Review: TOOTSIE at The Orpheum Theatre Memphis

Tootsie is a new musical based on the 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman. The story follows Michael Dorsey ("Is he an actor? Yes, of course, he is. Is he successful? Yes, of course, he's not") and the opening number immediately makes his rotten reputation evident and known.

Michael comes up with a plan to disguise himself as a woman and goes for a meaty role in a musical. The audience follows Michael's journey as he transforms into Dorothy Michaels, the "actress" who dazzles the people around her and brings Michael success and recognition like he has never known. Tootsie had an industry reading in 2017, with Santino Fontana in the role of Michael, before it premiered in previews at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago in 2018.

The Broadway production began previews March 29, 2019 at the Marquis Theatre and opened on April 23, 2019. The show starred Fontana as Michael as well as Lili Cooper as Julie, Sarah Stiles as Sandy, and Andy Grotelueschen as Jeff Slater. After only 318 performances, the show closed on Broadway in January of 2020. In 2019, a non-Equity National Tour was announced for 2020, and a West End production would premiere the following year.

Recent announcements also included productions in New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, with cast and dates to be announced at a later time. In 2019, Tootsie won two Tonys for Best Book of a Musical (beating out Hadestown, which recently left Memphis) and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical. It also won various Outer Critics Circles Awards as well as Drama Desk Awards.

One thing that slightly disappointed me was the fact that despite how fun the music was in the moment, the tunes weren't memorable. I find myself drawn to musicals with show-stopping numbers that won't leave my head until several weeks later, but there was no such song in Tootsie. Still, the Orpheum stage was filled with strong voices and belts that made me shiver. I'm especially referring to Ashley Alexandra, who captured the audience with her bold voice and her delightfully positive outlook on life. And the girl can fill up a room with her powerful belt!

The ensemble acts as a sort of Greek chorus but their moments are pretty limited, appearing to break the fourth wall and to move scenery around. They come and go so quickly that we are left wondering, what just happened? Another favorite of mine was Jared David Michael Grant in the role of Michael's roommate, Jeff. His comedic timing and hilarious quips truly made the show for me. In the second act his song "Jeff Sums It Up" recaps Michael's situation perfectly (be warned, if you do decide to bring children to the show, which I don't particularly recommend, Act II becomes quite... colorful, with raunchy jokes and many expletives) Other notable performances to mention are Lukas James Miller in the role of Max Van Horn, Payton Reilly as Sandy Lester, Kathy Halenda as Rita Marshall, and Adam du Plessis as Ron Carlisle. Comedic timing, delivery of lines, and interesting characterization made the show hilarious to watch.

Drew Becker does something unique with his two roles. Though we know that Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels are the same person, Becker does well with differentiating between the two and giving the two characters different voices and personalities. Michael Dorsey is truly an unlikable character, with his inflated ego and his constant yelling but when he puts on a dress, he becomes more collected, more grounded, and more interesting to watch. The show does a good job calling attention to particular issues such as women equality, white male privilege, gender stereotypes and pay scales, and the transgender community. But I definitely felt like it could have gone further. We as a society are always worried about what could offend and what's borderline safe. Tootsie keeps a safe distance from "too much". The show has just enough heart and humor to keep it light and keep audiences laughing.

I also have to mention that it's been awhile since we have seen a musical with a curtain and an overture. I was delighted to welcome them both back to the Orpheum. The show feels slightly dated in my opinion but if you enjoyed the 1980's film, you're sure to enjoy this production! It is also a delight to see so much diversity in one show! The cast features all different shapes, sizes, genders, and colors and they all shine together on the Orpheum stage. The show seems to have changed somewhat since the 2019 Broadway production but still maintains a contemporary outlook.

The show runs at the Orpheum February 15-20. Don't miss it, Tootsie!

To post a comment, you must register and login.