The 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Tour is Irresponsible and Dangerous
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
Today it was announced that a national tour of the musical Mrs. Doubtfire will kick off this fall with Rob McClure who starred in the Broadway production reprising his role of Daniel. The news is concerning as many find the show to be transphobic and touring it in states where there is active anti-trans legislation may lead to more hate toward the trans communities that live there.
The musical is based on the 1993 Robin William film. The show states it’s about the following:
“Daniel Hillard, a struggling, out-of-work actor, will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the kindly alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father. A hilarious and heartfelt story about holding onto your loved ones against all odds, Mrs. Doubtfire is the musical comedy we need right now — one that proves we’re better together.”
But some are saying that this is not the “musical comedy we need right now” and that touring it will do nothing to help the trans communities living in certain states battle back against hateful legislation that is putting their lives at risk.
Dr. Christian Lewis, who has written some insightful pieces on the subject, tweeted, “a tour that will go around the country encouraging people to laugh at a man who puts on a dress to be around children. couldn’t think of a more dangerous+transphobic show for this moment.”
They continued, “Broadway is obviously quite the spotlight, but tours can be even more dangerous, spreading harmful and dangerous rhetoric (in this case against trans people) around the country. it feels akin to a transphobic lecture series tour, but disguised as a “family-friendly” fun musical.”
Theatre influencer, Kate Reinking who is behind the popular TikTok account “theatreislife”, also stated that “taking a musical where a man disguises as a woman to get into a space he’s not wanted, no matter the reason, is dangerous when going to states actively trying to take the rights of trans ppl cuz they see THEM as wearing gender as a disguise.”
I couldn’t agree more with both of them. While shows like Some Like It Hot have made attempts to be better than the harmful tropes of joking about men in drag, Mrs. Doubtfire never did. And as far as I know, the show hasn’t made any major changes to address this, so it’s more than likely that a lot of the cringe-worthy humor I saw will still be there when the tour starts in September.
And the timing and locations that the tour will perform in couldn’t come at a worse time. There has been a monumental rise in hateful rhetoric and legislation against the trans community nationwide. The bigoted right is seeking to strip the trans community of all of their rights and protections. And the Mrs. Doutbfire tour is heading straight to states where these battles are being fought.
For instance, according to the website, they will perform in states such as Tennessee, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.
Tennessee passed legislation that called for a total ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children. That law went into effect last week. They also signed a law to prohibit "adult-oriented" entertainment, including "male and female impersonators," from public property and limit it to age-restricted venues.
In Louisiana, the state senate passed a law banning transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. There is also proposed legislation that would prohibit school employees from calling students by their preferred names and pronouns without their parent’s permission.
The GOP in North Carolina has a veto-proof majority. As of April this year, there are at least 11 Republican-sponsored bills with transgender restrictions as the spoken or unspoken focus. The ramifications of those bills include pharmacists refusing to fill a prescription for birth control, fertility treatment, or HIV medications like PrEP. A nursing home staffer could refuse to offer transgender patients hormone therapy.
In South Carolina, a bill is being advanced that proposes imprisoning trans-affirming medical providers for up to 20 years. It also requires school teachers, counselors, and nurses to “out” transgender youth to their parents.
Finally in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has made anti-trans legislation a pillar of his failing presidential campaign. He has signed laws that prohibit transgender children from receiving gender-affirming treatments, including prescriptions that block puberty hormones or sex-reassignment surgeries.
He also signed into law that teachers, faculty, and students would be restricted from using the pronouns of their choice in public schools. That bill also affirmed that sexual orientation and gender identity cannot be taught in schools through eighth grade, which has become known at the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Separate legislation would give the DeSantis administration the power to take away licenses from establishments if they allow children into an “adult live performance,” widely interpreted as a crackdown on drag shows. And another prohibits transgender people from using a bathroom or changing room that matches their gender identity while in government buildings, including in places like public schools, prisons, and state universities.
It’s important to note that while some may think that touring a production like this would help the cause and educate people on trans rights, in my opinion, shows like Mrs. Doubtfire do the opposite.
Lily Janiak wrote a fantastic piece for Datebook where she said, “Mrs. Doubtfire, with its onslaught of “man-in-a-dress” gags, helps make possible and justify oppressive laws.” She’s right, bringing in a show that encourages people to laugh at the site of a man in drag, will only further perpetuate harmful stereotypes that many are using as assets in stripping trans communities of their rights.
I also have concerns over the safety of the performers and crew performing in those states.
It’s my hope that the creative behind the show will finally listen(for the third time) to the words coming from the trans community regarding this show. Whether it’s reworking the show entirely to eliminate such harmful tropes or canceling tour dates in states that are enacting irreparable harm to trans communities, action needs to happen.
This is a time when shows that have positive, accurate, and respectful portrayals of the trans community are needed more than ever. Shows that truly encourage that “we’re better together.” And without extensive reworking, Mrs. Doubtfire is not one of those shows.