Some Like it Hot opened at the Pantages Theatre Wednesday night and brought the heat, the laughs and a welcome dose of razzle dazzle with vibrant tap numbers to an enthusiastic opening night audience hungry for all of the above.
Based on the 1959 movie starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemon and Marilyn Monroe, which has spawned not one but two Broadway musicals, this iteration wastes no time getting the conceit underway as two unemployed musicians witness a mob hit and are “forced to” disguise themselves as women to join an all-girl band to avoid getting snuffed out by Runyon-esque mobster Spats Columbo. The touring production, which arrived at the Pantages and plays through August 17th, boasts a stellar cast headlined by Matt Loehr as Joe Jablonsky (aka Josephine) and Tavis Kordell as Jerry (aka Daphne).
Loehr and Kordell set the bar high as song-and-dance men (or women) whose impressive vocals are matched by their equally impressive tap skills. With a book by acclaimed playwright Matthew Lopez and TV scribe Amber Ruffin, the plot is quite faithful to the original source material but has some significant well-appointed changes which take into account advances we’ve made as a society toward understanding gender diversity.
While the 1959 film and its first Broadway adaptation Sugar (circa 1972) mined the comedy of cross-dressing with a knowing wink and a nod but steered clear of any serious discussion of gender identity, this 2022 adaptation takes a bolder albeit nuanced approach, allowing Jerry (aka Daphne) to tap into a deeper connection with his female alter ego and discover his true self. While it’s not the first musical to exploit drag to comedic ends (Mrs. Doubtfire, La Cage aux Folles, Kinky Boots and Tootsie) this retooled musical shows why updating a popular show can make a show relevant to our times and reap dividends both critically and at the box office, garnering 13 Tony nominations during its Broadway run in 2022.
Leandra Ellis-Gaston brings a sweet and sassy quality to the female love interest Sugar who dreams of being a Hollywood star. She and Loehr have a nice chemistry as do Kordell and his would-be paramour who finds himself wooed by millionaire tycoon Osgood Fielding the Third, played winningly by the hilarious Edward Juvier. Juvier strikes just the right tone as the besotted and indefatigable suitor and distinguishes his comedic flair in songs “Poor Little Millionaire” and “Fly, Mariposa, Fly.” While anyone who’s seen the movie or other stage versions knows what’s coming, Kordell’s reaction to Osgood’s proposal is comedic gold. The writers also gave Osgood a more colorful backstory (unveiling a heretofore hidden dual heritage as Pedro Francisco Alvarez) which layered in a little ethnic diversity in a way that was touching despite feeling contrived. But in a comedy such as Some Like It Hot, with a plot chock full of contrivances, all is forgiven.
The other standout in this production is Tarra Conner Jones as “Sweet Sue,” the brassy and bossy leader of the all-girl band. She tackles the role with sass and verve with powerful vocals reminiscent of Nell Carter. The show’s pacing improves in act two as Joe toggles back and forth between his male and female persona while courting Sugar disguised as a German screenwriter while Spats and his goons are hot on their trail. The most powerful and poignant song belongs to Tavis Kordell as Daphne who gives vent to his gender awakening in “You Coulda Knocked Me Over with a Feather.” It’s a tour de force performance and Kordell nails it.
By the time Spats arrives in time to watch what could be Josephine and Daphne’s final performance, the cops arrive, spinning the hijinks of this caper into a Keystone cops-style sequence, imaginatively staged with a series of revolving doors. Spats is taken away in handcuffs and Joe has a chance to come clean with Sugar and reveal his true identity. But it’s Jerry’s awakening to his gender identity which elevates this tale beyond its slapstick confines, giving the audience something and someone to cheer for.
Some Like It Hot—Until 8/17/25. Pantages Theatre. 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. StubHub