Some Like It Hot • September 30, 2025 • Eccles Theater
Reviewed by Kevin Rolfe
Photos by Matthew Murphy courtesy of Broadway at the Eccles
The 2025/2026 Broadway at the Eccles season has officially begun! Some Like It Hot, the Tony Award-winning musical, brings the classic 1959 film starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, and written and directed by Billy Wilder, roaring back into the 1930s Prohibition era once again. This time, with a modern lens. Principally around issues of gender identity, inclusion, and discovering one’s identity. The score is by award winners, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). The book is by Matthew López and Amber Ruffin, with choreography and direction by Casey Nicholaw.
Some Like It Hot deserves praise for the stunning visuals provided in this show. Costumes, sets, choreography, and lighting all contributed to bringing Eccles Theater a show that you just can’t take your eyes off. Casey Nicholaw, pulling double duty with both choreography and direction, brought a unified vision for what this show intended to be. Everything from ballroom to tap filled the stage and brought huge applause from the audience. Thunderous laughs were also frequently heard due not only to the great comedic timing of the actors, but by the direction of the scenes, giving the actors the best positioning to receive these laughs.
Matt Loehr, who played Joe/Josephine, and Tavis Kordel, who played Jerry/ Daphne, had amazing chemistry as a comedy duo. Throughout the production, I kept thinking about how much time they must have rehearsed together to be so in sync with one another. What I found fascinating was their ability to not only shine together but also find their way throughout the musical to radiate individuality. I was impressed that they were able to do the bulk of the choreography in heels. Then it dawned on me that women have been dancing in heels for well, forever. I’m glad these leads have caught up. Welcome to the big time, fellas!
Tavis Kordel takes on the task of delivering what is the most striking departure between the musical and the 1959 film. I thought this was done with grace and balance. Kordel found the right moments to bring humor as well as sincerity to a story that needs to be told with a surgeon-like steadiness.
I found myself laughing frequently whenever Matt Loehr was on stage. His comedic timing in the way he sang or said things, and sometimes just in his facial expressions, was spot on. Sometimes, the most subtle things would get a big laugh out of me. I thought he was great.
Stepping into Marilyn Monroe’s shoes seems like it would be an overwhelming undertaking. Fortunately, Leandra Ellis-Gaston brought her own kicks. She made the role completely her own. The role of Sugar doesn’t necessarily call for a Marilyn Monroe “type”. I’m glad she didn’t try to simply mimic what Monroe does in the movie. I thought her acting and her voice carried her through the musical. She was able to meet the moment, especially in scenes with other actors.
Dequina Moore and Deward Juvier were perfectly cast in their roles as Sugar and Osgood, respectively. In my opinion, musical comedy works best when the supporting actors bring something special to their characters. I thought both of these actors were excellent. There were so many moments where they stole the show. In the best way possible. I thought they filled out a robust cast.
I thoroughly enjoyed Some Like It Hot. As a standalone production, I think it has everything you’d hope for in a Broadway musical. The comedy, the music, the dancing, the costumes, just everything is at an elite level. If I had to nitpick at all, these are the couple of thoughts I had in this area.
First off, there is so much going on in this show that it’s hard to reach certain depths with each plot point and each character. I think the production does a great job with the major plotlines. This didn’t deter me from enjoying the show. It was simply something I noticed.
While I personally appreciated the modern updates to this story, I can see people who have loved the film for years potentially struggling with some of the changes. I think it’s difficult to take a story that people have enjoyed for decades and alter it. I thought Some Like It Hot, the musical, did a good job with the story. But I can understand if people were not expecting this to be different from the film.
All that being said, I thought Some Like It Hot exceeded my personal expectations of what I thought the show was going to be. I laughed to tears and at the end clapped until the orchestra was finished. I really enjoyed this production. I can see why Broadway at the Eccles brought it to us.
Some Like It Hot is playing at Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City until October 5. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.