In defense of Tootsie

I was in town over the weekend for three shows, somewhat ironically, all previously movies: Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls, and Tootsie. Media and reviews determine expectations these days for most people and I admit I am not immune. So I had the lowest expectations for Tootsie even though I knew I was seeing a Tony award winning actor (whose star is on the rise). And it blew me away. Santino Fontana was EXCELLENT but the supporting cast was every bit as good. I haven't seen anything as funny since The Play That Goes Wrong, but of course this is a different kind of humor. Loved David Yazbek's creative and clever score, too.

So I wonder why it hasn't caught fire? Am I in the minority or have Broadway tastes just changed so much that Tootsie, a typical style show from years past, is now unusual and under appreciated? Would love to see more of these kinds of mature and sincerely funny musicals.

On the other hand, Moulin Rouge, which has hype through the roof, was just OK in my opinion. I did miss Danny Burstein, which I'm sure affected the quality.

Joe Mayo said: "Allen S Bishop said: "I was in town over the weekend for three shows, somewhat ironically, all previously movies: Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls, and Tootsie. Media and reviews determine expectations these days for most people and I admit I am not immune. So I had the lowest expectations for Tootsie even though I knew I was seeing a Tony award winning actor (whose star is on the rise). And it blew me away. Santino Fontana was EXCELLENT but the supporting cast was every bit as good. I haven't seen anything as funny since The Play That Goes Wrong, but of course this is a different kind of humor. Loved David Yazbek's creative and clever score, too.

So I wonder why it hasn't caught fire? Am I in the minority or have Broadway tastes just changed so much that Tootsie, a typical style show from years past, is now unusual and under appreciated? Would love to see more of these kinds of mature and sincerely funny musicals.

On the other hand, Moulin Rouge, which has hype through the roof, was just OK in my opinion. I did miss Danny Burstein, which I'm sure affected the quality."

I had very similar reaction to yours.

I think house sizehas a lot to do with it. Put this in a 1000 seat house vs a 1500+ seat house and I think it would have made a big difference in buzz and sustainability. It seems to have come on a bit lately, but the house selection was a miss in my opinion."

I agree but it might have been the few houses available at the time.

Very funny show, though!

Jarethan said: "IMO it would be a great comedy, but the music and choreography make it a mediocre show. I found myself almost
getting angry because the score was letting it down...I was watching a musical where I didn’t want them to open their mouths to sing. Not good IMO."

I agree. I thought there were some very funny lines and Fontana and most of the featured cast were great. I wasn't getting angry with the score, but I was really disappointed with it. It was unremarkable and didn't support the show well. The cheesy choreography, sets, and costumes didn't help the show as well. The movie succeeded because it was a comedy and as a play, it would have benefited without the score and choreography. Some numbers sounded so much like ones from Women on the Verge... that I wished I was back in the Belasco seeing that show. I thought the show was fun, but not compelling theater, but then again, it is Tootsie.

Updated On: 10/21/19 at 05:26 PM

"Also, I think the switch from a TV soap opera to a Broadway musical made the story weaker, since something happening on live TV has an exponential impact over anything that happens onstage"

Exactly !! The reveal happening on a live TV show with millions of views is a lot more dramatic than being done in front of a thousand people at most.

''The switch from a TV soap opera to a Broadway musical made the story weaker''

One of my big problems with ''Tootsie'' the musical is that it asks us to believe that Michael Dorsey could pull off his deception without tipping off ANYONE BACKSTAGE, including his dressers.

Also, at the time of the movie's original release in 1982, it was easier to accept ''Tootsie'' as a cross-dressing comedy about a desperate actor. In 2019, against a backdrop of ''MeToo,'' it's harder to root for a self-centered straight guy who feels entitled to essentially take away a role from an actress equally deserving of work.

Updated On: 10/22/19 at 12:48 AM

''I saw the movie when it first came out. Wouldn't this also be the case with his dressers in the soap opera?''

It's been so long since I've seen the movie, but I thought there was a reference to how Dorothy liked to do her own makeup in private (thereby exposing herself to fewer people). But if you're in a musical, often changing clothes throughout a show, it seems like that kind of deception would be tougher to hide.

It was the show we saw the night we arrived. I wanted to see something light after a long flight and a rush to the theater, and this worked for me overall. It's flawed in a variety of ways that others have mentioned - unmemorable score (with one exception), climactic scene that didn't work for me. But other aspects of the show, even the dated plot and sitcom style, was so well executed by the cast that I had no complaints. It's a comedy. I laughed. That's no small thing.

I have! Yes, I loved Tootsie so much, deeply funny, very creative. But, it was the one Cast recording in the past year I did not immediately download after getting home from the show. Then, I thought more about it, and decided to get it a few weeks ago. The more and more I listen to it, the more enjoyable and memorable it is. Funny how that seems to happen from time to time, yeah?

ModernMillie3 said: "I have! Yes, I loved Tootsie so much, deeply funny, very creative. But, it was the one Cast recording in the past year I did not immediately download after getting home from the show. Then, I thought more about it, and decided to get it a few weeks ago. The more and more I listen to it, the more enjoyable and memorable it is. Funny how that seems to happen from t



I am not sure I buy that argument. Tickets are too expensive to recommend a show whose score a lot of people thought sucked when they heard it in the theatre.


After reading an earlier post, I realize that The Band’s Visit is the only Yasbek musical I have seen where I did not feel the Music was the weakest part of the show. This includes ..Tootsie, .Scoundrels and The Full Monty. I did not see Woman on the Verge, and I can’t remember what else he did. Full Monty and Scoundrels had more pluses to me than Tootsie.

Updated On: 10/23/19 at 02:03 AM

chrishuyen said: "I don't want to derail the thread too much, but out of curiosity how many people who thought the score was weak have listened to it since seeing the show? Don't get me wrong, I absolutely agree that the music was the weakest part of the show when I saw it (and it's rare that the book of a musical shines so much), but listening to the cast recording after it came out a few months later I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the songs a second time around. I'm not quite saying it's the score of the century or anything, but I did find a lot more nuance in it outside of seeing it, though I'm not familiar with David Yazbek outside of Band's visit so I'm not sure how it compares to his other work.

Tootsie was definitely a highlight for me this past season, but I also think a huge failing of it is the ending, where it's left rather open-ended and doesn't quite give a sense of closure. And I believe someone mentioned it in a different thread, but having the reveal take place during the Tony Awards would have upped the ante quite a bit."



A Broadway score is likely to always sound better the second time you hear it which can only explain why I just saw Amelie again in England and enjoyed the score way more than I did when I saw in New York...