Review: SOME LIKE IT HOT at Fox Theatre, St. Louis

For Joe and Jerry, two entertainers looking for career stability, being on the run can be a real drag!  The lead characters of Some Like It Hot, now onstage at the Fox Theatre, begin the production as run-of-the-mill performers bouncing from gig to gig in Prohibition era Chicago. However, after they accidentally witness a mob hit, they take on the personas of two gals in a female troupe as they attempt to lay low.

If this premise seems familiar that’s because it is. Based on the 1959 film starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, this revival, brought to the stage in 2022 as a musical, features new songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with a book by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin.

Reimagined for contemporary audiences, their rendition follows the nuts and bolts of the source material while amplifying themes of identity and self-discovery. The musical also presents the racial tension early 1930s in a more realistic context by embracing a diverse cast.

Some Like It Hot follows the misadventures of Joe and Jerry, down-on-their-luck musicians who have been friends since childhood. Struggling to make their big break happen they take the fifth slot on the bill of a revue show. For the duo, it is not much, but it is a start. Determined to get a better spot in the show they decided to bring their show ideas to their boss. Unfortunately, they accidentally witness a mob hit by Spats Colombo, one of the nastiest gangsters in the Chicago outfit. Desperate to flee for their safety they decide to leave town.

Trying to hitch a train out of town they join Sweet Sue and Her Society Syncopators, an all-female band headed to California. Now known to fellow show members as Josephine and Daphne, Joe and Jerry are forced to maintain their new identities.

From there, things get hairy for them. Joe becomes enchanted by the band’s singer, Sugar Kane, creating a problematic situation as Josephine and her become good friends. Reinvented as Daphne, Jerry’s journey is more personal as he unexpectedly finds love and acceptance.

While life on the lamb brings Joe and Jerry happiness, it also creates an emotional rollercoaster of feelings. Unfortunately, their troubles reach a crescendo when Spats Colombo comes to town.

Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot is filled with dancing, singing, and vivacity. His production maintains the film's comedic and romantic flourishes while expanding its lens to include themes of gender identity, female empowerment, and confronting adversity.

Matt Loehr and Tavis Kordell are Joe and Jerry, driving this flashy production. Both are excellent from start to finish, working in complete syncopation. Their dance numbers together are dazzling, and there is a genuine comedic spark between them. Playing lifelong friends onstage, they each bring an authentic congeniality to their roles.

Also fantastic is Tarra Conner Jones as Sweet Sue. Her take-no-prisoners interpretation of the role gives her character more depth than the film version. Charismatic and funny, her voice is one of the show's highlights.

Another great voice belongs to Leandra Ellis-Gaston who plays Sugar. Her three solo numbers, I’m California Bound, At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee, and Ride Out the Storm, are showstoppers.  

In addition to boasting a wonderful ensemble, Some Like It Hot also features magnificent dance numbers and dazzling costumes. The production also presents a more realistic view of Prohibition than the movie. Musically, it combines jazz, swing, and Broadway styles, which adds depth to the characters and their journey.

Overall, the touring version of Some Like It Hot is refreshing, contemporary, and vibrant. It pulls out all the stops, giving audiences a heavy dose of energetic, funny, and emotionally moving theater.

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