The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
through May 4, 2025
by Jarice Hanson
For fans of the 1959 “Some Like It Hot” movie with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, by all means get to the Bushnell and see the updated version of the story complete with music and a lot of tap dancing.
This story has aged remarkably well, but with the help of an updated book by Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin, and music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, this show brings plenty of laughs, and a feel-good vibe to today’s world.
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| Photo by Matthew Murphy |
The Broadway version was a sparkling gem on the boards in 2022. The Bushnell production is one of the first touring companies to bring the big, lavish musical to this region.
The story is fairly simple. Two male musicians witness a mob hit and have to go into hiding. Hoping to make it to Mexico, they see the opportunity to join Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators, an all-woman orchestra traveling across the country. When confronted with a sexy singer named Sugar Caine, portrayed deliciously by Leandra Ellis-Gaston, the two heroes, Joe/Josephine, masterfully played by Matt Loehr, and Jerry/Daphne, played by Tavis Kordell, evade thugs, find love, and hilarity ensues.
Kordell may have the greater challenge in making his character believable, but he brings such thought and dignity to the role, and builds the character slowly so that the audience is ready for the updated twist that emerges in Act II. His honest portrayal is so convincing that the audience cheered what otherwise might have seemed like a simple line—but in the context of contemporary times, the simple line is profound.
A surprise character emerges in Osgood Fielding, acted by the energetic Edward Juvier, whose performance would have made the originator of the role, Joe E. Brown, proud. While every voice in the cast is exceptional, Juvier’s romantic rendition of “Fly Mariposa, Fly” is a masterpiece.
This cast overflows with talent. Almost everyone sings and dances, and Nicholaw's choreography is a force to behold. In addition to the leads, the all woman "orchestra" sings and taps throughout the show.
Act II is also peppered with a highly creative mad-cap number reminiscent of the Keystone Kops. The result is non-stop fun that reminds audiences of what a Broadway musical used to be, and it fills the heart with joy.