Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like It Hot is the rollicking story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they're on the run as the newest members of the swingingest big band ever to cross the country. Can they hide in plain sight without completely losing themselves? Or will the mob, the truth, and maybe even love itself finally catch up to them?
More importantly, Some Like It Hot presents these allegedly wild and radical ideas of personal choice without judgment from any of the characters in the film. If there were any negative judgment for doing drag, it would only come from a disapproving audience, as a reflection of them and not the material. Instead, audiences of 1959 were captivated by the smartly-written script (one of Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond’s best), the winning performances, and the clever set-ups to let viewers be “in” on the joke.
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.
2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2024 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
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