Honest Review of Tootsie on Broadway – Is It Worth Seeing?

This time I saw the musical Tootsie at the Marquis Theatre.
Based on the 1982 hit comedy film of the same name, the story became famous for actor Dustin Hoffman dressing as a woman in his younger days. In this stage adaptation, Santino Fontana, who played Prince Hans in Disney’s Frozen, takes on the cross dressing role, which has become a major talking point. The musical successfully brings the humor and charm of the original film to Broadway, and I am excited to share what makes this show so entertaining.

About the musical “Tootsie”

Michael Dorsey, a talented but stubborn actor, gets blacklisted from the industry after a heated argument with a director. Desperate to work again, he takes a bold step: he disguises himself as a woman and auditions under the name Dorothy Michaels.

To everyone’s surprise, “Dorothy” lands the role and helps lead the show to success. But as Michael spends more time with his co star Julie Nichols, he begins to fall for her and hiding his true identity becomes harder by the day. Will he keep up the lie or come clean once fame is within reach?

For more details about the story and highlights, check the full show page below.

• See the detailed page for “Tootsie” >>

Tootsie at the Marquis Theatre

Marquis Theatre

The Marquis Theatre is located inside the Marriott Marquis Hotel. You first enter the hotel lobby, then take the elevator to the second floor where the theater entrance awaits.

Within the same block, you will also find Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, and across the street The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre. The Marquis Theatre stands out as one of the newer and more comfortable venues. Being inside a hotel gives it a clean calm atmosphere. It is also designed with accessibility in mind – ramps are gentle and large handrails make it easy for anyone to enter safely.

Address: 210 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036

To learn more about the theater’s design seating map and architectural features visit the page below.

• See the Marquis Theatre details >>

Things to check before seeing Tootsie

The hallway connecting the hotel and theater is lined with posters of past musicals giving a strong sense of Broadway history. It is fun to look for your favorite among them. Inside to the left of the entrance is the merchandise counter and in front of the second floor staircase, you will find the bar.

The merchandise area offers many clothing items such as T shirts as well as small accessories like tote bags. In true Tootsie fashion, some of the items humorously read “Being a woman is no job for a man.” Although the original movie premiered in 1982, the audience here was quite diverse and I even heard children laughing throughout the show.

Click to enlarge images

Our seats for this performance

How to read your ticket: MEZZL B 11

Mezzanine Left = second floor mezzanine left side
Row B (second row from the front) seat number 11 (six seats from the aisle)

Although the Marquis Theatre has a relatively gentle slope, the space between rows is generous and the view is never obstructed. From the mezzanine I could even see the band conductor, which was quite impressive.

The conductor was a woman, leading the orchestra in perfect sync with the performers on stage. Since Tootsie features many quick scene changes with elaborate set transitions, the view from the mezzanine offers a great perspective of the entire production.

Thoughts after watching Tootsie

This musical is adapted from a popular movie, just like Mean Girls and Beetlejuice. The premise remains the same, capturing the spirit of the original, making it especially enjoyable for fans of the film.

For the stage version, the story was restructured to focus on the process of putting a musical together. It is an ideal show both for fans of the original film and for first time musical goers.

2019 Tony Award for Best Actor: Santino Fontana’s voice and lightning fast costume changes

The highlight of the show is definitely Santino Fontana’s incredible vocal range. His ability to switch between a strong masculine tone and a clear feminine voice is astonishing – it is hard to believe both come from the same performer.

Because he switches between male and female characters so frequently, the show features several rapid costume changes worthy of a Broadway spectacle. His bright red dress moments are stunning. Fontana’s performance earned him the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and it is easy to see why.

Plenty of laughs even if you don’t understand every line

Being originally a comedy film, the humor translates perfectly to the stage. The audience bursts into laughter as the main character disguised as a woman finds himself in increasingly awkward situations, including being romantically pursued by a fellow actor who becomes obsessed enough to tattoo her face on his stomach.

In another scene the stage director explains choreography in a funny exaggerated way, chanting dance steps with animal names like “cat cat rabbit rabbit spin three times and clap.” Even if you aren’t fluent in English, the physical comedy makes it easy to enjoy and laugh out loud.

From the big screen to the Broadway stage

The musical ends with the heartfelt line “I was a better man with you as a woman than I was with a woman as a man.” Keeping this same ending as the original film shows deep respect for the source material.

The story also gives audiences a glimpse behind the scenes of musical theater celebrating both the craft and chaos of stage production. You leave the theater feeling like you understand Broadway a little better. This adaptation expands beyond its film roots and is highly recommended for both fans of the original and newcomers to musicals alike.

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