Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...But the success of Wednesday night’s opening is due in no small measure to the show’s original star, Rob McClure, who is a formidable physical comedian and vocal pyromaniac who knew from the start that he had to honor Williams but not let his character get too deep inside his head. McClure’s beautifully calibrated performance, which I’ve seen twice now (I was one of this show’s few New York supporters), really is a masterclass in top-lining a musical comedy: he’s up there with the likes of Nathan Lane and Brad Oscar and Harvey Fierstein, even if his potency is less immediately obvious. Plus, McClure is an uncommonly generous and willing-to-listen actor who throws a lot of attention on the other performers in this ensemble, such as Aaron Kaburick, who plays Daniel’s brother and Giselle Gutierrez, who plays both his teenage daughter and main antagonist."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...There are a surprising number of perspectives to take in considering the new musical “Mrs. Doubtfire,” now rolling through town in its tour after a flopped-but-hey-pandemic Broadway run. And the selected viewpoint very much determines the endpoint of one’s evaluation."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...The North American Tour Company presented a new musical comedy at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, Mrs. Doubtfire, is this year's must-see musical. There is no doubt that this musical is fire!"
Around The Town Chicago - Recommended
"...“Mrs. Doubtfire” as a musical is fun with lots of great laughs, and tonight’s opening night audience had a blast. That is one of the beauty parts of theater. For 2 1/2 hours, we are transported away from the reality of our day, and swept into a story that will, in this case, bring a smile to your face. You will leave the theater entertained and feeling good, and who can ask for anything more? For the record, there is a happy ending. The divorced couple finds what they need and share the kids."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...This musical is a sweetly beautiful story, filled with lots of love and pathos. It's perfect for the whole family with its broad humor, positive parental characters and three endearing children. The show features a gifted cast, led by Broadway's incomparable Rob McClure in the title role, and supported by a truly talented ensemble of triple-threats. Since "Mrs. Doubtfire" is only in town for two weeks, don't miss your chance to see and hear the lovable, laughable Scottish nanny, especially as she bursts onstage calling out, "Hellooo, Poppets!""
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...The Groundhog Day musical debacle left me wary of movie-to-stage adaptations. I saw them as cash grabs, mere shadows of the beloved originals. So, I approached Mrs. Doubtfire with trepidation, fearing another corny, uninspired musical. Thankfully, Mrs. Doubtfire surprised me. It wasn't just enjoyable, but the refreshingly unapologetic old-fashioned style of musical theater was a welcome change."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Once in a while, a theater production comes along that does better on tour than it does on Broadway. Mrs. Doubtfire, by the songwriting team of Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!) and a book co-written written by Karey and John O’Farrell, is one of these outliers. The 2020 musical received a tepid critical response on Broadway, as well as little attention from Tony Award voters."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...There are three reasons why Mrs. Doubtfire, currently camped out (and camped up) at Broadway in Chicago’s Nederlander Theatre on its national tour, is one of the decade’s best film-to-stage-musical adaptations: a book (Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell) and score (Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick) that create poignant emotional arcs for the characters amidst all the madcap fun; Rob McClure, who brilliantly reprises his Tony-nominated Broadway performance in the title role; and the late Robin Williams, who gave McClure and this production the gift of a remarkable performance to build on, in much the same way he did for the Genie role in the Broadway adaptation of Aladdin."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...It isn't often that Chicago theatergoers get to see the cast of an original Broadway musical comedy right here in the city. How lucky we are to get the stars of the "Mrs. Doubtfire" Broadway cast in Chicago for just two short weeks."
BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended
"...MRS. DOUBTFIRE is escapist musical theater fun with tremendous character actor Rob McClure (reprising the role from Broadway) carrying on Robin Williams’s immense legacy from the 1993 film in the lead role."
NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...What is amazing about the virtuoso performance of Rob McClure, in the lead role that he created and is reprising from Broadway on the national tour, is how little of its brilliance is owed to Williams. Yes, McClure is a wicked mimic, so the fact that Daniel is a voiceover actor—a plot detail created for the film to spotlight a Williams strength—is handled with aplomb."
