‘Some Like it Hot’ — and It Is, at National Theatre
There’s something deliciously decadent about heading to the National Theatre for Some Like It Hot: a world of high-kick tap shoes, jazzy brass, glam Art-Deco sets, and a story that careens from speakeasies in Chicago to more razzle-dazzle shenanigans in San Diego. In short: this musical knows exactly what it wants to be — and for much of the evening, it hits its mark with swagger.
Some Like It Hot follows two down-on-their-luck musicians, Joe (Matt Loehr) and Jerry (Tavis Kordell), who witness a mob hit in Prohibition-era Chicago and must skip town… fast! To hide in plain sight, they disguise themselves as women, “Josephine” and “Daphne,” and join an all-female jazz band headed to sunny California.
On the road, Joe falls for the band’s star singer, Sugar Kane (Leandra Ellis Gaston), while Jerry unexpectedly discovers new dimensions of identity in his Daphne persona and attracts the affections of a charming millionaire. As gangsters close in and the lies pile up, the duo navigates romance, danger, and more.
Under the direction of Casey Nicholaw, Some Like It Hot’s dance sequences are a joy to experience. Expect tap numbers worthy of old-Hollywood revues, from speakeasy swing to romantic duets and frenzied chase scenes that recall silent-film slapstick. The ensemble, including bellhops, gangsters, and jazz-band beauties, moves with precision and pizzazz.
The music, by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, swings between big-band brass, torch-song tenderness, jazz-club swing, and playful duets. The orchestra (plus live and programmed instrumentation) fills the theatre with a richness and warmth.
With art-deco sets by Scott Pask and glittering costumes by Gregg Barnes, the production is pure visual candy: satin gowns, glimmering hotel lobbies, and nightclub lights that evoke speakeasy glamour. That, and Gaston’s voice — that recalls the best of traditional musical theatre — it’s cinema-meets-stage in the most indulgent way.
But for all the glamour and glitz, the show sometimes feels like it’s trying to sell “everything old and new” at once. The tonal flip at the end, from romantic mischief to gangster-chase farce, can feel jarring, like the production didn’t quite decide if it’s a cheeky caper or a heartfelt self-discovery tale.
And though the songs are often lovely, a few of them feel less distinctive — evocative of classic numbers, but not quite staying in the memory after the curtain falls. In other words: dazzling to witness, but definitely not something you’ll be humming on the way home.
Some Like It Hot at the National is a testament to what musical theatre does best: sweep you up in the lights, the music, the motion, and make you believe, at least for a few hours, in the glamour of jazz-age mischief, the thrill of cross-country escape, and the glittering possibility of new identity. It’s not perfect; the second act sags a bit, and some numbers fade after the final curtain, but it’s bold, brassy, and joyful enough that audiences will enjoy it immensely.
Some Like It Hot is over two hours with one 15-minute intermission. Grab your tickets quickly, this show plays at The National through December 7 only.