Theater review: In this critic’s mind, a swing steals the show at Broadway in Fresno’s ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’
By Donald Munro
The musical version of “Mrs. Doubtfire” (continuing 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, at the Saroyan Theatre) has been touring the country for a while and has been reviewed dozens of times. So if I whip up a critique in the expected format, I’m not exactly breaking new ground here.
After attending the Fresno opening night performance, I feel like there’s something more important to write about. More on that in a moment.
Related story: 5 Things to Know About ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ at the Saroyan Theatre
With that in mind, I’m going to get the regular thing out of the way and do a (sort of long) one-paragraph review of the overall production:
“Mrs. Doubtfire” is: Well-meaning, family-friendly and sometimes amusing, but uneven. At its best when it reprises some of the good laugh scenes from the movie (such as the smoking-bosom kitchen moment). At its not-so-best when it serves up a middling score (by the guys who did “Something Rotten,” which I found much more memorable). The show works hard to make the more overt anti-transgenderism of the ‘90s film more palatable today. In the title role, Craig Allen Smith is a furiously hard-working bundle of comic energy and pulls off some great impressions. You end up rooting for him. But it’s hard to escape the presence of Robin Williams, who brought a distinctive zany charm to the original role that is difficult to replicate. Costume design is a highlight, particularly for Mrs. Doubtfire’s body prosthetic and onstage drag transitions. Funniest bit: Her brother’s (played by Brian Kalinowski) inability to lie without shouting. Choreography is OK. Acting is OK. Balance between sentimentality and comedy is a little less than OK. Sound was mostly ugh. Hardest part of the show for an audience member, especially if you’re sitting in the good seats, is accepting that a little girl could mistake her dad’s grandma mask – which looks a bit like Shrek, if Shrek were a maniacal mass murderer who’d made a stop at the Macys cosmetics counter for a makeover before going on his latest crime spree – for a Scottish nanny, and not the man who raised her. Suspend that disbelief and you’re on your way to a giddy time at the theater.
OK. Done with that. Let’s move on to the more important part of the review:
Connor Barton as Loopy Lenny.
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Who, you might ask, is Connor Barton? The answer: He’s a young Fresno native who put in his time in the local community theater scene before setting off to New York to make it big. (You can read more about him in this story in the Fresno State Collegian.)
In this touring production, Barton is a swing, which means he’s expected to step into one of five ensemble “tracks,” often with very little notice. Was his appearance on Tuesday as Loopy Lenny (and a bunch of other ensemble characters) on opening night in his hometown done by design by management? I don’t know, but he sure did have some fans in the audience.
It was fun for me to track Barton through his various stage incarnations, from a children’s TV show performer wearing the most plaid pants you’ve ever seen to a gym bro. My goodness, the man can move. I counted him giving us two complete splits before intermission, and his high kicks reached the sky. More than that, Barton brought a solid presence to every moment he was on stage. I’m not sure if this is the first time he’s ever performed on the Saroyan stage, but it had to be a thrill.
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In his big featured role, that of a goofy sound engineer named Loopy Lenny, he made his entrance with a somersault and hammed up his moment in appropriate fashion. I think he was great. Then again, I’m Fresno-biased.
My season-ticket-holder friend sitting next to me remarked at intermission that she has the most fun at theater when she knows someone in the cast. I suppose that attitude defeats the purpose of great acting – everyone from the biggest star to the smallest ensemble role is supposed to disappear into their characters – but it sort of sums up the appeal of it all. On Tuesday night, Connor Barton got to play in front of a couple of thousand people in his hometown. And that was magical.
