PROVO — For the short run that Mrs. Doubtfire has at the Covey, (it’s only here until Saturday night), this National tour packs a lot of energy. With a joyous script, musical earworms, and contagious choreography, Mrs. Doubtfire will move the entire family to hold each other a little tighter and laugh a little harder.
Based on the movie of the same name starring Robin Williams, Mrs. Doubtfire follows the story of Daniel Hillard, a struggling, out-of-work actor, who will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the kindly alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father. Featuring music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, this tour directed by Jerry Zaks is spreading the joy of Doubtfire across the nation.
Craig Allen Smith is an exceptional leading man, and woman, in his performance as both Daniel and Mrs. Doubtfire. Smith utilizes impeccable comedic timing, a wide range of vocal talent, and countless impressions that endear the audience to the initially irresponsible father and husband. All three are combined in his solo looping number, “It’s About Time,” showing Smith’s unquenchable spirit of natural performance. However, while Smith brightly shines, the remaining cast members do not let him take the entire spotlight.
Melissa Campbell plays a grounded Miranda, Daniels’ ex-wife. Campbell at times seems overshadowed by other performances until her solo number in Act 2, “Let Go.” In this moving song, Campbell lets her voice soar as she hits notes untouched by others in the cast. Rounding out her portrayal as Daniel’s family is Alanis Sophia as Lydia, Theodore Lowenstein as Christopher, and Ava Rose Doty as Natalie. When all three children are together onstage, their professional innocence and musicality are unbeatable. Sophia’s voice is particularly outstanding as the young Lydia, and she playfully guides her fellow young actors to perform as a goofy and touching group of siblings.
The supporting actors also often stole the show with their well-placed one-liners and exciting dance moves. Se’lah Jackson as the paradoxically stern children’s show producer brings the house down with her simple and hilarious line deliveries. Brian Kalinowski and Devon Wycovia Buchanan similarly engage the audience when their characters utilize their salon skills to make Daniel a woman. While their characters’ jobs are to cosmetically transform, Kalinowski and Buchanan showcase their ability to transform the hearts of an audience with their charismatic prowess.
Additionally, those actors who did not have speaking roles similarly captivated the audience. Every musical number that Rico Velazquez is in becomes elevated due to his infectious energy and gifted talents. The entire ensemble seems to soar to new heights in the show-stopping tap dance number, “Easy Peasy.” In this intense number, each ensemble member wore a grin from ear to ear that proved unbreakable even amidst the quickest and most challenging of dance moves. While every song proves exceptional, including the uproarious flamenco number, “He Lied to Me,” performed by the charming Kirsten Angelina Henry, the tap dance is this production’s biggest choreography celebration.
For anyone who doesn’t know the music of Mrs. Doubtfire, it is a wonderful blend of comedic dance numbers and sentimental solos. Showcasing this music is a live orchestra conducted by Eli Bigelow. These musicians play the catchy songs very passionately. So passionately that it was sometimes difficult to hear the actors singing over the loud drums. While this ultimately didn’t limit the dramatic impact of the performances, the competition of noise might have been the reason why some ensemble members solely yell their lines. (Not referring, of course, to the deliberate yelling bits in the script which were handled with hilarity.)
Additionally, the lighting design by Philip S. Rosenberg is so subtly evocative of the script’s emotion, even to the point of being overlooked, until Act 2. The lighting brings the stage to life with a masterful mix of colors during a thrilling nightmare sequence, “Playing With Fire.” In combination with lots of lighting spectacles during this sequence, Rosenberg strategically employs lights on the stage’s framing arch, drawing attention to one of the musical’s themes of family portraits. There were some minor missteps with the follow spotlights on the actors during my performance, but this minor distraction does nothing to slow down this cast.
Speaking of speed, this production has a quick pace that shapes the comedy of this family-friendly musical. A main reason why this production can keep its impressive pace is its scenic design by David Korins. Because this team is on a National Tour, the set needs to be as economic as possible. Not only is the set compact while feeling expansive, it is beautifully designed with paintings of the San Francisco landscape on backdrops as well as decorated dishes lining the household walls. Korins masterfully fits the many locations of Mrs. Doubtfire into the quickly changing scenes without ever breaking the illusion of the musical’s world. If anything, the pacing could afford a pause at a few more moments to wait for applause!
If you’re looking for a family-friendly musical that will make you laugh and wipe away a tear, come see Mrs. Doubtfire before it leaves the Covey this Saturday!
