Theater Review – February 12, 2025

ENTERTAINING “SOME LIKE IT HOT” MUSICAL BRINGS THE FAMILIAR STORY TO ASU GAMMAGE

“Some Like It Hot”
Broadway Across America – Arizona, ASU Gammage,
Tempe, AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

We all saw and affectionately remember the hit 1959 comedy film classic “Some Like It Hot.”  The movie cried out to be turned into a musical and that’s exactly what was done in 2023 when it debuted on Broadway.  After a modest New York run, the show hit the road and it arrived this week at ASU Gammage in a smashingly entertaining production performed with non-stop momentum.

A superb cast executes the familiar roles as they bring their own flair and a few pleasant surprises.  None of the cast equals or exceeds the explosively comedic film cast but they all create distinct characterizations.

The simple story is intact.  A couple of out-of-work Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry, witness a mob killing so they must be eliminated. The pair transform into Josephine and Daphne and join Sweet Sue’s all female band and head for a California engagement.  Confusing relationships and multiple characterizations occur as the band plays gigs.  Finally, the gangster arrives to blow everyone’s cover but everything turns out just fine.

The score is pleasant if not memorable as it sets the story off with joyous merriment and frivolous fun as the show becomes a wily and enjoyable bauble that entertains mightily. “Some Like It Hot” is nothing more than a fun performance.

Casey Nicholaw’s jubilant staging never stops as he integrates multiple dances and exuberant musical moments into the proceedings. Splashy sets that move with the plot keeping the story’s multipole locales parading before audiences that are aided by colorful 1933 period costuming.

But it is the terrific cast that really brings the show to vibrant life.  Matt Loehr essays Josephine with believable limp wrists but he is also trimly masculine when playing Joe.  No less delightfully frilly is Tavis Kordell’s tall and lanky Daphne who bounces a bass fiddle around with aplomb.

Leandra Ellis-Gaston strums her ukulele making a charming Sugar while Tarra Conner Jones holds everything together as band leader Sweet Sue.  A large ensemble dances and sings with unflagging energy as they bring the slim plot to explosively vibrant life.

The winning cast, jazzy staging, and lush period décor turn “Some Like It Hot” into a musical comedy gem that plays through Sunday, February 16. To order tickets, call the ASU Gammage box office at 480-965-3434 or order tickets online at www.asugammage.com.

Unfortunately, it was another cold night in ASU Gammage as unnecessary air conditioning blew on audiences who complained loudly at the intermission.  Why must the theater be uncomfortable for patrons paying high ticket prices?

Grade:  A-