Some Like it Hot, a Transformative Musical at the Orpheum Theatre

Some Like it Hot is probably the most successful non musical movie to stage musical adaptation I’ve ever seen. I’ve written before about how few of these types of musicals justify themselves. For every successful one there are four that had better never been staged. They are either a retread of the movie with forgettable songs like Pretty Woman or in the rare instance they are a completely thrilling productions that wows with stage magic with forgettable songs like Back to the Future. Sometimes they can be fun like Mrs Doubtfire was but mostly they suck like Tootsie. But, they all have one thing in common they are trying to recapture the magic of the films on which they are based. What Some Like it Hot does is transform a classic movie in such a way that it recreates the magic of the film but adds meaning and layers that were not possible when the film was made in 1959 by Billy Wilder. It doesn’t change the plot, and it remains a comedy, but it’s also about something, something much bigger than its source material. I love the film, I’ve seen it at least half a dozen times, I expected to enjoy the musical, and hoped it retained the humor of the original and for a change added some memorable songs. I didn’t expect to see a show that told the story I knew while containing at it’s heart a story of transition and of acceptance.

For those unfamiliar with Wilder’s classic film, which is probably more of you than I imagine, the story is set during prohibition. It begins in Chicago where a couple of musicians Joe and Jerry witness a gangland killing and disguise themselves as women so they can leave town with a all girl band. While the gangsters are searching for them they both become entangled romantically. In California, where they plan to put on their big show after trying it out on the cross country trip, Joe, disguised as Josephine falls for the lead singer of the band, Sugar Cane. He assumes the disguise of a screenwriter named Kip to try and Woo Sugar. Jerry under the name of Daphne is pursued by a millionaire and Root beer heir named Osgood Fielding III. While Joe creates disguises in order to deceive and get what he wants. Jerry finds that his disguise as Daphne is where he finds his truth. This show looks and feels like a movie from the time period in which it is set ,1933. There is no out of place rap songs or rock anthems, the songs sounds as if they come from that period, with the exception of a few lyrics here and there. But one major change that does take place is in the races of the characters. This isn’t a case of color blind casting, Jerry and Joe, who call themselves brothers because they grew up together, are obviously not as one character points out. Jerry is black, Joe is white. Sweet Sue, the bandleader is black as is Sugar and many of the other band members and characters. Race isn’t ignored, The film went to Florida, when Sweet Sue is asked if she is taking the band south on tour, she points out that looking like she does and the way the world is, hell no she isn’t going south. Race isn’t a major theme in the show, but it isn’t ignored either. The show is diverse and it’s theme of acceptance carries over to race as well as gender. Neither the themes of race or gender that are present dominate the show but they add to the emotional core of the show. They will resonate beyond the spotlight especially to those in the audience who see themselves reflected on stage in a way they rarely have.

The film used men in drag as a plot device but also for the outdated comedic trope that a man in a dress is funny in and of itself. Here the creators have jettisoned that trope, I don’t recall any instances where the men being in drag alone was supposed to signify something humorous. Instead it is undeniable that Tavis Kordell, who plays Jerry, is far from being a punchline in his disguise as Daphne, he/she is in fact beautiful. That isn’t coincidental anymore than the fact that the role of Sugar, played in the film by the definitive iconic blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe is here played by Leandra Ellis-Gaston an attractive and talented black actor. These are intentional decisions and they are meant to subvert our expectations and expand our capacity to embrace others and erode our prejudices. Matt Loehr who plays Joe/Josephine along with Kordell and Ellis-Gaston are remarkable tap dancers. Everyone in the cast to be honest is amazing as are the routines that have been designed for them by Choreographer and Director Casey Nicholaw. Dance is a major draw of this show and if you are a fan of Dance, particularly tap, that is just another reason not to miss Some Like it Hot. One amazing sequence has the Gangsters chasing Joe and Daphne, the cops chasing the gangsters, and everyone else jopining in. The use a line of floating doors to playout the chase done in dance as if it were an episode of Scooby-Doo. There are a couple of other standouts in the cast that I wanted to mention. Tarra Conner Jones is commanding as Sweet Sue with impeccable comic timing. Edward Juvier who plays Osgood is a comic delight as well, but he’s also the sweetest person in the play, and perhaps the world. When he sings to Daphne “Fly, Mariposa, Fly” a song about a caterpillar turning into a butterfly he wins over Daphne and the audience. The two of them are the emotional center of the film and the subversion of the films iconic final line is brilliant and meaningful.

Some Like it Hot runs through October 20th at Hennepin Arts Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Minneapolis. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://hennepinarts.org/events/some-like-it-hot-2024

Tired of missing reviews from The Stages of MN? Do you find yourself left out when all your friends are talking about that great new play that you didn’t even know about? Never fear, that need never happen again. Now you too can subscribe and have every post from The Stages of MN sent directly to your email box. No more hoping the algorithm works in your favor and you actually see a post on facebook or Instagram. No relying on so-called friends to tip you to the best shows in town. To subscribe on your computer: from the home page on the right, enter your email address and click subscribe. On your mobile device scroll to the bottom of the page and do the same. You can also follow me on Facebook, @thestagesofmn click follow and on Instagram thestagesofmn. You can also read some of my reviews syndicated on the MN Playlist website https://minnesotaplaylist.com/ from time to time.