54 | NOVEMBER 16 • 2023 
J
N

W 
 
 
 
 

hile everyone can use a feel-
good comedy escape now, 
a feel-good comedy escape 
turned into a full-scale musical directed by 
Jerry Zaks is even better. Movie lovers will 
certainly remember the 1993 blockbuster hit 
Mrs. Doubtfire that starred Robin Williams 
and Sally Field. As Daniel and 
Miranda Hillard, Williams and 
Field played the husband-and-
wife duo who are embroiled 
in an ugly divorce and custody 
battle. Miranda places an ad for 
a nanny for their three children 
and Daniel — an out-of-work 
actor — disguises himself as Euphegenia 
Doubtfire, a lovable Scottish nanny so that 
he can be with his kids.
Mrs. Doubtfire, the musical, is running 
at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre now through 
Nov. 26. Tony Award-nominated Rob 
McClure, who originated the role of 
Daniel/Euphegenia on Broadway, stars in 
the national tour. McClure’s real-life wife, 
Maggie Lakis, stars as his onstage wife, 
Miranda. Julie Kavanagh takes on triple 
duty in Mrs. Doubtfire as Miranda’s under-
study, dance captain and ensemble member.
“The musical is a wonderful homage to 
the film. It takes so many iconic moments 

from the movie, and it’s modernized into 
something so unbelievably funny, touch-
ing and special on stage,
” says Kavanagh, 
who received her BFA in Musical Theatre 
from the University of Cincinnati-College 
Conservatory of Music. “The message is 
all about family — how families come in 
all different shapes and sizes — and what 
someone will do to be with their family.
”
Kavanagh’s own family expanded in 
July when she married Bryan Sarner in 
Kingston, New York, just two weeks after 
booking the Mrs. Doubtfire national tour.
“It was the longest hora I was ever a part 
of. The band just kept going and going,
” 
laughs Kavanagh, who started taking dance 
classes at age 3 in her hometown of St. 
Louis, Missouri. 
You might say that Kavanagh and Sarner 
met on Birthright Israel in 2015. Although 
they went on separate Birthrights, they each 
became good friends with the same Israeli 
soldier, Daniel Sharabi, on duty for both 
trips. A couple of months later, Sharabi 

came to New York for the first time to 
visit and stayed separately a few days with 
Kavanagh and a few days with Sarner.
“So, we were talking, and Daniel said, 
‘Wait a second,
’ and I just think his match-
making radar went off,
” Kavanagh laughs.
Kavanagh and Sarner went out on their 
first date the next week. Eight years later, 
Sharabi flew in from Israel to be at their 
wedding in July and gave a speech at the 
rehearsal dinner.
“It was so special having him at our 
wedding,
” she says. “Of course, it’s a really 
hard time right now in Israel for him. But it 
made my heart at least feel a little bit better 
that I was able to speak with him for a little 
bit to make sure that he’s OK.
”
Kavanagh has strong ties to Israel. In 
1957, her grandparents, Finley and Ray 
Binder moved their family to Israel.
“My grandfather wanted to be closer to 
his faith and wanted the family to be con-
nected to their Jewish heritage and to Israel,
” 
she said.

DETAILS
Tickets for Mrs. Doubtfire, running now through Nov. 26, cost $35-$135. 
Purchase tickets online at BroadwayInDetroit.com, Ticketmaster.com or in 
person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office starting at noon.

ARTS&LIFE
THEATER

Mrs. Doubtfire offers a wonderful homage to the popular movie.

JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Julie 
Kavanagh

Nik Alexander (Andre 
Mayhem) and Aaron 
Kaburick (Frank Hillard), cen-
ter, with Julie Kavanagh (in 
gold dress on left) and the 
Company of Mrs. Doubtfire 

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS

