Review Roundup: MRS. DOUBTFIRE Launches National Tour; What Are the Critics Saying?

The National Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire is now underway! The production features Tony-nominated Broadway leading man Rob McClure, reprising his role as Daniel Hillard/Euphegenia Doubtfire. McClure is joined by renowned actress and real-life wife, Maggie Lakis as Miranda Hillard.

Joining McClure and Lakis are Giselle Gutierrez as Lydia Hillard, Aaron Kaburick as Frank Hillard, Nik Alexander as Andre Mayem, Leo Roberts as Stuart Dunmire, Romelda Teron Benjamin as Wanda Sellner, Cody Sawyer Braverman and Axel Bernard Rimmele as Christopher Hillard, and Emerson Mae Chan and Kennedy Alexandra Pitney as Natalie Hillard.

The cast also includes David Hibbard, Alex Branton, Jonathan Hoover, Sheila Jones, Julie Kavanagh, Jodi Kimura, Marquez Linder, Alex Ringler, Bianca Rivera-Irions, Lannie Rubio, Neil Starkenberg, Joey Stone, Gina Ward, Lauryn Withnell, and Julia Yameen.

The 2023-2024 North American Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire launched at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo before continuing on to play 30+ cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville and more. 

What are the critics saying about the musical? Read the reviews so far below!

Nancy Sasso Janis, Nancy Sasso Janis: To say that McClure leads this cast is an understatement. As he constantly switches between Daniel and Euphegenia Doubtfire, sometimes onstage, he is a force to be reckoned with. While the actor has assistance with his innumerable quick changes, he manages them efficiently, and it is actually fun to watch. McClure is the ultimate triple threat, and also masters multiple voices as did Robin Williams and acts as his own puppeteer. He is even required to appear onstage in his underwear.

Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant: “Mrs. Doubtfire” fires on all cylinders, including the two starring roles played by Rob McClure. The Broadway stalwart (who was also on the ground floor of “Something Rotten”) has been with every U.S. iteration of this show — in regional theater, then on Broadway and now on its first national tour. He is profoundly appealing both as the irrepressible impressionist Daniel Hillard and as Hillard’s greatest creation: Euphegenia Doubtfire, the Scottish woman he embodies so that he can spend time with his kids after his hyper enthusiasm and obliviousness to certain grown-up responsibilities screws up his marriage.

Mary Lincer, BroadwayWorld: McClure sings, acts, dances (duh); he plays two characters at the same time; he does voices (e.g. Gollum, ET, Miss Piggy, Agent Orange [that's what Spike Lee calls the 45th POTUS, who shall not be named]); he can beatbox, work puppets, and Rob McClure can change costumes, very frequently--yeah, sure, in the wings with dressers--but also in full view of the audience sometimes with the help of other characters and sometimes alone. So frequently! But you know what else? He can give focus, because this is not a one-man show, and several other performers help tell Mrs. Doubtfire's story. So Rob McClure shares the spotlight: talented, generous, and only seven more performances in DC.

Gail Golden, Buffalo Rising: Mr. McClure certainly deserved the nomination! He is a multi-talented dynamo — rapping, tapping, singing ballads, doing comedy numbers, puppeteering, doing lots of voices, and changing costumes dozens and dozens of times. This is a whirlwind of a performance and both “Daniel” and “Daniel as Mrs. Doubtfire” are genuine, sweet, funny, and zany! I hope Mr. McClure can keep up this pace for the 30 cities across the continent. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to see his brilliant work here in Western New York!

Eric Colchamiro, MD Theatre Guide: At the center of it is Tony-nominated Rob McClure as Euphegenia Doubtfire. McClure’s Doubtfire is zany, snarky when necessary, especially with Miranda’s new love interest Stuart, an appropriately buff Leo Roberts. He is all over the stage with excitement in contrast to the more reserved Miranda, played by McClure’s real-life wife, Maggie Lakis.

Em Skow, DC Theater Arts: Leading the national tour as he did the original Broadway cast was Rob McClure as Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire. A tour de force performance that has already garnered him Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle nominations remains just as joyful, heartfelt, and captivatingly frenetic as ever. I know I was not the only one watching McClure’s performance knowing that Robin Williams would be proud. Whether piling on the silly in “It’s About Time,” as a jealous Mrs. Doubtfire in “Big Fat No,” or pulling on heartstrings in “I Want to Be There” and the tender duet “Just Pretend” with eldest daughter Lydia (played by the wonderful silky-voiced Giselle Gutierrez), McClure’s comedic timing, vocal impressions, and physical acrobatics were all spectacular from start to finish.

Jay Pateakos, BroadwayWorld: Besides the non-stop comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire packs a huge heart as the family deals with the ramifications from a divorce and the balance of seeing their parents seperately and dealing with their mom's new love interest Stuart Dunmire, played by Leo Roberts. As a divorced dad myself, many of the notes of this musical hit home and no song struck a bigger cord than Miranda's incredibly touching "Let Go", something many of us struggle with, throughout life.

Kathie Raleigh, The Independent: Leading man Rob McClure brings a wealth of talent to portraying Daniel Hillard, the father who transforms himself into the title character; he earned a Tony Award nomination for the role, which he originated on Broadway. He is a hilarious comic with innate timing among his treasure chest of skills, including the ability to create voices ranging from Kermit the Frog to Darth Vader. Do not be late for the start of the show — it’s a showcase for those voices.

Kimberly Rau, News Talk: The actors are the best part about this show. Rob McClure reprises his Broadway role as Daniel, and plays the character very well. It’s not his fault the show stinks. Some of the best moments in the show (and there are some good moments) are when McClure really lets Daniel’s character run wild, particularly when he’s messing around at his job at the television studio. And it’s not Maggie Lakis’ fault that her lovely voice is lost on the few solos that Miranda gets. The kids (Giselle Gutierrez as Lydia, Axel Bernard Rimmele as Chris and Emerson Mae Chan as Natalie) are great. The brothers (Aaron Kaburik as Frank and Nik Alexander as husband Andre) are hilarious and play off each other’s energies beautifully. But the show falls flat and tries too hard to be something it never was, and the best actors in the world can’t save that. (Neither can watching Oscar Wilde doing disco splits, a particularly surreal moment during the montage where Frank and Andre are trying to figure out what Daniel’s “look” will be as a woman.)

Jeffrey Ellis, BroadwayWorld: Rob McClure’s masterful turn onstage as the redoubtable title character is reason enough to make sure you see Mrs. Doubtfire, The New Musical Comedy, now onstage at Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall through Sunday. But odds are you’ll find so much more to love about this musical adaptation – from the “hometown” team that gave us Something Rotten, the endearing paean to musical theater – of the classic film comedy that, truth be told, McClure’s bravura performance will be the icing on the cake (or, more probably, the buttercream sandwiched between two layers of luscious Victoria sponge) of this delightfully theatrical confection.

Carmichael Cruz, Click On Detroit: Rob McClure, who originated the role of Daniel Hilliard/Mrs. Doubtfire in its pre-Broadway run in Seattle, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York, and now across the country on the show’s first national tour, is a bonafide tour de force. From the countless impersonations (no, really, I lost count), to the never-ending costume changes both on-stage and off, McClure is the show.

The Cosmic Circus, The Cosmic Circus: So it was almost a complete shock how blown away I was when saw Mrs. Doubtfire the Musical. I was completely blown away. The show captures the essence of the original and improves upon it. Some of the scenes feel like exact replicas of their movie counterparts, with those scenes being some of the best parts of the film. However, there’s a ton added to the story, which led to a greater stage adaptation. One such storyline was the change of Miranda’s career from interior designer to fashion designer, which added some new gags with Mrs. Doubtfire. It also helped to add some drama, with more situations in which Daniel might get caught.

Ronelle Grier, The Detroit Jewish News: Like the movie, the show depends on a strong and special actor in the title role, and McClure, who earned a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway production, exceeds expectations. Rather than attempting to mimic Williams’ iconic performance, McClure makes the role his own. With his impressive talent for vocal impressions, physical comedy and serious acting, he elicits laughter as the madcap Mrs. Doubtfire and empathy as a father suffering through a nasty divorce.

Average Rating: 77.7%