10 Moments We Hope to See in New MRS. DOUBTFIRE Musical

By: Oct. 26, 2019
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She makes dinner. She does windows. She reads bedtime stories. She's also coming to Broadway!

The musical adaptation based on the film of the same name will have its world premiere at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre from Nov. 26 to Dec. 29 before opening on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on April 5, 2020.

When out-of-work actor Daniel Hillard (played by Robin Williams in the film) loses custody of his kids in a divorce, he disguises himself as nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As he gets lost in his new persona and grows closer to his kids, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.

Rob McClure leads the show as Daniel/Mrs. Doubtfire alongside Jenn Gambatese as his wife Miranda Hillard, Brad Oscar as his brother Frank Hillard, Analise Scarpaci as his eldest daughter Lydia Hillard, Jake Ryan Flynn as his son Christopher Hillardand Avery Sell as his youngest child Natalie Hillard. Additional casting can be found here.

Knowing not all film-to-musical adaptions stay exactly true to the original material, here are some moments from the film we hope transfer to the stage.

1. "I got to do what I got to do."

The opening scene of the film shows a fun, animated performance by Daniel while he does voice over work for a cartoon. Him walking away from the job because it doesn't go along with his morals is one of the first looks we get of his character and shows he is eccentric, yet earnest.

2. "The party's over."

Daniel throwing a birthday party for his son, despite Miranda's objection, is the final straw in their marriage. The subsequent scene between the two discusses that they have had marital problems for several years and Miranda files a divorce.

The chaotic party scene contrasts greatly with the previous scene where Miranda (played by Sally Field in the film) in very much in control of the entire room at work and gives us a better look at both of their characters.

3. "We're his goddamn kids too."

After a dinner at their father's new apartment, Miranda picks the kids up and announces she's looking for a housekeeper. She rejects Daniel's offer to take care of their children after school and the gears in his mind start turning. It is then Daniel decides to sabotage Miranda's housekeeping ad and his plan is born.

Also in this scene, his five-year-old daughter Natalie echoes a sentiment he earlier stated and lets in a comedic moment before things became too tense.

4. "Okay everyone, let's pray."

The montage going through the process of finding the Mrs. Doubtfire character is a must! Her physical appearance is developed and the process that transforms Daniel to Mrs. Doubtfire is shown, which will be revisited in later scenes. This scene also include nods to "Fiddler on the Roof" with a brief rendition of "Matchmaker" and Daniel as Barbra Streisand singing "Don't Rain on my Parade."

5. I'm melting like a snow cone in Phoenix."

Throughout this film, Robin Williams' ability for physical comedy is highlighted, especially in moments like this. After trying to quickly switch back and forth between Daniel and Mrs. Doubtfire, he loses the prosthetic face piece and struggles to make a cup of tea. To cover his lie and hide his identity from his court liaison, he quickly plunges his face into a cake. Even today - over 25 years later - this scene is a classic.

6. "My first day as a woman and I'm getting hot flashes."

In his first attempt to cook for Miranda and the kids as Mrs. Doubtfire, Daniel fails greatly. This scene also provides a great oppurtunity for physical comedy, from dumping the entire container basil onto the meat to dropping the boiling pot of water on the groun to the body suit catching on fire. Who wouldn't want to see the use of pyrotechnics on stage?

7. "They always say the key to a solid marriage is laughter."

This heart-to-heart between Miranda and Mrs. Doubtfire reveals Miranda's true feelings about Daniel and gives her a moment to share her perspective. The tender moment also gives the audience a deeper look into their marriage and allows Daniel, as Mrs. Doubtfire, to have a serious conversation with her.

8. "Watch your mouth, young man."

After trying to parent his son, Daniel slips and his two oldest children recognizes his voice. The moment where Lydia and Chris discover the true identity of Mrs. Doubtfire is crucial to the story, however, needs to be done in a better way. The transphobia is real in this scene and needs to be reworked, however, the bittersweet sentiment and the reveal of the effort that goes into seeing his kids is important to the story.

9. "Help is on the way, dear!"


This is it. It's the big reveal. Daniel spends the night going back and forth between a business deal and a family dinner in a resturaunt as himself and Mrs. Doubtfire. During Miranda's birthday dinner, her prospective love interest, Stu, begins choking. Mrs. Doubtfire runs over and saves the day, but the prosthetics come off and their true identity is revealed. This climatic point of the story also gives Miranda one of the best reaction scenes.

10. "Just because they don't love each other anymore, doesn't mean that they don't love you."

Despite the dinner ending diasteriously, Daniel is given a television show starring Mrs. Doubtfire. While answering a viewer-submitted question, she gives a monologue that wraps up the movie perfectly. The message of divorce from a parent to a child ties up the film with a nice bow.



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