Review Roundup: SOME LIKE IT HOT Kicks Off National Tour

Performances are now underway for the National Tour of Some Like It Hot, which kicked off in Schenectady. The tour will continue on to play 30+ cities across North America. Read the reviews as they come in here!

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. 

And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show in its season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. 

OME LIKE IT HOT features a book by Matthew López ( The Inheritance) & Amber Ruffin (“The Amber Ruffin Show”), music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman ( Hairspray) and direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw ( The Book of Mormon). The musical is based on the classic MGM film Some Like It Hot which has been named the “Funniest American Movie of All Time” by the American Film Institute. 

The creative team also includes Scott Pask (Sets), Gregg Barnes (Costumes), Natasha Katz (Lights), Brian Ronan (Sound), Josh Marquette (Hair), Milagros Medina-Cerdeira (Makeup), Christian Borle & Joe Farrell (Additional Material), Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Darryl Archibald (Music Supervision), Kristy Norter (Music Coordinator), Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter (Orchestrations), Marc Shaiman (Vocal Arrangements), and Glen Kelly (Dance and Incidental Music Arrangements). The production team also includes Steve Bebout(Associate Director), John MacInnis (Associate Choreographer) and Juniper Street Productions (Production Management). 101 Productions, Ltd. serves as the general manager. 

The SOME LIKE IT HOT tour stage management team is led by production stage manager Andrew Bacigalupo. The company management team will be led by company manager DeAnn L. Boise. The orchestra is led by music director Mark Binns. 

J. Peter Bergman, The Berkshire Edge: While certainly not the best show written in the near past—that still belongs to “Something Rotten”—this is one of those very pleasant evenings of music and mirth that certainly deserves your attention. Would I see it again? I would. Should you see it? Of course you should, especially if you like good, solid musicals. See it for Nicholaw’s wonderful dances, for Kordell’s great impersonation of a woman, for Ellis-Gaston’s emotional singing. See it for yourself. You won’t regret it.

Katherine Kiessling, Times Union: At its heart, “Some Like It Hot” is all about being true to who you are. Under book writers Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin, the story smartly evolves the gender dynamics of the 65-year-old film for the modern day and adds in effective commentary on race through Sugar, Sweet Sue and Jerry/Daphne, now all Black. And with the pair’s writing backgrounds — Lopez penned the Elvis impersonator-turned-drag artist comedy “The Legend of Georgia McBride” and Ruffin writes for Seth Myers — the pathos is served with countless laugh-out-loud moments.

Bill Kellert, Nippertown: The Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin book with music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman is a thrill for all the senses. Scott Pask's scene design and Natasha Katz's lighting package create a beautiful world for the cast to inhabit. Gregg Barnes has put together a magnificent array of costumes, and we watch the color palette of the clothing go from rich muted jewel tones in Chicago to pastels and creams when the show progresses to California, ending in stunning saturated colors in the finale.

Gary Graff, The Oakland Press: It’s that deft balance — as well as a solid script and batch of songs and fiery choreography — that scored it the Tony Award for Best Musical last year. And rest assured that the first national touring company is as, yes, hot as anything that graced the Great White Way.

Natalia Holtzman, HOUR: In the film, the line comes across at first as further proof of Osgood’s self-delusion: he won’t listen to Daphne, so intent is he on chasing his own desires. But it’s also Osgood demonstrating the very trait we celebrate him for in the new, updated musical: for accepting Daphne not for her biological sex, irrelevant as that is, but for being herself. And her self, like all the rest of us, doesn’t come close to achieving perfection. We love her anyway. We love her because of it.

Ronelle Grier, The Detroit Jewish News: The most impressive – and enjoyable - example is “Tip Tap Trouble,” a madcap chase scene where cops, musicians and gangsters pursue each other through multiple doors and a head-spinning array of costume changes.

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: Set in 1933, this production embodies the charm of classic musicals, featuring vibrant music, lively choreography, and impressive tap-dancing numbers. The costumes beautifully reflect the style of the 1930s, and the seamless transitions between scenes add to the overall flow of the performance. A standout moment was the clever chase scene involving doors, which showcased both creativity and skill.

Rohan Preston, Minnesota Star Tribune: This story of Chicago gangsters in the Prohibition era chasing after a pair of musicians who witness mob murders offers loads of fanciful fun. From the orchestra, conducted brightly by Mark Binns, to the splendid cast fronted by blithely gifted Tavis Kordell and Matt Loehr, the “Hot” team earns its giddy keep.

Rachel Weinberg, BroadwayWorld: SOME LIKE IT HOT is full of daffy, high-energy musical numbers and laugh-out-loud funny one-liners from López and Ruffin’s book.This touring cast came well prepared to deliver director and choreographer Casey Nicolaw’s vision at a fast clip. While the farcical antics and slapstick jokes aren’t entirely new, this is a quintessential good time. Likewise, Shaiman’s musical has a nice pep in its step and Wittman and Shaiman understand how to write fun, accessible lyrics. I was particularly charmed that Shaimand Witman’s “Let’s Be Bad,” originally written for the TV show SMASH, made its way into the show as the second act opener.

Steven Oxman, Chicago Sun Times: ,

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: All that said, if you like a jazzy, retro night out, “Some Like It Hot,” which is now in its first national tour, has some appeal, especially in this city. It’s a fast-paced show, as directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, although I found the touring version, which is smaller, to be thankfully less frenetic than the original. Among the standout performances to enjoy are the very droll Tarra Conner Jones as bandleader Sweet Sue and the journeyman Broadway player Matt Loehr, who plays the Tony Curtis role of Joe here. Loehr is one of those consummate pros who often are passed over for starring roles and yet have a daunting level of craft at their disposal.

Paul Lockwood, The Scene: Featuring a Depression-era storyline that’s the furthest thing from depressing, Grammy Award-worthy songs that make you want to buy the cast recording to relive the fun (and it did win the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album), Tony Award-worthy costumes and choreography (and the Broadway production did win Tonys for both) and several impressive lead performances, this limited-run touring production is pure entertainment of the highest caliber.

Roy Berko, BroadwayWorld: The outstanding touring cast is headed by tall, sensual Tavis Kordell (Jerry/Daphne) and dynamic Matt Loehr (Joe/Josephine). Both have outstanding singing voices and dancing skills. Each creates a well-honed character.

Joey Morona, Cleveland.com: In lesser hands, all of this could’ve turned out messy and outdated. The musical adaptation of another man-in-a-dress comedy, “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which is more interested in cheap laughs than nuance, is proof of that. Indeed, “Some Like It Hot” has its share of physical comedy and big performances, but, under Casey Nicholaw’s engaging direction, the show doesn’t rely on either to connect with its audience.

Average Rating: 80.7%