by Ali78

Pros
costumes, sets, tap numbers, humor

Cons
Tony Curtis can't sing or dance

The Bottom Line
Even though Tony Curtis can't sing or dance, Some Like It Hot is fabulously fun!

Full Review
I am a huge musical theatre fan. Unlike most people anywhere close to me in age, I actually choose to listen to musicals instead of popular rock most of the time. I also so thoroughly enjoy going to the theatre to see a musical that I would rather spend my time there than just about anywhere else. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to see Some Like It Hot (the musical) this past weekend, I jumped at the chance. I am so glad that I did because the show was great!

~~~ The Story ~~~
Some Like It Hot is a stage musical based on the 1959 hit film Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis. It focuses primarily on two characters- Joe and Jerry, who are struggling musicians in 1929 Chicago. When Joe and Jerry are in the wrong place at the wrong time and wind up witnessing the Valentine's Day Massacre, they must skip town- and fast! But where are two musicians going to go? They have to find a way to support themselves but to also hide from the Mobsters who saw them. They decide that the place to hide is in a traveling all-girls band, which is traveling to Florida. Thus, they go undercover as "Josephine" and "Daphne."

The problems with "Daphne" and "Josephine" begin while they are on the train to Florida. Here are two men in the midst of ten beautiful women. They are supposed to dress, shower, and sleep in the same car as all these women! The biggest "problem" is Sugar, one of the lead singers in the band. Sugar is gorgeous and Joe ("Josephine") is having problems keeping his (her) hands to himself (herself). He decides that there has to be a way.

When they arrive in Florida, Jerry ("Daphne") is almost immediately approached by Osgood Fielding (Tony Curtis), an older man who finds Daphne very attractive. Daphne is constantly having to avoid Osgood and his advances. That is, of course, until Osgood begins to win Daphne's affections...

There is more to the story, but I don't want to spoil it.

~~~ The Songs ~~~
A musical wouldn't be a musical without songs and music! I went into Some Like It Hot not knowing a single song. I left humming "Doin' It For Sugar" and "People In My Life". That is a sign of a good song- you leave the show singing/humming it. All 21 songs in Some Like It Hot (21 including the Overture and the Entr'acte) are nice songs that were beautifully played by the orchestra and beautifully sang by the cast. However, there are a few that are more catchy that others!

~~~ The Actors ~~~
There is no denying who steals the show when it comes to performances. That award definitely goes to Sugar, played by a very talented actress named Jodi Carmelli. She imitates Marilyn Monroe perfectly, but she also adds that little "extra" that makes you forget that you are watching an actress. Carmelli becomes Sugar. In addition to her fabulous comedic performance, Carmelli also has a phenomenal singing voice. While it is not as apparent early in the show, by the end of the show, you can really hear the power in Carmelli's voice.

The actors who play Joe and Jerry, Arthur Hanket and Timothy Gulan, respectively, are hysterical. While neither man has a spectatcularly powerful singing voice(or they just didn't have to use it), both had fabulous comedic timing. They are perfect for the roles.

Tony Curtis, who is supposed to be the star of the show, was definitely not the shining star that Carmelli is. Unfortunately, Curtis can't sing or dance, which are two assets required for the role. However, Curtis does somehow capture and hold the audience's attention. As terrible as Curtis's singing and dancing were, I still enjoyed his performance as Osgood Fielding.

~~~ The Dancers ~~~
Some Like It Hot has A LOT of big tap dance numbers. There is a tap troupe in the show, led by "Spats", played by William Ryall, who is an unbelievably talented dancer. In fact, each and every tap dancer was phenomenal. Each tap number was appropriately placed in the show and was danced beautifully. Not a hand, foot,
head, or tap was out of place. The tap dancers were so good that their tapping even took the place of some other sound effects!

While Jodi Carmelli steals the show overall, William Ryall definitely steals the show when it comes to dancing!

~~~ The Sets ~~~
In most cases, if a person comes away from the show saying "The sets were nice," it means the show was no good. In the case of Some Like It Hot, however, noting could be further from the truth. The sets really were just amazing. After the fourth scene in Act I, I lost count of the number of set changes. All I know is, I was VERY impressed. My favorite set was the train car. It could be seen from the outside (with working window shades that allowed you to only see into certain parts of the car), or from the inside, where the sleeping bunks (with velvet curtains!) were. While this was far from the most elaborate set in Some Like It Hot, it was my favorite because it required such creativity and perfect timing on the part of the actors.

~~~ The Costumes ~~~
Because Some Like It Hot was set in 1929, the costumes must be very period. There was a specific look in 1929, and the costumer (designed by Suzy Benzinger) got the look down pat. What was especially impressive was that even the "show girl"-type costumes for the all-girls band were period.

The costumes were also perfect because they fit each character so well. There was a perfect mixture of black, pastels, and bright colors. The only characters who wore bright colors were the "show-girls." I was quite impressed.

~~~ The Flow of the Show ~~~
Some Like It Hot flowed extremely well. The longest set change was approximately 2-3 seconds, too short for you to even notice. All the scenes flowed nicely from one scene to the next. Not once was I confused by the story, wondering what had happened to one character who we hadn't seen in a while, or bored waiting for a set change. Everything was automatic and smooth.

~~~ Breaking It Up ~~~
Some Like It Hot is divided into two acts. Each act ran approximately 1 hour, 20 minutes. There are 21 songs, which are pretty evenly divided between the acts.

ACT I

Overture & Prologue
"We Play in the Band"
"Penniless Bums"
"Tear The Town Apart"
"The Beauty That Drives Men Mad"
"Runnin' Wild"
"We Could Be Close"
"Sun On My Face"
"November Song"
"Doin' It For Sugar"

ACT II

Entr'acte
"Sun On My Face" (Reprise)
"Shell Oil/Hey, Why Not!"
"Beautiful Through and Through"
"I Fall in Love Too Easily"
"Magic Nights"
"It's Always Love"
"When You Meet A Man In Chicago"
"People In My Life"
Finale: "Some Like It Hot"

~~~ Overall Recommendation ~~~
I would not recommend Some Like It Hot for young children because it does contain adult themes such as sexual situations, alcohol, and violence. However, everything is tastefully portrayed, so even sensitive adults may enjoy the show.

For adults, however, I would 100% recommend Some Like It Hot. It is nice to see a funny musical now and then!

Some Like It Hot is currently on tour. To check to see if it is coming to a town near you:

http://www.thehotmusical.info

The Cast (in order of appearance)

Spats ............................. William Ryall
Joe ............................... Arthur Hanket
Jerry ............................. Timothy Gulan
Sweet Sue ......................... Lenora Nemetz
Bienstock ......................... Gerry Vichi
Sugar ............................. Jodi Carmelli
Osgood Fielding III ............... Tony Curtis

Ensemble/Supporting Cast: Mark Adam, Sarah Anderson, Jacqueline Bayne, Scott Burrell, Bobby Clark, James Darrah, Time Falter, Ashlee Fife, Brenda Hamilton, Shannon Hudson, Derek Isetti, Pamela Jordan, Ryan Migge, Elise Molinelli, David Monzione, Gair Morris, Heather Parcells, Elizabeth Polito, Marissa Rozek, Karen Sieber.

Recommended
Yes

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