Mrs. Doubtfire is a musical with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell and music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick, based on the 1993 Twentieth Century Fox film of the same name (which is based on the 1987 novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine).
| Mrs. Doubtfire | |
|---|---|
| A New Musical, Poppets | |
| File:Mrs Doubtfire Playbill.jpg Playbill cover | |
| Music | Wayne Kirkpatrick Karey Kirkpatrick |
| Lyrics | Wayne Kirkpatrick Karey Kirkpatrick |
| Book | Karey Kirkpatrick John O'Farrell |
| Basis | Mrs. Doubtfire by Randi Mayem Singer Leslie Dixon Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine |
| Premiere | November 26, 2019: 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle |
| Productions |
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Background
On January 22, 2015, Entertainment Weekly reported that a musical adaptation of Mrs. Doubtfire was in the works, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel, and a book by Harvey Fierstein (who played Frank Hillard in the movie). Producer Kevin McCollum had previously spoken to The New York Times in 2013 about the 1993 movie's musical prospects, noting that the plot was "tailored for Broadway audiences".[1] However, in 2016, Menken told Digital Spy that the project was put on 'creative hiatus', citing changes in the creative team as the problem.[2] Nevertheless in 2018, McCollum revealed that the adaptation was still aiming for a Broadway bow, but with an entirely different creative team which includes Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick composing the score, and John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick writing the book. Tony Award-winner Jerry Zaks was also announced as the director of the show.[3]
In 2019, the musical held a reading with a cast including Rob McClure, Kate Baldwin, Mario Cantone, and Jake Ryan Flynn.[4]
Production
The musical is directed by Jerry Zaks with choreography by Lorin Latarro.[5] Rob McClure plays the role of Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire.[4] with Jennifer Gambatese as Miranda Hillard, Brad Oscar as Frank Hillard, Analise Scarpaci as Lydia Hillard, Jake Ryan Flynn as Christopher Hillard, Avery Sell as Natalie Hillard, J. Harrison Ghee as Andre, Mark Evans as Stuart Dunmeyer, Charity Angél Dawson as Wanda Sellner and Peter Bartlett as Mr. Jolly.[6]
Seattle tryout
The musical made its world premiere at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington beginning previews on November 26, 2019, with an official opening on December 13, with an intention to run until December 29 before being extended due to popular demand until January 4, 2020.
Broadway
Mrs. Doubtfire began Broadway previews on March 9, 2020 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre with a scheduled opening night of April 5, 2020.[6] Due to Governor Andrew Cuomo's response to the coronavirus pandemic, all Broadway productions were suspended on March 12, 2020, and expected to resume the week of May 30, 2021; the official opening night is now subject to change.[7]
Musical numbers
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Cast
| Character | Industry Workshop (2019) |
Broadway (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Hillard / Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire | Rob McClure | |
| Miranda Hillard | Kate Baldwin | Jennifer Gambatese |
| Stuart "Stu" Dunmeyer | Mark Evans | |
| Frank Hillard | Mario Cantone | Brad Oscar |
| Lydia Hillard | Mallory Bechtel | Analise Scarpaci |
| Christopher Hillard | Jake Ryan Flynn | |
| Natalie "Nattie" Hillard | Avery Sell | |
| Janet Lundy | Pearl Sun | Doreen Montalvo |
| Wanda Sellner | Charity Angél Dawson | |
| Andre Mayem | Michael James Scott | J. Harrison Ghee |
| Mr. Jolly | Peter Bartlett | |
References
- ^ Healy, Patrick (2013-08-01). "Like the Movie, Only Different". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (2016-05-17). "Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical has been put on hold". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
- ^ "'Mrs. Doubtfire' musical is officially in the works and aiming for Broadway". EW.com. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
- ^ a b Clement, Olivia. "Rob McClure to Star in World Premiere of Mrs. Doubtfire Musical" Playbill, September 5, 2019
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (June 6, 2019). "Mrs. Doubtfire Musical Will Make Its World Premiere in Seattle". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
- ^ a b Desk, BWW News. "Breaking: MRS. DOUBTFIRE Will Open on Broadway in Spring 2020 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "The Shutdown Continues: All Performances of Broadway Shows Now Suspended Through June 7". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2020-04-08.