Almost two months after dropping a teaser video for Rob McClure’s look in the Broadway run of Mrs. Doubtfire musical, the stage production has finally released full first-look photos of the actor as the iconic nanny.
Based on the 1993 film of the same name — which starred the late Robin Williams in the titular role, the musical comedy centers on a struggling, out-of-work actor named Daniel Hillard who will do anything for his children. After losing custody in a messy divorce, Daniel uses his acting and makeup skills to impersonate a Scottish nanny named Euphegenia Doubtfire. Though he is ultimately hired to babysit his own kids, disguising as Mrs. Doubtfire proves to be something that Daniel can’t keep up for long.
Of course, Williams’ original portrayal of Mrs. Doubtfire will always be special to all the ‘90 kids, but McClure’s version of the character doesn’t look bad at all. As seen in the photo below, McClure’s incarnation of Mrs. Doubtfire is very much in the spirit of the character that Williams created for the big screen. But since this McClure’s version of Mrs. Doubtfire is made for a stage play, it’s fair to say that it’s going to be much more dynamic than the original.
“One of the most thrilling differences between the movie and the Broadway show is that we are doing this in real time,” McClure told Entertainment Weekly. “When Daniel Hillard runs into the other room and emerges as everyone’s favorite Scottish nanny 18 seconds later, our director can’t yell cut and send me to a trailer for five hours. We’ve got 18 seconds. I can feel the audience sweating with me! ‘Is he gonna make it?!?’ The stakes are so high! It makes for electrifying theatre.”
Though body prosthetics are now much more advanced than before, creating McClure’s Mrs. Doubtfire remains a team effort. “Euphegenia Doubtfire takes a village,” the Tony-nominated actor said. “I’ve got an entire Indianapolis 500 pit crew back there. My dressers and make-up team are superheroes.”
In addition to McClure, the Broadway run of the musical also stars Jenn Gambatese as Miranda Hillard, Peter Bartlett as Mr. Jolly, Charity Angél Dawson as Wanda Sellner, Mark Evans as Stuart Dunmire, J. Harrison Ghee as Andre Mayem, Analise Scarpaci as Lydia Hillard, Jake Ryan Flynn as Christopher Hillard, Avery Sell as Natalie Hillard, and Brad Oscar as Frank Hillard.
Featuring a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, the musical made its world premiere in a pre-Broadway tryout at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Washington in 2019. Its Broadway run opened in preview on March 9th at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, and will open in full on April 5th.