KeyBank Broadway Series ‘Some Like It Hot’ is a jazzy blast

The 1959 American crime comedy “Some Like It Hot” is ranked “Number 1” on the American Film Institute’s list of “The Funniest American Movies of All Time”. Produced and co-written by Billy Wilder the movie starred Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon with George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee and Nehemiah Persoff in supporting roles.

It was nominated for six Academy Awards (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design (that won the film’s only Oscar). The movie was released to high critical and financial acclaim grossing $14 million by 1962. To date the movie has grossed $83.2 million internationally.

The film was released without the approval of the Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code) due to it featuring cross-dressing males. With audiences becoming more tolerant to what was once considered taboo subject matter in films and with the overwhelming success of “Some Like It Hot” the code was eventually retired and a movie rating system enacted in its place.

With this wildly popular movie setting such a high bar (even today it is still a fan favorite) turning it into a 2022 Broadway musical was a daunting task indeed. So how did Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin (Book), Marc Shaiman (Music) and Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (lyrics) do? Well for starters it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards (winning four) and eight Drama Desk Awards (winning in each category).

Be aware that the writers of the musical took liberties with many elements of the original story line which may not be a bad thing. If you have the movie firmly memorized in your head it may give you pause but the show is so stupendously directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw that you will find it wildly entertaining.

It is 1933 in the waning days of Prohibition when Sweet Sue (Tarra Conner Jones) is arrested performing at a speakeasy during a raid “What Are You Thirsty For?”. Having been bailed out of jail Sue finds Chicago too hot to stick around in and decides to form an all-female band to tour the western U.S. with their final show in San Diego, California.

Sweet Sue’s Saxophonist, Joe (Matt Loehr) and stand-up bass player Jerry (Tavis Kordell) find themselves out of work and desperate. They try to find work at the Cheetah Club owned by gangster “Spats” Colombo (Devon Goffman). The club’s hiring manager is impressed by the duo’s talent but will only hire the white Joe refusing to hire Jerry (who is Black). Joe explains that he was raised by Jerry’s parents after being abandoned and that they are “brothers” as they tap dance to “You Can’t Have Me (If You Don’t Have Him)” Colombo, walking through and is impressed by “The Tip-Tap Twins” that he hires them to close out the bill.

Colombo gets a tip from FBI Agent Mulligan (Jamie Laverdiere) that he will be arrested if he doesn’t turn state evidence. Colombo suspects that Toothpick Charlie (Michael Skrzek) has ratted and lures Toothpick and two of his thugs to his office shooting them both dead. Joe and Jerry walk in to discuss better billing only to witness the murder.

Colombo and his group of thugs chase the pair through the night club. Joe and Jerry hide in the women’s dressing room as Joe comes up with a plan to disguise themselves as women and join Sweet Sue for the trip to California where they can flee to Mexico “Vamp”.

Joe and Jerry make their way to the train station (having some street urchins accosting the original female sax and bass players for the band and throwing their instruments into the river). Posing as music students Josephine and Daphne they are hired by the desperate Sue. As the band boards the train, the band’s singer, latecomer Sugar Kane (Leandra Ellis-Gaston) arrives. As they travel, Sugar Kane confesses to joining the all-female band because of a weakness she has for male saxaphone players “A Darker Shade Of Blue”.

The band begins their tour as Josephine/Joe, Daphne/Jerry and Sugar form “The Tip-Tap Trio” performing “Take It Up A Step”. Joe is having trouble with the gender bending especially as he is falling for Sugar. Jerry on the other hand takes right off on his/her new life. Sugar confesses that her reason to go to California is to be discovered and be a movie star. Back in Chicago Colombo gets wind of where Joe and Jerry are headed and takes the train out with his thugs. Agent Mulligan is tipped off and pursues Colombo.

Arriving at the Hotel Coronado in San Diego, the owner, millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Edward Juvier) spots Daphne and falls head over heels in love “Poor Little Millionaire”. Joe wants to leave immediately for Mexico but Jerry refuses because this is the first time he has felt “at home” and been loved. Joe attempts to escape on his own by stealing the luggage of Austrian screenwriter Kip von der Plotz. Joe changes into Kip’s clothes and runs into Sugar. Coming up with a fake German accent he woos Sugar who invites him to that evening’s show. Kip/Joe/Josephine goes to the show with Sugar and Daphne performing a duo act as Daphne angrily eyes “Kip” as Osgood falls deeper in love with Daphne.

This is an excellent cast that leaves it all on the stage. Notables include Tarra Conner Jones as Sweet Sue, Leandra Ellis-Gaston as Sugar, Matt Loehr as Joe/Josephine and Tavis Kordell as Jerry/Daphne. A very special nod goes to Edward Juvier as Osgood who sings, dances and mugs his way into your heart. The thirteen piece orchestra under the direction of Mark Binns is excellent, filling the large theater with robust jazzy sound. Natasha Katz’s lighting design is perfect at setting the proper mood for each sequence. Gregg Barnes costumes are Tony worthy.

This is a Broadway extravaganza that has it all...singing...dancing (including excellent tap dancing)...great acting...music...bright costumes...excellent lighting...crisp sound...and a mad cap ending during “Tip-Tap Trouble” complete with slamming doors. As long as you do not mind the changes made to your beloved movie you will be thoroughly entertained. Order your tickets NOW!

The KeyBank Broadway Series production of “Some Like It Hot” will be on stage in the Connor Palace Theatre on Playhouse Square through November 24, 2024. For more information and tickets go to www.playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000.