SOME LIKE IT HOT - REVIEW OF MUSICAL AT THE CAA ED MIRVISH THEATRE

Reviewed by James Karas 

Some Like It Hot is a rollicking musical and light entertainment show now playing at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto. It is loosely based, of course, on the movie of the same name that featured Marylin Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon and had some unforgettable scenes. Who can forget Marylin trying to arouse Curtis’s erotic interest!

The musical has the basic story of two friends, musicians Joe (Matt Loehr) and Jerry (Tavis Kordell). They work in a club owned by mobster Spats Colombo (Devon Goffman) and witness him killing several people. This is Chicago in 1933 and as witnesses to a major crime, they are in danger of being snuffed out by the people against whom they might give evidence. In desperation, they join an all-female band pretending to be women and head out for San Diego. Saxophone player Joe becomes Josephine and bass player Jerry becomes Daphne.

The band is run by tough-as-nails Sweet Sue (Dequina Moore) who barks orders like a nasty sergeant in a boot camp but, she has a nice side too and a stentorian singing voice. Josephine befriends the hot Sugar Kane (Leandra Ellis-Gaston) and as Joe pretending to be someone else takes her to a yacht where she teaches him dancing. (Forget the Monroe/Curtis scene). Millionaire Osgood (Eduard Juvier) falls in love with Daphne and remains in love with her even when she tells him that Daphne is really Jerry. It is a fascinating twist and a comment on sexual identity. The musical also takes a stab at anti-black bigotry but the two friends find a way around it very quickly. After all this is a fun musical and we let it go even if we should not. The musical has a happy ending in case you are concerned.

Matt Loehr (Joe), Leandra Ellis-Gaston (Sugar), 

Tavis Kordell (Jerry) and the First National Touring Company of 

SOME LIKE IT HOT. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

The musical is loud, boisterous and fast moving. There are quieter moments like Sugar’s “Ride out the storm” number and Osgood’s “Fly Mariposa, Fly” but the aim is to sing and dance up a storm at almost excessive volume and do not let the audience rest for long. The music is repetitive and the tap dancing unstoppably energetic but all have the aim of keeping the audience on their toes and entertaining them.

Dequina Moore has a big, throaty voice that she lets out like artillery shots and she uses her arms and body like weapons. Kordell is a superb dancer and the troops of ensemble  dancers and singers in the form of Society Syncopators, Gangsters, Porters and Bellhops display unmitigated energy and tapdancing.

The humour varies from hackneyed to good and the music like everything in the musical emphasizes brisk tempo and volume. Music is by Marc Shaiman, the book by Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin and the lyrics by Scott Whitman and Marc Shaiman.

The show depends on Scenic Design (Scott Pask), Costume Design (Gregg Barnes), Lighting Design (Natasha Katz) and Sound Design (Brian Ronan). These are not passive participants but crucial  parts of the colour, excitement, motion and creators of excitement and audience participation in the show.  

The extraordinary choreography is in the hands of Casey Nicholaw who is also the Director. He has, and no doubt needs, an Associate Director and Associate Choreographer as well as a bunch of other behind-the-scenes people to bring the whole production together. A bow to Nicholaw and to all the others.
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Some Like It Hot by Marc Shaiman (music), Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin (book) and Scott Whitman and Marc Shaiman (lyrics), continues until March 15, 2026, at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. Toronto, Ontario. www.mirvish.com

James Karas is the Culture Editor of The Greek Press