By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO — What can I say about Some Like It Hot at Broadway San Diego? Not much except; Wow! Wow! Wow! I loved every bit of it and it’s easily in my top 5 fave shows.
You may remember the 1959 movie starring Jewish actors Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Set during prohibition in Chicago and at our own Hotel Del Coronado, the basic plot of the play is that musicians Jerry (Tavis Kordell), and Joe (Matt Loehr) witness a triple homicide and are on the run from the mob. In order to hide, they disguise themselves as women and join an all-girl band. Things get complicated when Joe falls in love with lead singer Sugar (Leandra Ellis-Gaston) and wants to come clean to her.
Now let’s talk about the modern spin on the old movie. Although it’s a comedy through and through and provides laughs a plenty, there are three serious sub-plots; racism, transgender identity, and acceptance.
We’re first clued in to the new adaptation when the sultry Ellis-Gaston comes out as the Marilyn Monroe character. My first thought was “wow, color-blind casting, cool.” But then, as the show progresses, she has a song and there’s a line about “people who look like me” and we understand that in fact the casting was very intentional and part of the storyline.
Later, Jerry (Kordell) who has assumed the identity of Daphne as his disguise, tells Joe (Loehr) that as Daphne he feels most complete, and we being to understand that it’s not the same silly cross-dressing comedy of old, but that they’ve taken it and infused it with very modern themes.
It’s very risky to adapt a classic in this way and could have gone terribly wrong, but it totally works!
My favorite scene (though there were many) is the funny Keystone Cops style change and tap dance. The whole show though, really, is a joyful treat.
Speaking of the tap dancing, once again, I’m reduced to saying “WOW!” These guys can dance! The ensemble is incredibly talented and huge kudos go to native San Diegan choreographer Casey Nicholaw.
Shoutouts are also due to Devon Goffman as the mobster Spats, Ellis-Gaston as the gorgeous Sugar, Kordell for both Jerry and Daphne, but especially Daphne, Loehr as Joe/ Josephina, and Edward Juvier as hotel owner Osgood.
The show has won several well-deserved awards including four Tony’s and a Grammy for the soundtrack. This is not your usual IP adaptation, this is a bonafide Broadway hit.
Hurry up and go see it though. It only plays through Feb. 2
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Sandi Masori is a theater and restaurant reviewer for San Diego Jewish World.