“Some Like It Hot” Rekindles the Spirit of Broadway’s Glory Days

“Some Like It Hot” I Photo by Marc J. Franklin

The opinions reflected in this OpEd are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.

A Broadway show may come in many shapes and sizes, but certain characteristics still create the same magic found in the legendary productions of mid-twentieth-century theater. The iconic electricity of original productions such as “Oklahoma!,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hello, Dolly!,” “Annie,” “The Music Man” and “Funny Girl,” were characterized by extravagant costumes and scenery, large brass orchestras, immaculate tap choreography and unforgettable music. Several months ago, I wrote about how Broadway’s post-COVID trend of minimalism and cost-cutting signaled a departure from the big-budget productions that defined professional theater in New York. But, “Some Like it Hot,” a new musical comedy opening this week at the Shubert Theatre, is intent on defying that trend and returning to the feel of a classic Broadway musical. And they have the full brass orchestra, tap-dancing ensemble, big-budget sets and glittering costumes to prove it.

Based on the 1959 MGM film, “Some Like It Hot” tells the story of musicians Joe (Christian Boyle) and Jerry (J. Harrison Ghee), who inadvertently witnessed a mob murder in prohibition-era Chicago. Now pursued by the mob’s leader and henchmen, the two musicians disguise themselves as women and join an all-female band traveling to perform in San Diego. Once in California, the two men plan to cross the border and escape to Mexico. During their journey, Joe falls in love with the band’s lead singer, Sugar (an amazing performance from Adrianna Hicks), and Jerry, mistaken as a woman, is proposed to by a hotel owner in San Diego. As the mob closes in on the two men, their romantic entanglements threaten to expose their cover, and chaos ensues.

“Some Like it Hot” features the beautiful, roaring-twenties music of Tony Award-winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (most well-known for writing the hit musical “Hairspray”). A few songs miss the mark, but tunes like “A Darker Shade of Blue,” “California Bound” and the titular “Some Like It Hot” give this musical enough memorable melodies to go around.

Paired with Shaiman and Wittman’s fabulous music are Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw’s jaw-dropping staging and dance routines. From large tap-dance numbers to complicated chase scenes and perfectly timed transitions, “Some Like It Hot'' is captivating to watch unfold on the stage of the Shubert Theatre.

Where the show falters is its cliche script. A plot line in the second act strays from the charming on-the-run storyline as Jerry decides he will remain a woman forever, leading this musical comedy into a social commentary about gender and sexuality that distracts from the show’s lighthearted tone. The depiction of these themes as mainstream is unrealistic for the show’s 1920s-era setting, and while these moments don’t completely overshadow the musical's stronger story elements, they don’t go unnoticed.

Another criticism of this musical is its striking similarity to another hit musical, “Anything Goes,” which also uses 1920s big-band jazz music and tap-dance numbers to tell the story of stowaways whose disguises and romances become entangled. There are certainly a few major differences, but certain elements of “Some Like It Hot” feel like complete rip-offs of the most iconic aspects of “Anything Goes.” Both shows end the first act with a dramatic revelation that breaks into the elaborate titular tap-dance number, both shows’ love interests are a young nightclub singer who dreams of stardom and the lyrics of “Some Like It Hot” carry the same slightly risqué touch of Cole Porter’s classic songs in “Anything Goes.”

Despite its faults, “Some Like It Hot” is still a well-executed, entertaining show to watch, if for no other reason than its homage to the classic shows that continue to define the best of Broadway.

Some Like It Hot is currently running at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre.

Eli Johnson is the Theatre Columnist for the Empire State Tribune. He is a freshman at The King's College majoring in Business. He is an avid theatre-goer and always enjoys a game of chess.