‘Some Like It Hot:’ An Ode To San Diego

Four-time Tony Award winning musical “Some Like It Hot” stopped at the Civic Theatre from Jan. 28 through Feb. 2. On Wednesday, the mayor of Coronado declared Jan. 29 as the official “Some Like It Hot Day” to Broadway San Diego and cast members. The musical pulls inspiration from the 1959 comedy film of the same name, which was famously filmed at the Hotel Del Coronado. 

The musical adaptation is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, a San Diego native.

Set during the Prohibition era in Chicago, the musical’s opening number features Sweet Sue, played by Tarra Conner Jones, a flamboyant performer who is arrested at a speakeasy. Jones successfully amped up the audience for the two and a half hour performance, including a 20-minute intermission.  

Sue’s untimely arrest leaves two magicians, Joe, played by Matt Loehr, and Jerry, played by Tavis Kordell, out of a job. Desperate to find work and escape the law, the two join Sue’s all-female band and head south, with a final stop in San Diego. 

The hilariously charming leads rely heavily on their impressive tap dancing numbers as an outfit change transforms them into their female personas, Josephine and Daphne. 

For a show that relies on gender fluidity for much of its plot, it remains timeless and continues to resonate with audiences today. Through their interactions with other characters, and the feelings of romantic and sexual attraction they develop, Josephine and Daphne reveal that gender is perhaps nothing but a social construct. 

The musical also expands on the 1959 film in terms of diversity. Both female leads, as well as Jerry, are played by Black actors. The Black experience is baked into the script, as well as the music, which is heavily jazz inspired. In “A Darker Shade of Blue,” the band’s lead singer, Sugar, croons “Cause’s life’s a long hard road / But it’s better with a band!”

Originally played by Marilyn Monroe in the ‘59 film, Sugar is transformed into a sassier ringleader by 

actress Leandra Ellis-Gaston. Both Ellis-Gaston’s vocals and costumes shined bright throughout the show, with costumes ranging from a Cinderella-esque gown to a dazzling white jumpsuit for the band’s performance at The Del. Gaston brought the show to an emotional height during her solo performance of “At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee,” in which Sugar revealed how films allowed her to escape the segregated world she lived in. 

There is no doubt that we are in sunny San Diego by the end of the first act. At each reference to the band reaching their final destination (and there were many), the audience cheered out of pure pride for their city.​​​​​​ The recreation of the famous hotel lobby formed an aesthetically satisfying and familiar backdrop. 

The show’s climax has saxophone-playing Joe giving up on his drag persona, as he finds it increasingly difficult to cope with his developing feelings for Sugar. Meanwhile, Daphne has found a sense of belonging in the female band. Osgood, the owner of The Del, has also taken a special interest in Daphne. Through Daphne’s character, we see how exploring our identity may actually lead to finding a more true version of ourselves. 

As Joe buries himself into a tangle of lies and deception, the audience is left on the edge of their seat; the web of lies is sure to unravel eventually. The difficult act of coming clean about one’s true identity is yet another timeless piece of the story. 

By the end of the second act, the 21st amendment has been ratified, bringing an end to Prohibition. Sugar has successfully pursued her dreams of becoming a movie star and has landed a gig with MGM. Daphne marries Osgood, who opens a club where Daphne and Joe can perform as their true selves every night. Most importantly, everyone feels a little more comfortable in their own skin. 

“What’s stopping you from doing it?” Josephine asks. 

“The world,” Sugar responds.