When considering the amount of Broadway musicals adapted from films, few are as confusing as Tootsie. While the Dustin Hoffman vehicle has many fans and accolades, the idea of a woman in a dress trying to dominate the industry has become a bit of a touchy subject. What is gained from making a farcical journey of Michael Dorsey turning into Dorothy Michaels? Thankfully the recent incarnation that stopped by The Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts found a way with a witty songbook and even livelier choreography and comedy. It’s an uproarious journey that knows how to have fun with the subject while contemporizing it with clever spins and enough talent to make it a worthwhile journey.
The only thing more self-indulgent than Tootsie’s love of the industry is Michael. Even during “Opening Number,” a supporting ensemble who doubles as dancers/singers and set changers perform at odds. Before they realize to be the harmony between actors struggling to get similar roles and actually succeeding, they are arguing with Michael. He is a stubborn lead, believing that he has to have a backstory for every background character he plays in a 30-second commercial. He is the type to lose his job over these conflicts, reflecting an arrogance that holds him back. Insufferable is an understatement, as many in the supporting cast are quick to note that this 40-year-old actor has failed at life. He needs a reinvention. With help of friend Jeff (Jared David Michael Grant), he discovers that he could achieve it by playing a woman named Dorothy.
The story spirals from there, featuring dual love interests and opposing job offers. Even as the audience laughs at Michael falling further into the trap of Dorothy, Robert Horn’s book expertly turns everything into a farce. It’s the type of musical that benefits from a lively audience, filling the awkward silence with required laughter. The show knows how to use a gag, managing to make three actors standing opposite in a variety of “it’s not what you think” situations into visual splendor. It helps that the music and lyrics by David Yazbek are just as dazzling, finding girlfriend Sandy (Payton Reilly) singing an anxiety-induced sprint with “What’s Gonna Happen” or the triumphant thud of “Jeff Sums It Up.” The comedy is as much in what’s said as it is delivery, finding new standards with a few giggles to carry the charismatic singers along.
Dorothy’s journey features a reworking of William Shakespeare that is clearly produced by a hack. It’s here that the show finds some of its funniest moments, notably in Max (Lukas James Miller) as the dimwitted co-star who makes it his life goal to fall in love with Dorothy. He loves her assertiveness, her ability to command a show and turn it into something masterful. As the cast swirls through Act I, there’s an impressive amount of choreography that finds them learning to work together. What starts with Dorothy moving in a dazed state across a professional number eventually finds her at the center. Every step features pratfalls and a clear deconstruction of what makes Broadway so endearing, where tearing the curtain back enough reveals someone who doesn’t really belong there.
Given that Tootsie is also a show that thrives on its costume changes, prepare for some of the fastest, most dizzying changes of recent years. Gorgeous gown after gorgeous gown appears from under the last, managing to happen in between twirls and jumps that are in themselves mesmerizing. By Act II when “The Most Important Night of My Life” finds everyone sharing opening night jitters, there’s an impressive capability to jump from character to character and even opposing scenes with such brisk pacing that none of the comedy is lost. Sure some of it is lowbrow and requires characters with severe egos, but it all works thanks to a winking nature. Even if there’s seriousness at the center, Yazbek and Horn know how to make a story that is first and foremost funny.
With that said, one has to question what Tootsie provides to a Me Too Generation of theater. Few industries are as self-conscious about how women are treated by superior men as Broadway, and they’ve done plenty to stand out with their progressiveness. Given that big name producer Scott Rudin is one of the men who came under scrutiny, the concept of someone who is immediately as unlikable as Michael Dorsey getting big stage treatment seems baffling. Even if the show knows how to poke fun at itself, why is Michael’s story important?
To be completely honest, it’s not a clear-cut answer. There is an acknowledgment of the thorny subject matter, and even then it doesn’t provide a great answer. What it does do is create a worthwhile conversation about these issues, sometimes a bit too nakedly. At different times Tootsie drops references to contemporary issues in a manner that may date it in a few years. While it’s not a story that ever forgives Michael, it does raise the question of why Tootsie should’ve been made at all. It’s a product of 1980s ideology and while the soundtrack is infectious and many of the scenes are hilarious, the conclusion may be the least satisfying part. For those just viewing it as a farce, it works a lot better. Every character has a confusing web to work out of, and Horn’s ability to connect the dots works well for those hoping for a satisfying conclusion.
Credit to Drew Becker in the lead role, who manages to bring a near-espionage level of mystery around every facet of character. While wondering how he’ll get out of every situation, one may be confused by the fast costume change in “Unstoppable” or how well he shifts his voice. Elsewhere is Reilly making the most of a one note girlfriend character who takes one joke and adds satisfying pathos. Few deliver quite like Grant’s Jeff, who serves as the voice of reason, able to talk through the nonsense and still knock the crowd down. Every actor plays for the back row, and it’s a delight to witness. This is a show that thrives on exploiting the theatrical loopholes of entertainment. It does it very well and even if some of the jokes are obvious, there’s an admiration for a team who put in the extra effort to make it seem like they put 110% into every detail.
Tootsie is a musical that may not quite be the next big blockbuster, but it’s definitely worth checking out for those wanting a romping evening out. Front to back, few shows have worked the farce as well as this, making spectacle work as both self-indulgent and full of nuanced effort. It may not fully escape the trappings of its source material, but it does much better than anyone would’ve expected. Even if it’s rooted too much in the moment to have a long-term legacy, those willing to just appreciate the jokes, for now, will find a lot to like. Even then, it’s a show whose parts alone are worth witnessing for oneself. The costume changes, choreography, and performances all have something that will take the audience aback. It’s rare for a comedic show to do that, and this is one of the better examples seen touring the country in the past few years. Is it unstoppable? Not really, but it does deserve to go as far as it can.
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