‘Some Like It Hot’ combines dazzling musical numbers with a feel-good message at Playhouse Square (2024)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman is loath to call “Some Like It Hot,” his Tony-winning musical with lyricist Scott Wittman, “old fashioned.” During a recent interview about the show, Shaiman caught himself using that descriptor twice before amending it to “classic.”

There’s no denying it. Full of elaborate musical numbers and broad performances, “Some Like It Hot,” at Playhouse Square through Nov. 24, is the sort of grand song-and-dance extravaganza you imagine when you think about old, err, classic Broadway. But more than spectacle, the show infuses the iconic story with a modern sensibility that will make you laugh and warm your heart.

Like Billy Wilder’s 1959 film, the musical centers on Joe (Matt Loehr) and his brother-from-another-mother Jerry (Tavis Kordell), two down-on-their-luck musicians and tap dancers who stumble into good fortune when they land a gig at the Cheetah Club, owned by notorious gangster Spats Colombo (Devon Goffman) in Prohibition-era Chicago.

But when the Tip Tap Twins witness Spats taking care of (murder) three canaries (informants), they go on the lam (run). The perfect opportunity presents itself at just the right time as Sweet Sue’s (Tarra Connor Jones) all-female band is also performing at the club. The duo disguise themselves as women, narrowly escape a gunfight between Spats and Detective Mulligan (Jamie LaVerdiere) and embark on a cross-country tour as Josephine and Daphne, the newest members of Sweet Sue’s girl group.

Complications arise when Joe becomes smitten by Sugar (Leandra Ellis-Gaston), the band’s beautiful and starry-eyed lead singer. Jerry, meanwhile, discovers he not only enjoys but is liberated by being Daphne, a feeling validated by Osgood (Edward Juvier), the millionaire proprietor of the Hotel Del Coronado who falls for Daphne at first sight.

“I finally feel seen,” Daphne tells Joe, to his initial dismay.

Hijinks ensue when Spats and Mulligan show up, leading to the most delightfully thrilling and inventively choreographed chase scene you’ll ever see on a stage. The musical doesn’t end with the stinger the original does, but, with apologies to librettists Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, nobody’s perfect.

In lesser hands, all of this could’ve turned out messy and outdated.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.

At its core, the show tells a moving story of friendship between two people at odds with who they are and who they want to be. And it does so with catchy jazz music and incredible tap dancing. Kordell’s portrayal of Jerry/Daphne is full of gusto and conviction. While the film merely hinted at gender fluidity, the musical tackles the subject head on with a delicate touch that adds humanity and relevance. The result might surprise some in the audience. Kordell’s showstopping performance of “You Coulda Knocked Me Over With a Feather” — where Daphne gleefully sings, “The lady that I’m loving is me!” — will leave you smiling ear to ear.

Joe’s on-stage journey isn’t as transformative, and his Josephine might be too “Church Lady” for some. Still, Loehr holds his own with an exhilarating performance, especially in the two big tap numbers, “You Can’t Have Me (If You Don’t Have Him)” and “Dance the World Away.”

Loehr’s scene partner in the latter, Ellis-Gaston, is mesmerizing as Sugar. More Josephine Baker and Halle Bailey than Marilyn Monroe, who originated the role in the movie, the actress-singer reveals a beautiful tone on the wistful “At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee” before unleashing her powerful range on the emotional “Ride Out The Storm.”

But it’s Juvier who nearly steals the show, combining the timing of a seasoned comedian with the sincerity and tenderness of a classically trained dramatic actor. His Act II solo, “Fly, Mariposa, Fly” is simply lovely.

The production isn’t, again, perfect. The score dabbles in the cliché, some jokes fall flat and the script’s treatment of racism in the 1930s feels underdeveloped. Spats (the mobster) and Mulligan (the gumshoe) are straight out of every crime caper on Turner Movie Classics. The performance I attended also had some mic and sound issues, though they were resolved by the second act.

“Some Like It Hot” is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever. It’s a tough act to follow, but the musical pulls it off with dazzling musical numbers, plenty of laughs and a message of acceptance and honesty.

“Some Like It Hot” is playing at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace, 1615 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, now through Nov. 24. Tickets are $30-$129 and available at playhousesquare.org.