The touring production of the musical version of Mrs. Doubtfire arrived in San Francisco this week for a July run at the Orpheum Theatre — and we had our doubts. This is, after all, the same musical that closed on Broadway after only 126 previews and performances, barely lasting four months.
Of course, there’s logic in bringing the beleaguered production back home to where the plot takes place. Tourists still clamor around the corner of Steiner and Broadway in Pacific Heights to take pictures of “the Mrs. Doubtfire house,” used for the exterior shots in the film.
The early ’90s was a different time, and the plot itself — a divorced father disguises himself as an elderly Scottish nanny in order to trick his ex-wife into hiring him as her housekeeper so he can spend more time with his kids — hasn’t exactly aged well in the past 31 years.
The entire premise was already ridiculous, and now that we live in a time of culture conversations about transphobic tropes in media and men with Peter Pan syndrome, why make a musical version about a duplicitous man-child in drag today? In a word: Nostalgia.
To be fair, upon a recent viewing of the original Mrs. Doubtfire, the film was less cringe than expected, especially considering I hadn’t seen it before, so therefore had no warm fuzzy nostalgic feels to color my perspective. Robin Williams’ over-the-top acting and charisma carry the film, and despite its somewhat problematic plot, it’s easy to see why it’s still loved.
This new musical version takes great pains to smooth over the more cringe-worthy edges of the original script, which is especially true in the second act, where the “Daniel as Mrs. Doubtfire” character gets called out by others for his deceitful actions, most especially in the full cast number, “Playing With Fire.”
The gay characters in the show, Daniel’s makeup artist brother and costume designer husband, are more fleshed out than in the movie, and despite providing Daniel the ability to pass in drag as Mrs. Doubtfire, the couple end up providing the strongest moral compass in the show by constantly questioning Daniel’s actions.
The far-fetched premise of the plot requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief, which is easier to swallow in the context of a theatrical show where characters suddenly break out in song, rather than in the original film.
That’s because at its core, Mrs. Doubtfire is really simply a classic theatrical farce. After all, it’s got all the elements of this old-school comedic schtick: improbable situations, exaggerated characters, implausible plot conveniences, and slapstick stereotypes. It’s a tired yet time-honored formula that many Broadway audiences still love, and while the questionable “man-in-a-dress” trope isn’t quite the comedy gold it was last century, it apparently still makes for easy laughs.
Lead actor Rob McClure originated the titular character for its run on Broadway, and considering the debt he owes to Robin Williams, he certainly has some big shoes to fill. But with his similar ability to mimic voices, as well as an assured singing voice, he embodies the Mrs. Doubtfire character in a charismatic, crowd-pleaseing manner.
The true singing star of the production though is Giselle Gutierrez, who plays daughter Lydia. She helped elevate several of the more pedestrian songs in the production, and her number “Just Pretend” was a welcome reminder that despite all the farcical elements of the show, the heart of the story is still that of kids dealing with the pain of divorced parents.
Ultimately, Mrs. Doubtfire the musical isn’t all that much different from Mrs. Doubtfire the film. It’s a gender-swapping family-friendly farce that somehow turns divorce custody into comedy. Only this time with songs. Safe to say, if you love the movie, you’ll love the musical too.
Adriana Roberts is a DJ and performer with her Bootie Mashup parties, as well as a writer and trans influencer.
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