Some Like It Hot is bringing the Roaring Twenties to the 2020s. The new musical, inspired by the historic 1959 Marilyn Monroe film, is now on Broadway. Get Some Like It Hot tickets on New York Theatre Guide.
What is Some Like It Hot on Broadway about?
Inspired by the 1935 French film Fanfare of Love, the American romantic comedy follows two jazz musicians in Prohibition-era Chicago, Joe and Jerry. One night after playing their gig at a mob-controlled speakeasy, they witness the head mobster commit a crime, and they're suddenly his new targets. They go on the run, disguising themselves as part of Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopators, an all-female swing big band.
But, while in hiding, they both fall in love with the band's singer and ukulele player, Sugar Kane, a role originated by Marilyn Monroe in the film. The pair have to keep themselves out of trouble and their real identities hidden, but they're also determined to find romance, and perhaps themselves, along the way.
Alongside Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon starred in the film as Joe and Jerry, respectively. The movie made a splash in its time, and not just because of Monroe: Some Like It Hot went against the Hays Code, the set of "self-censorship" rules in place for films at the time, for including LGBT themes including cross-dressing. But the movie received rave reviews and audience acclaim nonetheless, going on to receive six Oscar nominations and win one for Best Costume Design. Some Like It Hot was eventually chosen as one of the first 25 films the United States National Film Registry chose for preservation, and it is also considered a catalyst for the replacement of the Hays Code.
This isn't the first time Some Like It Hot has been adapted for Broadway. In 1972, the movie was the basis for the show Sugar, which was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best New Musical. The 2022 adaptation is also one of two concurrently-running Broadway musicals set in 1920s Chicago, the other one being the long-running revival of Chicago.
Is Some Like It Hot a musical?
The original film included a few songs, but Some Like It Hot on Broadway is a full-blown musical. The music is by Marc Shaiman, with lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman; the duo's other musicals include Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can.
The Some Like It Hot musical creative team also includes bookwriters Matthew López (Tony-winning playwright of The Inheritance) and Amber Ruffin (the host of her eponymous comedic talk show), adapting the 1959 Billy Wilder film for the stage. Tony winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Something Rotten!) directs and choreographs the production.
Tickets to Some Like It Hot on Broadway are available now. Get tickets to Some Like It Hot in New York, now on sale.
