Memory and Makeup: Navigating the Nostalgia of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ at the Ordway

The beloved 1993 film finds a second life on the Ordway stage as the national tour of “Mrs. Doubtfire” arrives in St. Paul. This musical adaptation follows Daniel Hillard, a struggling actor who creates a formidable Scottish persona to remain close to his children after a difficult divorce. Craig Allen Smith leads the production as the titular nanny, delivering a high-energy performance that proves the character still possesses plenty of heart. While the story effectively balances slapstick comedy with a poignant exploration of family, it is a show primarily designed for fans of the movie.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Although the musical delivers our favorite cinematic moments, it lacks the kind of memorable “hummers” in the score that you would typically carry home. Instead, it is left to the capable cast to breathe life into a marathon of sight gags and rapid-fire quick changes. While Smith shines as both the doting dad and the eccentric nanny, the children provide the emotional anchor the story requires. Giulia Marolda and Theodore Lowenstein, as the elder Hillard children, deliver some of the evening’s most authentic performances as the kids caught in the middle of a domestic storm.

Melissa Campbell handles the somewhat thankless task of portraying Miranda Hillard with a steady grace, grounding a character who can often feel unlikable in her pragmatism. In her second-act anthem, “Shape of Things to Come,” Campbell finds her moment to shine. Her vocal performance captures a woman caught between the wreckage of her past and the potential of a revived career and new love. Surrounding the main action, the ensemble executes numbers with relentless razzle-dazzle, embodying everything from dancing chefs in a YouTube cooking video to a manic kiddie show audience. While their energy is effective, the stage occasionally feels overcrowded as the production attempts to retell a story many of us already know by heart.

Photo by Joan Marcus

The physical transition from Daniel to Mrs. Doubtfire unfolds seamlessly before our eyes, but it is the hair, wig, and makeup designers who deserve the true credit for the illusion. Victoria Tinsman, based on the original designs by David Brian Brown, provides that signature hairstyle, while Craig Forrest Thomas’ makeup artistry delivers the iconic face we all love.

Though certain themes have been updated for a modern audience, the film’s classic gags still garner the biggest laughs of the night. Too many modern movie adaptations merely tell a story without ever truly showing it, yet this production manages to show and tell everything. It is a rare feat that balances a high-wire act of physical transformation with the heavy emotional lifting of a family in transition. From the frenetic precision of the costume changes to the cast’s vocals, the production leaves no stone unturned in its quest to visualize the lengths a father will go to for his children. It is a vivid, maximalist display of craft that ensures the audience feels every comedic beat and every quiet pang of heartbreak.