On July 8, Denver's Buell Theatre was packed for the opening night of the first national tour of Some Like It Hot, and from the first jazzy downbeat, it was clear this wasn’t just another glossy Broadway export. This is a show that provides the kind of big, brassy musical theater experience that people say "they just don't make anymore," but it also has a sharp, contemporary sensibility that makes it feel completely current.
Set in 1933 during Prohibition, Some Like It Hot follows two down-on-their-luck musicians, Joe (Matt Loehr) and Jerry (Tavis Kordell), who witness a mob hit in Chicago and are forced to flee disguised as women in an all-female band. Hot on their trail is mobster Spats Colombo (Devon Goffman), while Sweet Sue (Tarra Conner Jones) leads the band across the country, offering them an unlikely hiding place.
Along the way, Joe, now Josephine, falls for lead singer Sugar (Leandra Ellis-Gaston), while Jerry, now Daphne, finds unexpected self-discovery and love with eccentric millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Edward Juvier). It’s a zany farce with a big heart expertly adapted by director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw, bookwriters Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, music by Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Of course, this story has history. The original 1959 film, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, is a bona fide classic, and it was itself adapted from a 1935 French film, Fanfare of Love. The movie’s iconic final line, “Nobody’s perfect," became a cultural touchstone for its surprisingly progressive depiction of gender and attraction. The stage musical doesn’t replicate that exact ending, but it builds on the same spirit of joyfully upending expectations.
There have been previous attempts to adapt the film, including the 1972 musical Sugar and a failed 1961 TV pilot, but this new Broadway version, which premiered in 2022, is the most successful and expansive yet, winning four Tony Awards, a Grammy, and now embarking on a nationwide tour.
Along the way, Joe, now Josephine, falls for lead singer Sugar (Leandra Ellis-Gaston), while Jerry, now Daphne, finds unexpected self-discovery and love with eccentric millionaire Osgood Fielding III (Edward Juvier). It’s a zany farce with a big heart expertly adapted by director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw, bookwriters Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, music by Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Of course, this story has history. The original 1959 film, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis, is a bona fide classic, and it was itself adapted from a 1935 French film, Fanfare of Love. The movie’s iconic final line, “Nobody’s perfect," became a cultural touchstone for its surprisingly progressive depiction of gender and attraction. The stage musical doesn’t replicate that exact ending, but it builds on the same spirit of joyfully upending expectations.
There have been previous attempts to adapt the film, including the 1972 musical Sugar and a failed 1961 TV pilot, but this new Broadway version, which premiered in 2022, is the most successful and expansive yet, winning four Tony Awards, a Grammy, and now embarking on a nationwide tour.
Nicholaw, best known for The Book of Mormon and The Prom, is a master at marrying showstopping spectacle with breakneck pacing, and he delivers that in spades here. Every 30 seconds, it seems, either a punchline lands or someone breaks into a musical number. The choreography (which rightly earned a Tony Award) is athletic, surprising and full of visual gags, especially in the brilliantly staged chase number “Tip Tap Trouble,” which turns a classic cartoon-style sequence filled with doors into a rhythmic tour de force.
Leandra Ellis-Gaston as Sugar and Matt Loehr as Joe in the first national touring company of Some Like It Hot.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Equally sharp is the book, which never sacrifices laughs for message, yet manages to tackle heady topics like gender identity, racial segregation and found family with surprising grace. A standout moment comes when Sugar reflects on her childhood love of movies, delivered in the moving ballad “At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee," only to reveal that as a Black woman, she never saw herself reflected on screen and had to sit segregated in the balcony. Rather than leaning into sentimentality, the show uses humor and honesty to reframe her dreams of stardom with real emotional heft.
Ellis-Gaston’s Sugar is no ditzy blonde; she’s vulnerable, aspirational and vocally dynamite. Her chemistry with Loehr’s Joe is palpable, whether he’s disguised as Josephine or hamming it up in a hilariously terrible German accent when he disguises himself as a screenwriter. Loehr’s comic timing is razor-sharp, and he makes Joe’s eventual transformation from selfish scammer to supportive friend genuinely believable.
Tavis Kordell as Jerry and Matt Loehr as Joe in the first national touring company of Some Like It Hot.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
But it’s Tavis Kordell’s Daphne who steals the show. A nonbinary performer bringing remarkable nuance to the role, Kordell charts a compelling journey from anxious sidekick to radiant leading lady. The show doesn’t use contemporary labels, but it’s clear that Daphne’s experience is one of gender exploration. In a pivotal scene, Daphne sings to Joe that "Daphne is the best part of me, oh yeah, Daphne is who I love to be." It's a moment of genuine power, and Kordell grounds it in truth.
Their chemistry with Edward Juvier’s Osgood is equally delightful. Juvier is all goofy charm and boundless energy, and his second-act number, “Fly, Mariposa, Fly,” is a romantic anthem that subtly reveals Osgood’s own understanding of living between worlds. Their eventual union lands not as a punchline, as in the original film, but as a genuinely touching celebration of love without conditions.
The supporting cast is uniformly strong. Tarra Conner Jones brings powerhouse vocals and wry humor to Sweet Sue, even if some of her rapid-fire line delivery gets a little muddy. Goffman’s Spats is menacing without veering into caricature, and Jamie LaVerdiere brings a smarmy charm to relentless detective Mulligan.
And then there’s the ensemble — an indefatigable group that dances like their lives depend on it. Whether swing dancing in a speakeasy or tapping their way through a hotel hallway chase, they bring Nicholaw’s kinetic choreography to life with infectious energy.
And then there’s the ensemble — an indefatigable group that dances like their lives depend on it. Whether swing dancing in a speakeasy or tapping their way through a hotel hallway chase, they bring Nicholaw’s kinetic choreography to life with infectious energy.
Edward Juvier (Osgood) and the first national touring company of Some Like It Hot.
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Visually, the production dazzles. Scott Pask’s set design is impressively mobile, taking us from smoky Chicago clubs to swaying train cars to a Mexican cantina. Greg Barnes’ Tony-winning costumes are just as dazzling, from glittery performance gowns to perfectly tailored zoot suits, with Daphne’s evolving color palette cleverly echoed in the lighting. Natasha Katz’s lighting design uses color and spotlight to guide tone and emotion, adding dimension to the already vivid world on stage.
Shaiman and Wittman's music is another major highlight. Styled after classic 1930s jazz and swing but with contemporary wit, songs like “What Are You Thirsty For?” "Vamp" and the show's title number are all instant earworms. This is one of the rare new musicals where I heard people humming the title song as they left the theater. The orchestrations (Tony-winning work by Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter) are lush and cinematic, starting with the show’s brief overture and sustaining a big-band sound that fills the Buell to the rafters.
If there’s one major flaw, it’s the sound. Once again, the Buell’s notoriously inconsistent sound system underdelivered. Mics cut out intermittently during the first number, and much of the opening lyrics were swallowed by an overmixed orchestra. While things improved throughout the night, the muddiness was a frustrating distraction, especially given the otherwise top-notch professionalism of the production. It’s a recurring problem that Denver Center audiences have come to expect, but shouldn't have to.
Still, it’s a testament to the strength of this production that even a muddy mix can’t dull its shine. With jaw-dropping choreography, showstopping performances and a book that manages to be both razor-sharp and tender, Some Like It Hot is one of the most purely entertaining national tours to come through Denver in years. Catch it while it’s in town, because this show’s sizzling hot fun.
Some Like It Hot, through Sunday, July 20, Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis Street. Learn more at denvercenter.org.
If there’s one major flaw, it’s the sound. Once again, the Buell’s notoriously inconsistent sound system underdelivered. Mics cut out intermittently during the first number, and much of the opening lyrics were swallowed by an overmixed orchestra. While things improved throughout the night, the muddiness was a frustrating distraction, especially given the otherwise top-notch professionalism of the production. It’s a recurring problem that Denver Center audiences have come to expect, but shouldn't have to.
Still, it’s a testament to the strength of this production that even a muddy mix can’t dull its shine. With jaw-dropping choreography, showstopping performances and a book that manages to be both razor-sharp and tender, Some Like It Hot is one of the most purely entertaining national tours to come through Denver in years. Catch it while it’s in town, because this show’s sizzling hot fun.
Some Like It Hot, through Sunday, July 20, Buell Theatre, 1400 Curtis Street. Learn more at denvercenter.org.
