Is Euphegenia Doubtfire bound for Broadway? Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken revealed on Thursday, Jan. 22, that he’s currently hard at work on a musical based on the 1993 Robin Williams comedy Mrs. Doubtfire.
Menken — whose music has provided the soundtracks to several classic Disney movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Tangled — dropped the news casually in an interview with EW Radio about ABC’s new series Galavant. The fairy-tale-themed show features original songs by Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater, who worked with the composer on the stage version of The Little Mermaid in 2008.
Asked to elaborate on the Mrs. Doubtfire project, the Best Original Score Tony winner (for Newsies in 2012) told EW Radio he was collaborating with David Zippel, his writing partner on Disney’s 1997 movie Hercules. (Their song “Go the Distance” was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost to Titanic‘s “My Heart Will Go On.”)
“Harvey Fierstein is writing the book, David Zippel is writing the lyrics, I’m writing the music, and it’s going very well,” Menken said. “It’s in its early stages, and that’s probably all I can say. We’re really enjoying working on it.”
Mrs. Doubtfire, of course, starred the late Robin Williams as Daniel Hillard, a recently separated father of three who disguises himself as an elderly British housekeeper so he can see his kids during an ongoing custody battle with his estranged wife (played by Sally Field). Tony winner Fierstein appeared in the film as Hillard’s brother.
The movie was one of Williams’ most memorable and beloved roles. Prior to his death of an apparent suicide in August 2014, he had been attached to star in a sequel to the box-office hit.
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