Review: MRS DOUBTFIRE, Ensemble Arts Philadelphia - US national tour

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Mrs Doubtfire, the musical comedy, is based on the 1993 comedy starring Robin Williams who enraptured an entire generation with the beloved story and character in a way that very few could. The Broadway version of the show opened in March 2020 and, with the pandemic, never got the chance to take off. However, as someone who saw it then and saw it again last night, it has been reworked and is now sidesplittingly funny.

Enter four time-Tony Award winning director Jerry Zaks, add in a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, and music/lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and you’re sure to have a hit on your hands.

Mrs Doubtfire has a sensational, diverse cast, led by Rob McClure as Daniel Hillard - who was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical in the role on Broadway - and his real life wife (Maggie Lakis) as Miranda Hillard, with the characters singing and dancing in amazing numbers.

‘Make Me a Woman’ is a fantastic number in the first act whereby Daniel is transformed into ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ by his talented brother Frank (played by the fantastic Aaron Kuburick) and brother in law, Andre (played by the fabulous Nik Alexander). ‘Easy Peasy’ is also hilarious with Chef Amy, Chef Louis and Chef Ann (played by Julie Kavanagh, Jonathan Hoover and Lannie Rubio), as Mrs. Doubtfire learns how to become a nanny (and Daniel starts learning how to become a father).

The children don’t have many songs but knock it out of the park with ‘What the Hell?’ as they try to figure out their new family dynamic and who they are as individuals. The Hillard children, Lydia, Christopher and Natalie are played by the extremely talented and precocious Giselle Gutierrez, Cody Braverman and Emerson Mae Chan. Other notable cast are Romelda Teron Benjamin as social worker Wanda Sellner, David Hibbard as the decrepit Mr. Jolly, Marquez Linder as Stuart Dunmire, and Jodi Kimura as TV executive Janet Lundy. The singing and dancing is fantastic and there is truly something for everyone in this big-hearted musical comedy.

Hilarious and heartwarming.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Jamie Flowers

Mrs Doubtfire plays at the Academy of Music, Ensemble Arts, Philadelphia until 18 February, with further information on the tour available here.