Matthew López and Amber Ruffin’s theatrical adaptation of the Billy Wilder (MGM) film, SOME LIKE IT HOT [1], isn’t just vibrant and colorful entertainment. It is a modern transformation circulating in a current 2025 political landscape that requires full-stop recognition for its subject matter. Just as much as the feel good vibes. This next bit of Trivia will tell you why.
JERRY: “I’M A MAN!” OSGOOD: “WELL, NOBODY’S PERFECT.”
The original SOME LIKE IT HOT, released in 1959, broke onto the movie scene during a time when America was, just like today, criminalizing all homosexual activities and queer expressions. So potent was the mere perception of men “cross-dressing”, that Kansas, for instance, banned the film from being shown in the state, because it (C-D) was “too disturbing for Kansans.” [2] Billy Wilder’s script challenged the conservative moral censorship of the Hays Code (replaced later by the MPAA film rating system). And though it didn’t exactly banner, “We shall overcome”, the presentation displayed a sort of sexual fluidity and even tolerance to homosexuality.
And that’s my point. While, SOME LIKE IT HOT can be acclaimed for its humor, script, music and performances, then and now, it can equally, still garner praise for its exploration of gender and sexuality. Which is why this musical, beyond its stunning, vintage Broadway reminiscent choreography (by Casey Nicholaw), brilliantly gaudy costuming (by Gregg Barnes) and loud AF musical and lyrical themes (by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman), feels so important in this moment. In these “here we go again” times, this musical demands, through much of its deceptively screwball humor, that we pay attention to the diverse people in it. And it gives audiences the opportunity to have fun with all the characters as they play their roles, cooking up old-timey shenanigans and spouting otherwise wildly dated gags, lines and tropes. The cast is marvelously, all-in.
“EXCUSE ME LADIES WHILE I BRO-OPT.”
Unlike the slightly darker, and optically white dominated movie version, there is real evolution by the end of López and Ruffin’s book. Although not necessarily its aim, the musical theater production of SOME LIKE IT HOT genuinely creates alternate space. The two lead men do more than put on women’s clothing or mimic behaviors. While Joe (Matt Loehr) and Jerry (Tavis Kordell) initially dress up as females in order to escape Mob retribution, they don’t stomp on the women. They don’t dominate them. The writing here is more fluid, more empathetic. These men are comically albeit slowly becoming more aware of others and of themselves. The same goes for the other characters’ exchanges.
Osgood (Edward Juvier) isn’t just a dirty, old, lush whose final words neatly sum up the getaway. He becomes one of the most pivotal characters in the story. Osgood’s eccentricity is layered by a recognizably intrinsic yet quiet understanding of human behavior. So when he says his last line, “Well, nobody’s perfect”, it is pure acceptance of Jerry now Daphne, rather than comic recitation. Sugar (Leandra Ellis-Gaston) and Joe’s attraction to one another is more than just sexual riz dressed in a faux celluloid Studio love wrapper. There’s actual respect. Also the Society Synchopators, starting with Sweet Sue (Tarra Conner Jones) are truly emancipated. They’re not just bubble-headed girls running around in their panties every chance they get, who happen to play instruments. And most of all, Jerry’s self-realization that in his life as a woman he has been his happiest and most fulfilled, elevates this story from being an interesting madcap with a smidgen of letching on the side, to a slice of Cinderella with a giant hug of honesty. Everyone wins.
The cast here is magical. After sitting through the opening night performance, I took some time to revisit the film. While Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis’ performances hold up. Especially Monroe’s. The multicultural casting of the musical theater tour which opened at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre was buoyant and fresh. Terra Conner Jones set the Prohibition tone as Sweet Sue right from the first number, “What Are You Thirsty For?”. Leandra Ellis-Gaston is a vocal standout as Sugar. Edward Juvier is surprisingly unconventional and wonderfully quirky Osgood. But it is Tavis Kordell as Jerry/Daphne who is the emotional show-stopper. Kordel’s performance is exceptional bringing all the vulnerability and fantastical magic to this production.
SOME LIKE IT HOT is truly a musical extravaganza for the eyes and for the heart. It is fun-filled with laughter and all-encompassing joy. Score: Humanity.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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Photo by Matthew Murphy: The First National Touring Company of SOME LIKE IT HOT.
[2]: Why Some Like It Hot Was Banned in Kansas
Book by Matthew Matthew López and Amber Ruffin
Music by March Shaiman. Lyrics by Scott Wittmand and Marc Shaman. Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.
Based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Motion Picture, “Some Like It Hot”
At the Hollywood Pantage Theatre.
Starring: Matt Loehr, Tavis Kordell, Leandra Ellis-Gaston, Edward Juvier, Tarra Conner Jones, Jamie Laverdiere, Devon Goffman, Devon Hadsell
With: Ayla Allen, Ashley Marie Arnold, Kelly Beran, Ian Campayno, Darien Crago, Austin dunn, Adena Ershow, Drew Franklin, Tim Fuchs, Rachael Britton Hart, Devin Holloway, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Emily Kelly Drianna Kim, Stephen Michael Langton, Jay Owens Ranease Ryann, Nissi Shalome, Michael Skrzek and Tommy Sutter
Scenic Design: Scott Pask; Costume Design: Gregg Barnes; Lighting Design: Natasha Katz; Sound Design: Brian Ronan; Hair Design: Josh Marquette; Makeup Design: Milagros Medina-Cerdeira; Additional Material by Christian Boyle and Joe Farrell; Orchestrations: Charlie Rose and Bryan Carter; Vocal Arrangements: Marc Shaman; Dance & Incidental Music Arrangements: Glen Kelly; Music Director: Mark Binns; Music Coordinator: Kristy Porter; Production Stage Manager: Donavan Dolan; Associate Director: Steve Bebout; Associate Choreographer: John Macinnis; Technical Supervisor: Juniper Street Productions. Music Supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Darryl Archibald.