Mrs. Doubtfire is now playing at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music until February 18, 2024. It is a glorious musical you must not miss. The production is magnificent. Rob McClure proves once again that he is a musical comedy star in the title role. Rarely offstage, he sings, he dances (in drag, with a prosthetic suit under his nanny attire), he performs hilarious voices, he touches the heart as well as the funny bone, then cracks hilarious jokes the next minute. Come and see a theatre genius at work.

 

Ensemble Arts Philly is a new presenting brand of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Cultural Campus – and along with The Shubert Organization – Mrs. Doubtfire is their latest Broadway presentation. Mrs. Doubtfire is their latest endeavor, and it is swell indeed. Mrs. Doubtfire boasts a stellar lineup of great names from theatre, television, and film in all departments, from Creative Talents in Stagecraft, Choreography, Music, Acting, and Directing. The legendary director Jerry Zaks leads a uniformly marvelous cast who create magic eight times a week. 

 

In addition to the formidable Mr. McClure as Mrs. Doubtfire and Daniel Hillard, Maggie Lakis is Daniel’s wife, Miranda, and their three children, aka “Poppets,” are played by a group of amazing people of the stage: Giselle Gutierrez, Cody Braverman, Emerson Mae Chan, Kennedy Pitney, and Axel Bernard Rimmele. The  imposing Leo Roberts is the athletic, tall, dark, and handsome suitor Stuart Dunmire, bewitching the newly divorced Miranda. Of course, much hilarity ensues when Daniel as Mrs. Doubtfire gets in all sorts of humorous jabs at Stuart’s expense. All standout amid a uniformly talented cast who give 100% on stage.

 

Mrs. Doubtfire will definitely be one of the top five musicals you will see this season in Philadelphia. Seeing this splendid production of Mrs. Doubtfire is a must.