DAMN I'VE MISSED THIS. Oh how great it feels to be back in a Broadway theatre! Avery Sell did the pre-show cell phone / mask announcement and the words "Welcome back to Broadway" were greeted with a lot of love from tonight's audience.
For what it's worth, this Doubtfire is about 85% the same as its previous iteration before the shutdown. A lot of the new changes worked very well IMO. I will admit that I was never a big Rob McClure fan before this show, but here he has the biggest heart, and kept pleasing me for two and a half hours. The voices are spot-on; I adored the Trump and Borat impersonations. He pretty much carries Doubtfire on his back, which means the appealing supporting cast and ensemble are underused throughout. Peter Bartlett steals every scene he is in. Charity Dawson - man, that voice. I still can't believe Analise Scarpaci is just a few months older than me (it's her birthday today, 10/29!) and absolutely killing it right now. Finally, Avery Sell is cute, but Jake Ryan Flynn is too old for his part.
The score could've been better, which disappointed me given who wrote it (will get to that later). It encompasses a wide variety of genres but lacked the cohesiveness it so desperately needed. A lot of the melodies are not really hummable either, with a few exceptions. Like Tootsie, the book fares better, but this one hews much closer to the movie, with a few modern updates, and with transphobic material rightfully cut. Solid work from Jerry Zaks, Lorin Latarro, and the entire design team.
At intermission, I was waiting by the bar on the orchestra level and met the Kirkpatricks (GEEKED OUT over Something Rotten!), John O'Farrell, Zaks, and Latarro, and I spoke with Zachary Dietz before the show and Kevin McCollum afterwards. I also ran into swing Brian Martin, who was (I guess) watching tonight's show from an out-of-house monitor. This is one of the main reasons I love seeing shows in previews. However, it also has its downsides. I was going to speak more in-depth with Dietz after the show, but the house had to be cleared for a company meeting and I couldn't spend much time with him (I'd imagine notes, seeing as this is in the preview process).
Some random tidbits / changes I noticed from the three previews Doubtfire played last year:
Daniel first enters in pirate cosplay during the opening "family picture" scene... the amount of "argh" jokes he cracks was more than needed (SpongeBob, anyone?). He knocks the camera over accidentally (not on purpose, as MattieIce may have implied earlier in this thread), but he is still overly fixated on himself, obvs.
Act One was mostly the same with some small changes. Scarpaci carries the weight of "What's Wrong With This Picture", with assistance from a rather bland Jenn Gambatese, as well as the ensemble. Thank god Scarpaci gets to sing more in this version. Yes, it sounds mostly like "That's Daniel" - and some lines were ripped directly from it - but I also heard a few musical themes from "I'm Done" as well.
I believe the dance break in "Make Me a Woman" has shortened a little. J. Harrison Ghee's line about Daniel deceiving Miranda has been in since last March, Mattie. Also, I don't really like how Oscar looks with facial hair.
"Mr. Jolly Show" now has a new ending button (right before the transition to the children on the couch - when Doubtfire turns off the Wi-Fi). I liked the old one better.
"Easy Peasy" is still fun, but is now missing "My first day as a woman, and I'm already getting hot flashes." The Rectasol commercial in the middle still makes me LOL - David Hibbard delivers it perfectly.
I'm missing one of Jenn's lines: "Wow, it's like having my own little North Korea."
About that new loop song: the whole concept is that "Mousey" and "Ratty" are arguing with each other, and Daniel is warning "them" that if they don't make up and get along, they'll end up like the "Ice Queen", Janet Lundy (BTW, Jodi Kimura plays the deadpan, stern figure very well). I'm so used to that analog clock rap by now, but just maybe I'll warm up to this one if a cast album is released. In the scene leading up to the rap, "DJ Z-Tang" has now become "Loopy Lenny", who tries to explain the loop machine / beatboxing to an unsure, out-of-touch Mr. Jolly.
Yes, Christopher catches Daniel with his mask off at the end of Act One, but Daniel is coming out of the bathroom when doing so. I don't think this issue has been completely fixed yet.
Act Two: Before the fashion show scene, gone are Lydia's remarks that Doubtfire cannot model for Miranda because "she doesn't have boobs," to which Christopher responded, "Actually, have you seen her without a shirt lately?" Good cut.
I love the female ensemble now getting solos, sharing the load with Miranda in "The Shape of Things to Come."
The second half of "Let Go" is indeed restaged, as MattieIce mentioned, as Miranda takes a seat on the couch and Doubtfire comforts her (Miranda sung the final chorus downstage pre-shutdown, before coming back to Doubtfire). I still miss the Seattle musical ending, which leads into an applause break.
"You've Been Playing With Fire" - This has been drastically changed from a staging standpoint, Jordan Catalano. Gone is the large Doubtfire mask and hands (thank God), and the new choreo / direction works to much better effect (it still remains "Spooky Doubtfire Hell Dream", but now in a different way). Charity got a great reception tonight after this number. We also get to see Daniel actually in court with Sellner, so that was a solid addition.
There is a barbershop trio serenading customers in Spanish at the beginning of the dinner scene, before "He Lied to Me." Nice addition. The entire scene is a riot, and has been shortened / tightened up a bit. Gambatese's mixed emotions when she sees Daniel out of Doubtfire disguise are perfectly conveyed.
"As Long as There is Love" - Half-and-half in terms of location. Starts at the Hillard house with Miranda and Sellner like before ("Bridges are built to be crossed..."
, and then transitions to the TV station for the second half, when Daniel's family surprises him. They go back to the Seattle musical button, which Doubtfire caps off with a sweet little "So long, poppets."
I'd give the show an overall 2.5 / 5, but I was just thrilled to see a show once again, even while masked.
I was waiting in the alleyway between 42nd and 43rd Streets about 15-20 mins after the show ended, and saw many castmates either mingling with / waiting for friends and family in attendance that night or heading back home. I said a quick hi to Oscar, Bartlett, Ghee, Mark Evans, and all three kids. All very nice.
This was a great first night back on Broadway. The only thing that would've made it better is if my family went with me, seeing as Doubtfire is a story about family at its core.
I hope to see more shows in the future to make up for lost time!
“I am furious, but I am sailing.”
Updated On: 10/29/21 at 02:01 AM
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