(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – The late Robin Williams made her a household name, but now actor-comedian Rob McClure has made “Mrs. Doubtfire” his own – with a little help.
McClure, who headlines the musical based on the beloved 1993 comedy, said he does 31 quick changes as he goes back in forth between his roles as out-of-work actor Daniel Hillard and his alter-ego, Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire.
“I have a team of four dressers – three wardrobe and one hair and makeup person – on every change, and they are the magicians behind the transformations,” McClure tells WBBM Newsradio. “And it is an astonishing thing to see because at any moment in the 18-second transformation, they’re all doing something.”
The plot hews close to the film: After losing custody of his children, Hillard creates the role of Mrs. Doubtfire to stay close to them. The new character – famous for her exclamation of “Helloooo!” – takes on a life of its own.
The stage version of “Mrs. Doubtfire” debuted in New York in 2019 but was sidelined by the pandemic. The national tour began last fall, but this is the show’s first stop in Chicago.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” plays at Chicago's Nederlander Theatre through March 10.
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