Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE at Theatre Under The Stars

Based on the beloved ’90s film, MRS. DOUBTFIRE still follows the Hillard family as they navigate a difficult time. There are some changes and updates to the setting, but at its heart, the story is about love and the many shapes a family can take.

With music and lyrics by brothers Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick, whose previous work includes the Tony-nominated Something Rotten!, and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, the creative pedigree is certainly promising. Add the beloved Twentieth Century Studios film as source material, and this seems like a home run for families. And, to be truthful, it’s not not that.

There is a lot to love about this show, especially every member of its incredible cast. They work their butts off and make the production an enjoyable experience, even when the material itself doesn't quite hit the mark.

Craig Allen Smith takes on the demanding dual role of Daniel Hillard and Mrs. Doubtfire, delivering a manic performance that pays affectionate homage to the late, great Robin Williams and his boundless enthusiasm, while making the part his own. Smith's singing voice is strong, and he seamlessly switches between characters (and a LOT of other voices along the way). This guy is practically running a marathon every night. When he isn't onstage, he's backstage changing costumes at a seemingly relentless pace. He maintains this energy throughout the show without sacrificing dialogue or emotional beats, making his softer, more tender moments all the more poignant.

Melissa Campbell plays Miranda Hillard, a fashion designer of athleisure wear in this stage version, but still the put-upon, more disciplinarian of the two parents. Campbell does a lovely job, particularly given that Miranda can easily come across as the story's villain. Much as Sally Field did in the film, Campbell helps us understand the burden Miranda carries as the less-fun parent, what the family's separation is doing to her, and why the marriage has reached this point. Her second act solo, “Let Go,” is beautiful and one of the show's standout songs.

Rounding out the Hillard family as Lydia, Christopher, and Natalie are Alanis Sophia, Teddy Rayburn, and Luciana VanDette, all individually wonderful and cohesive as a unit. Sophia gets plenty of opportunities to shine, with a beautiful voice; Rayburn is repeatedly hilarious; and Vandette is as adorable as she is precocious. The three work wonderfully together, and their interactions with both parents highlight the differences in their parenting styles: all fun and little discipline with Dad, versus sadness and confusion at home with Mom.

Brian Kalinowski plays Daniel's brother Frank, and DeVon Wycovia Buchanan plays Frank's husband, Andre. Both have great chemistry with each other and with Smith. They are given a much larger role in the musical, and despite some occasionally cringeworthy, stereotypical flourishes in the writing, Kalinowski and Buchanan bring plenty of fun, humor, and dazzle to their performances.

Other standouts in this large, hardworking cast include Collin Salvatorè as Stuart Dunmire, the very muscular, very handsome suitor to the newly single Miranda, and Kennedy V. Jackson as court liaison Wanda Sellner, who unleashes an impressive belt during her numbers. The expansive storyline also makes room for plenty of colorful cameos, some with featured numbers of their own. Mia Dorsett and Scott Taylor-Cole make memorable impressions, while Kirstin Angelina Henry quite literally brings the house down with her incredible solo, “He Lied to Me.”

The production itself deserves applause, too. The scenic design, lighting, choreography, and transitions create a visually engaging world that can shift from domestic drama to full-blown comic chaos without missing a beat. The costumes are especially impressive; Costume Designer Catherine Zuber, along with touring hair and wig designer Victoria Tinsman and makeup designer Craig Forrest-Thomas, deserve particular credit for the transformation of Daniel into Mrs. Doubtfire. The wig, makeup, padding, and layers of costume all have to come together convincingly, often under extraordinarily tight time constraints. Watching Smith pull off the transformation again and again is a technical feat in its own right. The production team has clearly put enormous care into making the mechanics of this show work, and that craftsmanship goes a long way toward keeping the evening entertaining.

Okay, the roses have been thrown. Now it's time for a few thorny questions. First and foremost (and I've asked this before): Do we need this? On one hand, anything that gets us out of our houses and laughing together is a good thing and worth celebrating. On the other, taking something that worked so well onscreen and adapting it for a live audience in a new time period is no small feat. Add the sheer complexity of an actor playing two characters who sometimes need to be onstage at the same time (with one requiring full drag and a padded bodysuit) and I'm not entirely convinced the whole thing always comes together.

Maybe it's the fever-dream quality of some of the new material that threw me. There's an absolutely bonkers cooking sequence, “Easy Peasy,” and the choice to make Mrs. Doubtfire a plus-size fitness model, which you'll just have to see for yourself. These additions push the musical into increasingly absurd territory, sometimes without adding much to the story or its emotional stakes. But as I looked around the audience, people were laughing along and clearly enjoying the feverish hilarity. And that counts for something.

Where the adaptation struggles most for me, however, is in the writing. The book doesn't always find the right balance between the broad physical comedy that made the film so memorable and the more complicated emotions at its heart. The story wants us to laugh at Daniel's increasingly ridiculous double life while also taking seriously the pain of divorce, the children's confusion, and the damage caused by a father who doesn't always understand what his family needs. Those ideas can coexist, but here they sometimes feel like they're competing for attention, or solely as a set-up for one of the movie's famous or memorable lines.

The score has a similar problem. There is plenty of energy, and the performers give the numbers everything they've got, but few songs leave a lasting impression. “Let Go” stands out precisely because it slows things down and gives Miranda's experience room to breathe. Too many of the other numbers feel more like vehicles for a joke or another elaborate production sequence than songs that genuinely deepen a character or move the story forward.

And that's the frustrating part. The cast is doing the work, good work. The production looks and sounds great. The audience is having a good time. Yet the book and score don't consistently give these performers material worthy of the effort they're putting in. The film's most memorable moments already have decades of audience affection behind them, so a stage adaptation needs to offer something more than an opportunity to revisit them with added songs or bigger production numbers.

Still, I wouldn't call the evening a miss. If you're looking for a fast-moving, silly, family-friendly night out, MRS. DOUBTFIRE delivers plenty of laughs, and the cast's commitment is extraordinary. I left more impressed by what the performers and production team accomplished than by the musical itself. The heart of the story is still there, and there's genuine pleasure to be found in watching such a talented company bring it to life.

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