Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE at Ohio Theatre

Lana Turner (who had seven divorces), Elizabeth Taylor (seven divorces), Zsa Zsa Gabor (seven divorces), and Larry King (six divorces and one annulment) have nothing on actors Rob McClure and Maggie Lakis.

Since the start of the North American tour of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, the real-life couple have “divorced” more than all four of those celebrities combined. The pair plan to continue splitting up throughout the remainder of the show’s stay in Columbus.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE, which runs Oct. 31-Nov. 5 at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State Street in downtown Columbus), is based on the 1993 movie that starred the late Robin Williams, Sally Fields, and Pierce Bronson. The musical, however, adds layers to smaller characters as well as 22 Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick-penned songs, and a host of dance numbers.

Here's a quick recap for those unfamiliar with the plot of MRS. DOUBTFIRE. After going through an acrimonious divorce, voice actor Daniel Hillard (McClure) must secure a job to prove to social services that he can provide a stable environment for his children. So naturally, he dresses in drag and dons face-altering makeup to somehow fool his wife Miranda (Lakis) and his three kids that he is Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire.

Daniel becomes his ex’s confidant until she starts dating Stuart Dunmire (Leo Roberts). As Daniel attempts to sabotage the budding relationship, his double life becomes known.

Transforming William’s creation into a stage production is no small task. According to Buzzfeed, it took Williams four and a half hours a day to become Mrs. Doubtfire. Each performance McClure must undergo that metamorphosis a half dozen times on stage.

McClure is an expert in providing the spastic energy and vocal and physical gymnastics needed as Daniel. However, one of the things Williams relied on was close-up camera angles to capture the nuances of his character’s facial expressions. McClure doesn’t have that option, so the show relies on a larger than life head when he becomes the Scottish nanny.

Lakis’ Miranda character comes across as a much softer, more likable version of Sally Field’s portrayal. Lakis’ Miranda is a Type A personality pushed to the limits by the antics of her ex but continues to hold a soft spot for Daniel.

One of the stronger parts of the show is the development of the characters around those two. One such example is Giselle Gutierrez’s take on Lydia, a teenager forced to become the adult and shepherd her sibs, Christopher (Cody Braverman) and Natalie (Emerson Mae Chan) through the emotional minefield of a divorce.

The book, penned by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, also fleshes out the role of Daniel’s brother Frank (Aaron Branton) and his husband Andre Mayem (Nik Alexander). In the movie, Frank is a bit part, memorably played by Harvey Fierstein. In the musical, the two are given a backstory as a couple trying to adopt a child. Branton’s best bit is a nervous tic of shouting whenever he is telling a lie.

The show also marks the return of David Hibbard, a graduate of The Ohio State University, to Columbus. Hibbard plays the Judge, Mr. Jolly, and a host of other ensemble characters in the musical.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE draws big laughs off the movie’s original script, but also from the material Karey Kirkpatrick and O’Farrell weaved into it. The scene in which Daniel’s double life is exposed both frays the nerves while generates the laugh track.

The down beat of the musical is not all the songs work. Some are forgettable; one is unbearable. “Playing with Fire” is reminiscent of BOOK OF MORMON’S “Spooky Mormon Hell” but far less funny. Daniel has a nightmare in which he’s attacked by an army of Mrs. Doubtfire clones, who hit him repeatedly with their handbags, and a judge who bashes him in the head with an over-sized gavel.

When the show is at its best, however, is when it finds a way to strum the heartstrings and not just yank on them. “Just Pretend,” the duet with Gutierrez and McClure near the end of the show, is one such moment. As his daughter confronts the end of her parents’ marriage, she asks her father some tough questions: So why can't you just keep it going/Acting like the love's still there/Maybe you could just pretend/Say that you could just pretend
A little more.

The song was based on a deleted movie scene between Williams and Lisa Jakub, who played Lydia in the movie. Karey Kirkpatrick took its dialogue and created an unforgettable moment, the strongest song in the show.

That sting of the moment feels so real. That is what makes MRS. DOUBTFIRE, both as a movie and as a musical, succeed. It lacks that PARENT TRAP cliche ending where Mom and Dad magically fall back in love again. Instead, the couple reach a far more realistic compromise.

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