I’ve always considered the 1959 classic Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon as one of the greatest comedies of all time and certainly one that was well ahead of its time, particularly for its very last scene. So to only just find out that there was a Broadway adaptation of this film AND that it won four Tony awards was a huge (and belated) surprise. Fortunately, after seeing it for the very first time at the Hollywood Pantages in this Some Like It Hot national tour, this adaptation not only maintains the spirit of the film but it expands upon it in every single delightful way.

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like It Hot is the “glorious, big, high kicking” story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life changing trip of a lifetime.

The most immediate and noticeable change (other than turning an entire film into a tap dancing musical) is the deliberate ethnicity change for the characters of Jerry, Sugar Kane, and Osgood Fielding III who were most notably played by Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, and Joe E. Brown in the original. While I’m always wary of trying to dust off old white properties and shoehorn diversity without making it look like it’s cheap virtue signaling, Matthew López and Amber Ruffin pulled it off by subtly incorporating the cultural and racial changes that not only makes it meaningful but still fit within the 1950s times and still be able to make a commentary that is as relevant now as it was back then.

In this version, the main characters of Jerry (Tavis Kordell) and Joe (Matt Joehr) are not just friends but they are “brothers” in that Joe was taken in by Jerry’s parents. With this change, it was already nice to see that the orphan is not that of a Black person but it was the kindness of a Black family to take in an orphan white child during those times. Thus, any altercation or potential violence is smoothed out because Joe uses his white privilege to the fullest and charming effect.

With the character of Sugar Kane (Leandra Ellis-Gaston), there is a strong argument that any ethnicity could play her as she is a extraordinary singer who is just waiting for someone to acknowledge her seriously as a talent, rather than just as a sex object. By having a Black actress take on this most iconic role, it redefines the “blonde” role to not just be limited to white actors but to all global majority artists. I would love to see Asian/Indigenous/Latino/SWANA actresses also take on this part in future productions!

Perhaps what is the most impactful and surprising ethnicity change was for a character that wasn’t meant to have that much depth in the first place. That character is Osgood Fielding III (played by scene stealer and quite possibly the MVP of the show Edward Juvier) who in the original was played off as an old creepy man who simply cannot stop chasing after Jerry (or in this case Daphne). The revelation that he is also Latino is a rather profound one and takes the relationship with Osgood and Jerry to new heights that significantly elevates the somewhat trans identity element that was hinted in the original to an outright declaration of embracing a gender that was not assigned to one at birth.

What ended as a funny and ambiguous ending for Osgood and Jerry in the original film is transformed beautifully here into a genuine love story that crosses beyond race and gender with both characters living dual lives, afraid to reveal who they truly are with Osgood in his Latino origins and Jerry for realizing his Daphne persona is who they truly are. This is without a doubt the true heart of the play and something that will resonate with me for years.

But how was the show itself? This won’t take too much time to explain as the musical numbers, dance sequences, slapstick humor, and its surprisingly touching love story were quite delightful. While I’m not a fan of recent Broadway musicals stuffing as many words as they can in a number (thus any number in this production highlighting Osgood were the best because they were simple), you will remember the fun you had in watching the show as opposed to the musical numbers that more often than not got drowned out by the orchestra. That being said, serious kudos to music composer Marc Shaiman, lyricists Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and director & choreographer Casey Nicholaw.

The entire ensemble cast for this national tour were extraordinary with highlights being Matt Loehr and his masterful comedic timing, Tavis Kordell stunning the audience with his embrace of Daphne, Edward Juvier deftly providing the most hilarious laughs of the show while also grounding his Osgood with such tenderness, Leandra Ellis-Gaston utterly charming us with her Sugar, and last but not least, Tarra Conner Jones as Sweet Sue who was able to make the audience lose their minds by just her stares.

Some Like It Hot will finish their Los Angeles run on August 17, with performances on Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm. You can buy tickets here but if you aren’t able to make it to their final week, the production will come back to the Southern California area from October 7 to 19 at the Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa. For the rest of its touring dates, check out their website ticket here.