazing presence and comic timing and good voices as well. When Gutierrez sang the first song where she has a solo – “What the Hell” – there was a chorus of wows around me.
Kaburick and Alexander are laugh-out-loud funny as Daniel’s brother and his partner. The running gag where Frank yells whenever he’s lying is well-played and hilarious.
One of the stars of the show, however, is McClure’s transformation into Mrs. Doubtfire, which we get to watch the first time it happens – and several times afterward. When I spoke with him, McClure said he changes into and out of the Mrs. Doubtfire costume – padded body suit, dress with apron, the face, wig, glasses, teeth, and shoes – 31 times. It’s amazing to witness, and McClure pulls it off flawlessly.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” is worth your time. If you don’t find yourself laughing out loud, then it’s time to get that funny bone checked.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” runs through this Sunday at the Providence Performing Arts Center. For tickets and information, call 401.421.ARTS or visit www.ppacri.org.
