I saw the new musical adaptation of the 1959 comedy classic film
Some Like It Hot on Broadway in 2023, and loved it more than I expected to. I was unfamiliar with the film at the time, but have since learned that the musical stays fairly true to the plot of the film, but with a few tweaks that make it feel refreshingly modern and relevant. When I saw it on Broadway I wrote, "this is a show that is perfect for touring." It is at its heart an old-fashioned musical comedy show, with a fabulous score, thrilling dance numbers, and hilarious comedy that I heard an audience member refer to as "corny as hell." But it's almost subversive in the way that it works in issues of trans acceptance, feminism, and overcoming racism. I'm thrilled that it's touring around America in this time when we need more of all of that, and that one of the first stops on the tour is right here in Minneapolis. So don't walk, don't run, but tap briskly down the street as if gangsters were chasing you to get to the Orpheum Theatre to see this fantabulous new musical before Joe, Daphne, and the gang tap on out of town!
Click here for tickets, including student/educator rush tickets.
Tony-winning playwright Matthew Lopez and very funny writer/performer Amber Ruffin wrote the book of the musical, adapting Billy Wilder's screenplay about two prohibition era musicians who don drag to escape from the mob. Song-and-dance partners Joe and Jerry witness a murder in Chicago, and need to get out of town, and the club, fast. After Joe becomes Josephine and Jerry becomes Daphne, they join an all-woman band led by Sweet Sue traveling across the country to California. Serial dater Joe (there's a joke about him not remembering any woman's name) falls in love with Sugar, the lead singer with Hollywood dreams. After befriending her as Josephine, Joe dons the disguise of a German screenwriter to woo her, but he's anxious to escape to Mexico and safety. Unlike Joe, Jerry slowly discovers that he feels more like himself as Daphne than he ever has, and revels in this life. The bad guys eventually catch up to our merry band of musicians, but this is a musical, so of course our heroes win out in the end.
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"brothers" Jerry (Tavis Kordell) and Joe (Matt Loehr)
(photo by Matthew Murphy) |
Originating the roles of Joe and Jerry/Daphne, Tony winners Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee left big shoes to fill, and Matt Loehr and Tavis Kordell do it well. Matt is funny and charming, Tavis gives a sweet and heartfelt performance both as nervous Jerry and ever more confident Daphne. Tarra Connor Jones is quite fabulous as the tough love no-nonsense Sweet Sue, Leandra Ellis-Gaston is strong and clear-voiced as Sugar, and Edward Juvier steals scenes as the enthusiastic "Poor Little Millionaire" who falls in love with Daphne. They're supported by a marvelous ensemble playing multiple characters and dancing their hearts out.
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Daphne (Tavis Kordell) and her millionaire (Edward Juvier)
dancing in Mexico (photo by Matthew Murphy) |
Casey Nichelow (who also directs) deservedly won the Tony for this spectacular choreography. Starting with lift after lift after jaw-dropping lift in the first number, you know you're in for a treat. The tap-heavy choreography culminates in a tap-dancing chase scene that is simply the best thing ever. Gangsters and musicians and hotel employees chasing each other around the stage in a lengthy whirlwind scene. The jazzy score by
Hairspray writers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman provides a great soundtrack for all of the shenanigans, with some fun and catchy songs, as well as touching ballads. Unfortunately, the touring production does not have the band onstage as they were on Broadway, but they still employ a large (by touring musical standards) and mostly local pit orchestra, the 11 musicians conducted by Mark Binns providing a full jazzy sound.
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| the cast of Some Like It Hot (photo by Matthew Murphy) |
The gorgeous and versatile art deco set with its multiple backdrops moves us smoothly from club to train to club to train to hotel (designed by Scott Pask). The Tony-winning costume design (by Gregg Barnes) includes countless '30s era dresses, hats, coats, suits, spats, and more! The show is really a feast for the eyes, in addition to the ears and funny bone and heart.
In many ways the movie was ahead of its time, with
the famous final line that is both hilarious and endearing. This musical adaptation is a great example of how you take a classic and beloved piece of art, stay true to what's great about it, and add layers to it that make it more modern and relevant. But also still true to the period, because transgender people and people of color were always there, they just didn't make it into all of our stories because of the people telling them. We have the opportunity to right some of those wrongs now.
Some Like It Hot does all that, wrapped up in a big shiny wonderfully entertaining package.
