Mrs. Doubtfire, which played last weekend at the Capital One Hall, is the latest in a long line of beloved childhood movies being turned into stage musicals, in this case, the Robin Williams identity-switching comedy from 1993. With music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, the material stands on its own in the new format.
The story portrays Daniel Hillard, an out-of-work voice actor who annoys everyone around him with his inability to be an adult. He loves his kids, who see him as fun but embarrassing, but loses them when his endless shenanigans and irresponsibility drive his wife to ask for a divorce. He is awarded only one day per week visitation, which isn’t enough for him. When he finds out his wife is hiring a nanny, he goes to his brother and his brother’s husband, who are makeup artists, and has them turn him into an old Scottish lady, Mrs. Doubtfire, to get the job. As the saying goes, comic mayhem ensues.
The score is rich with varied songs, including a disco-inspired makeover number (“Make Me a Woman”), a rap with a complex loop-track accompaniment (“About Time”), an elaborate and enthusiastic (if slightly overlong) tap extravaganza about cooking (“Easy Peasy”), and a sharp and funny full-blown Flamenco song-and-dance about betrayal (“He Lied to Me”), all of which advance and comment on the plot well. There is also a gospel-inflected number, “Playing with Fire,” with the entire chorus dressed as nightmareish Doubtfires, as well as quite a few heartfelt ballads. The lyrics fit the bill, and the five-man band — two keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion, conducted by Eli Bigelow — sounds much larger than it is.
Originally directed by Jerry Zaks and helmed on tour by Steve Edlund, the staging is straightforward to make room for all the quick changes the plot requires. Michaeljon Slinger’s adaptation of Lorin Latarro’s Broadway choreography is lively and pleasing, especially in the frenetic cooking/tap number. The set, by David Korins, is not elaborate. All on one level, it consists of San Francisco backdrops with roll-in pieces for the Victorian home the family lives in and the main character’s dumpy apartment, plus some more abstract backdrops for production numbers.
As is necessary for such a plot premise, the costumes (by Catherine Zuber), hair and wigs (originally by David Brian Brown, handled on tour by Victoria Tinsman), and makeup design (by Craig Forrest-Thomas) are careful and effective — although the false chin on Mrs. Doubtfire here is slightly too pale and therefore noticeable.
The performances are pleasing. Of particular note are the children. As Natalie, the youngest, and Christopher, the middle child, Ava Rose Doty and Theodore Lowenstein (on Friday night) were professional, energetic, and adorable. As the teen daughter Lydia, Alanis Sophia is a powerhouse, singing beautifully and acting her heart out. The family’s mother, Melissa Campbell, is frustrated and touching by turns, especially in her big ballad, “Let Go,” where she pours out to Mrs. Doubtfire how much her husband hurt her. Brian Kalinowski is funny as Daniel’s brother Frank, whose running joke is that he yells whenever he lies, and as his husband Andre, Devon Wycovia Buchanan is fabulous in every sense. As the fierce Flamenco Singer, Kirsten Angelina Henry is a surprise treat in her vocals, dancing, and especially her comedy.
In the title role, Craig Allen Smith seems even more divided than the part would demand. As Daniel, the dad who won’t grow up, he comes across as more unlikeable than childish. His several ballads feel rough. The first, especially, “I Want to Be There,” when he explains to the Judge why he needs more time with his children, evokes less sympathy than a sense of annoyance because he should have realized all this earlier. His duet with the oldest daughter toward the show’s end is more touching, but the sense that he doesn’t care how he comes across persists even into the curtain call, during which he bizarrely chews gum, open-mouthed, the whole time. And yet as Mrs. Doubtfire, he is sweet, charming, and touching, especially in the finale when he sings about how love and families endure, in all different configurations. The Mrs. Doubtfire touring production is a well-done, effective, and fun night out at the theater.
Mrs. Doubtfire played October 17–19, 2025, in the Broadway in Tysons series at Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Road, Tysons, VA. The cast and creatives for Mrs. Doubtfire are on the national tour website here.
For future Broadway in Tysons shows at Capital One Hall, click here.
