Theater: “Some Like It Hot” on Broadway

Shmuel Vildr was born in 1906 to a family of Polish Jews in a small town that he would later joke was “half an hour from Vienna. By telegraph." His family eventually moved to Vienna and Shmuel, now calling himself Billy Wilder, became a journalist who made a connection with the American band leader Paul Whiteman. The latter was so impressed by BW he took him to Berlin, where Wilder eventually developed into a screenwriter, working with such notables as director Fred Zinneman.

Fearing the rise of Hitler, BW moved to Paris then onto Hollywood, where over the course of 40 years, wrote the screenplay for “Ninotchka” and went on to direct such movies as “Double Indemnity”, “Lost Weekend”, “Sunset Boulevard”, and “The Apartment.”

The 1959 film “Some Like It Hot” was Wilder’s  comic masterpiece. Two musicians witness a Mob killing in Chicago during Prohibition and then cross-dress as members of an all-girl band to escape being rubbed out. Starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe at her peak, the movie contained so many memorable scenes and lines, it still resonates with me 60 years after I first saw it. I was skeptical that any musical comedy interpretation could improve upon the film’s humor without sinking into cheesiness. I’m happy to say I was dead wrong.

In the Broadway musical comedy updating, currently in previews at the Shubert Theater, Joe aka “Josephine” is played by Christian Borle, whom we saw in “Peter and the Starcatcher”. Borle a reincarnated Donald o’Connor. He sings like an Irish tenor, tells jokes like he’s performing at StandUp New York, and can tap-dance even in heels like Savion Glover. Joe’s tap-dancing sidekick Gerry aka “Geraldine” (J. Harrison Ghee who played Lola in “Kinky Boots”) is Michael Che in a mini-skirt—a tall drink of water who discovers something about himself while on the road with the all-girl band.

Adrianna Hicks as Sugar Kane (the Marilyn Monroe role) surpasses MM in grace and talent. Kevin Del Aguila nearly walks—or should I say tap-dances away—with the show as Osgood, the “Poor Little Millionaire”, the Joe E. Lewis role.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the non-speaking star of the show: the choreography. Director/choreographer Casey Nicholaw (“Mean Girls” “The Prom”) dazzles the eye and causes jaws to drop precipitously in wonder. As for the score (by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman), trying to pick your favorite tune is like trying to choose your favorite child.

In short, this is a BIG show.

Please remember to unwrap any throat lozenges you’ve brought until after the show; you will need them as you will have laughed yourself hoarse by the finale (a choreographic French farce.) This is totally understandable; in 2000, SLIH the movie was selected by the American Film Institute as the best American comedy ever made.

Fun fact: At Wilder’s death in 2002, Le Monde titled its front-page obituary: “Billy Wilder is dead. Nobody is perfect.” Happy to report this show is.