Cary Ginell — Theater Critic

Despite a handful of character changes and substitution of new scenes, the stage version of Mrs. Doubtfire works because of Craig Allen Smith's hyper physicality and sympathetic portrayal of Hillard. Fortunately, the key speech at the end of the show, when Mrs. Doubtfire reads a letter to her audience from a little girl whose parents have broken up, still brings out handkerchiefs to blot at moist eyes. Yes, it's cloying and overly sentimental, but the honesty of the Hillards' family dynamic comes through, making the musical version of the film classic an appropriate and entertaining variation on the universal theme: families come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

"What remains, however, is good enough, thanks to a superb performance by Fradiani as performer/Diamond, perfectly capturing his 'gravel-wrapped-in-velvet' voice and on stage mannerisms, although physically he looks more like the Fonz than the leather-fringed superstar. As the older Diamond, Robert Westenberg doesn't fare as well, totally unrecognizable in physicality or spirit as he exposes his inner self to his therapist, played by Lisa Reneé Pitts. Kohn is especially good as Diamond's second wife Marcia, delivering a strutting performance of 'Forever in Blue Jeans' while parading across the stage."