Mrs. Doubtfire

[Quiche2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:25pm

Who else thinks that this would make a fantastic musical. I just watched the movie this morning, and it has always been a favorite of mine. I'm thinking Norbert Butz as Daniel/ Mrs. Doubtfire, and possibly Brooke Shields as Miranda?

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:26pm

I really have been saying this for years. I'm surprised it's never been considered.

[Quiche2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:27pm

I know right! It's a fantastic concept, and I'm sure it would do very well.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:30pm

Obviously Harvey would write the book. But I think Butz would make a really ugly Mithuth Doubtfire.

[little_sally]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:31pm

It's still a very popular movie, and it's always on TV, and I think if it's done well, it'll be a hit.

[Quiche2]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:32pm

little_sally, it really is on TV all the time, watched it on TV last week, Thursday, and this morning. With the right cast and direction it could be a huge hit.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:36pm

I'm sure the idea has occurred to Harvey. Must be some reason.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 4:36pm

This has Marc Shaiman and Scot Whitman written all over it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 10:05pm

I spoke with Sally Field at THE HEIRESS this past week and she said how much she'd love to come back to Broadway, so maybe she can reprise her brilliant role.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 10:33pm

A producer friend tried to acquire the stage rights but they were already nabbed up. This was four years ago.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 10:56pm

The idea of making this into a musical was discussed relatively seriously several years ago, but there are legal entanglements that will probably prevent it from ever actually happening.

According to Harvey Fierstein (who I believe was involved in the idea of a stage adaptation,) Robin Williams and his ex-wife Marsha were the primary co-producers on the original film. Since their divorce five years ago was pretty nasty and relatively complicated, the odds of her being cooperative in granting the rights to the property are slim to none, so the idea has basically been permanently shelved out of respect to all parties.

Harvey said something along the lines that, while he thinks it would have been a great musical, he values his relationships with both Robin and Marsha more than he does the prospect of working on something that would cause problems for everyone involved. He also mentioned that there was an operatic adaptation that ran in Europe in the early 2000s that wasn't well received.

Updated On: 10/13/12 at 10:56 PM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/13/12 at 11:46pm

But really...who could top Robin Williams as Mrs. D?

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 12:35am

Nathan Lane would be perfect for this

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 12:35am

Nathan Lane would be perfect for this

[Jungle Red]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 12:56am

Twice as nice!

[blueroses]

Posted: 10/14/12 at 1:56am

I. Am. Job.

[hanabana]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 1:55am

If this really happens, I will definitely go see it. Mrs. Doubtfire is hilarious, one of my favorite movies! And yes, I agree that there is definitely a lot of potential in making this into a great musical! Who knows, maybe it will happen one day!

[castlestreet]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 9:15am

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure this was done in Italy already... not sure how successful it was, but I did find this:

http://www.totaltheater.com/?q=node/2050

[Patash]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 10:44am

Thanks for that link, castlestreet -- and yes, the "opera" production was mentioned above. From the link:

"Orchestral accompaniment is pre-recorded. There are no live musicians in the house. The story is easy to follow even if you have only a smattering of Italian. There are clever cultural references, as when the ex-wife visits Montesano's messy, sparse apartment and says, disparagingly in Italian: "It reminds me of La Boheme" - Puccini's opera about poor Bohemians. Montesano, feeling sorry for his fate, replies: "More like La Forza del Destino" - Verdi's opera about the tragic forces of destiny."


Uh, any guesses why this concept failed? Duh!

[theaterfan862]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 11:13am

Mrs. Doubtfire would be amazing as a musical! I also second Nathan Lane as Daniel and Shaiman and Whitman doing the score. I also think Beth Leavel would be a brilliant Miranda.

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 11:17am

How about Douglas Hodge or Christopher Seiber as Daniel? I love Beth Leavel as Miranda.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 11:21am

LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of Douglas Hodge

[dreaming]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 11:27am

I love Hodge-he's great at being funny and tender.

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/15/12 at 3:52pm

I"m absolutely feeling Norbert Leo Butz for this one.

Posted: 10/15/12 at 3:54pm

Patti LuPone would make an awesome Mrs. Doubtfire!