San Diego resonated with the first visit from the Broadway tour of “Mrs. Doubtfire.” Laughing, clapping, screaming approval rambunctiously, the crowd sounded like they belonged at a Drag show as they celebrated single dad Daniel Hillard’s (Rob McClure) cross-dressing efforts to see his kids.
The ultra-talented Rob McClure, who was Tony-nominated for originating this role on Broadway, cracked jokes a mile a minute with voice impressions, break dancing and character swaps to boot. His on stage ex-wife Miranda is played by his real life wife Maggie Lakis. The palpable longing and pain the couple brought to the stage humanized a plot that could veer towards the silly as Daniel increasingly escapes his adult troubles with alter ego Scottish nanny Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire. Giselle Gutierrez, Axel Bernard Rimmele and Charlotte Sydney Harrington expertly played the children torn between embittered parents and a new nanny with their own comedic turns.
The musical is an update from the 1993 movie starring Robin Williams, with McClure executing many of Williams’ iconic physical comedy moments like dancing with a vacuum. The script is nearly the same as the beloved movie, with the addition of lackluster songs and a modern update with fights about screen time and secret texts.
In a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell scared to deviate from the original movie, the nostalgia-fueled trip may have been better remaining set in 1993 as many of the television reenactments felt dated, with the exception of a desperate attempt to skip an inappropriately timed ad during a disastrous cooking tutorial sequence.
The tour sported an expansive ensemble used to great effect in stressful moments as Daniel first develops the character of Mrs. Doubtfire, fails to learn to cook from YouTube videos, and struggles with his identity. The ensemble’s celebrity impressions, singing and dancing around the embattled Daniel brought in more Drag elements to a show about one straight man navigating fatherhood amid a messy divorce.
More often though, the musical set aside the dance ensemble to focus on the internal turmoil and growth of immature, out-of-work actor Daniel with personal scenes between the loving dad, often in disguise, and his struggling children. McClure’s performance is the heart of the show, with each feat of acrobatic dances, quick changes, looping machines, and puppeteering impressive on its own— and a demonstration of his tireless commitment to the role in total.
He was of course assisted by a talented cast of supporting actors who brought humor to each of the characters, no matter how minor. Aaron Kaburick as Daniel’s bad-at-lying brother, Jodi Kimura as a humorless TV executive, and Romelda Teron Benjamin as the deadpan court-appointed supervisor were particular highlights. Andre Mayhem, Daniel’s brother-in-law, felt like all the stereotypes of a Black femme gay man in a faux fur trench coat, with only the added character trait of wanting to be a parent, which does at least spur a conflict with cavalier Daniel, so at risk of losing all custody of his children through his deception. The one-note role assigned to actor Nik Alexendar felt particularly remiss when so many of the technical aspects of the show depend on methods pioneered by Drag performers. Who can fault a minor character for not having an individual arc and growth though in a show with such a focus on another actor with two characters of his own?
The hilarious and heartfelt musical is safe – with the pros and cons that word entails. It is kid friendly with only a few swear words. The man-in-a-dress humor could easily have been offensive, but the script carefully avoids those pitfalls. At other times, by cleaving so close to the movie, the script seemingly limits McClure, who could bring a greater deal of improvisation as seen in the lead role in similar comedic musicals like “Beetlejuice.” Still, the resulting family drama is a delight for all ages, especially with McClure in the lead.
The first Broadway tour of “Mrs. Doubtfire” will be at the Civic Theatre through June 9. Visit https://www.broadwaysd.com/upcoming-events/mrs-doubtfire/ for tickets.
