Curtain Call: Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot 6/10

Last week my lady and I went to see Some Like It Hot at The Pantage's Theater. I am not even gonna complain about how I couldn't understand about 60% of what was being sang by some of the performers because if you at the Pantage's at this point you accept the fact that they somehow have the worst sound system of any live theater I've been to. My lady got the tickets at a discount and the place wasn't packed. Also, the ushers were acting like workers at a polling place. I have seen the film version of this movie and liked it a lot and have seen it a few times as recently as last year so the story is fresh in my head. Well, nuts to that because this is very different than that version.

If you are expecting to see some blonde bombshell walk out pretending to be Marilyn Monroe don't gets your hopes up. This show has multiple parts where it focuses on the fact that this takes place during the Prohibition Era but also how Black people had to move back then. I know some folks just groaned and I get that...sometimes. Other times having characters be Black can enhance a story. Look at Interview With The Vampire the series. The basic plot is that two musicians witness a murder and end up dressing as women and join an all woman band to escape Chicago. This stays the same but one of the guys, Jerry, becomes Daphne and Joe becomes Josephine. As the story goes about Jerry realizes that he loves living life as a woman which shocks Joe at first but he later accepts it. Everyone seems to accept it very easily. Like, way too easily I believe especially for a tall ass Black dude choosing to live this new life.

I enjoyed this play quite a bit but like I said the music is very hard to hear at times. Was not a fan of how Sugar talked and sang. Her accent was all over the place and she sang in three different ways. The show was also just a bit too long. If about four of the songs were removed the story would not have been affected. Liked the set and the way they would switch between locations quickly. Also one of the last songs during a chase went on waaaay too long. Sweet Sue was great as well as Loehr as Joe.

Matt Loehr as Joe/Josephine

Tavis Kordell as Jerry/Daphne

Leandra Ellis-Gaston as Sugar

Edward Juvier as Osgood

Tarra Conner Jones as Sweet Sue

Jamie LaVerdiere as Mulligan

Devon Goffman as Spats

Click here for previous Curtain Call.