National tour of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ musical makes first visit to San Diego next week

A scene from the Broadway production of "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Choreographer Lorin Latarro promises dancing chefs, flamenco and ‘chickens falling from the sky’

May 31, 2024 6 AM PT

When creating dance for the musical adaptation of “Mrs. Doubtfire,” choreographer Lorin Latarro just followed the lead of her collaborators.

“The writers (Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell) are so funny, and the director, Jerry Zaks, is so funny I just had to utilize what they brought to the table, then add my own brand of humor,” Latarro recalled. “Like chickens falling from the sky and dancing chefs.”

To match the Kirkpatricks’ score, Latarro also had to conceive and incorporate a variety of dance genres.

“Each of the songs has a musical feel that’s different,” she said. “The music dictated the style of dance. Like there’s a flamenco song. It’s authentic flamenco with a wink, as comedy rules the day here.”

“Mrs. Doubtfire,” the national tour of which arrives at the San Diego Civic Theatre on Tuesday, is a Broadway San Diego presentation. It features a ‘70s disco-like dance number, tap dancing, ‘90s jazz-inspired choreography and even hip-hop.

Lorin Latarro is the choreographer for "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Latarro’s job begins with the “Mrs. Doubtfire” tale itself, one well-known to the many fans of the ’93 film.

“Usually what I do first is read the script without listening to the music so I can dig into the story and who I’m supposed to care about and what their journey is,” said Latarro. “Once the music starts playing, I start choreographing. I get dancers into the room. I start moving their bodies. Little by little we develop a number.

“When we auditioned dancers we made sure that each individual was not only a great dancer but a great singer and very funny.”

The musical is inspired by a 1993 film starring Robin Williams. “Mrs Doubtfire” is the story of Daniel Hillard, an eccentric and out-of-work San Francisco television actor who loses custody of his three children in a divorce. When his ex-wife advertises for a nanny, Daniel disguises himself as an elderly British governess named Mrs. Doubtfire and gets the job in order to secretly spend time with his kids.

Two-time Tony nominee Rob McClure, who originated the role of Daniel Hilliard/Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire on Broadway, heads the cast of the musical’s national tour. McClure’s wife, Maggie Lakis, co-stars as Miranda Hilliard, Daniel’s ex-wife and the mother of their three children. McClure and Lakis have been married for 13 years. Their 5-year-old daughter, Sadie, has joined them on the tour.

Rob McClure heads the touring cast of "Mrs. Doubtfire."

The musical adaptation opened on Broadway in March 2020 and was shut down three days later by the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in December 2021, then enjoyed runs in the U.K. before beginning the U.S. tour last fall.

Latarro’s own Broadway history includes 14 shows as a performer, among them “A Chorus Line” and “Movin’ Out.” As an associate choreographer or choreographer she’s created dance for shows such as “Waitress,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “Into the Woods,” “Merrily We Roll Along” and “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” for which she did the original choreography at its Old Globe world premiere in 2018.

A graduate of the Juilliard School and a onetime dancer for the Martha Graham Dance Company and for Twyla Tharp, Latarro said she wanted to be a dancer “from first grade onward.”

“The feeling of dancing is something that is so special. Dancers are the only people who know the feeling of flying.”

Latarro says skiing comes closest to that feeling, but in the end “There’s no other exercise or experience like dancing. It’s this idea of telling a story with your whole body while using music. It’s so beautifully human.”