"Some Like It Hot" Burns Up the Stage at the Fisher Theater – The Oakland Press

Given Broadway’s penchant for twisting and modernizing and not often trusting the original source, many bad decisions could have been made in turning Billy Wilder’s 1959 comedy “Some Like It Hot” into a stage musical.

So it’s to the creative team’s credit that “…Hot” — at Detroit’s Fisher Theater through Oct. 13 — retains the film’s vintage feel, modernizing it only with today’s production values and by gently but affectingly accentuating some of the (then) provocative themes only hinted at in its film counterpart.

It’s that deft balance—as well as a solid script and a host of songs and fiery choreography—that earned the Tony Award for Best Musical last year. And rest assured, the first national touring company is as, well, hot as anything that graced the Great White Way.

“…Hot” is set in the prohibition and depression era of 1933, beginning in Chicago and ending in California as struggling musicians Joe (Matt Loehr) and Jerry (Travis Kordell, after witnessing a mob murder, escape by hiding in an all-female band, like Josephine and Daphne, respectively.What could go wrong with that, of course—which is the whole point, including some twists that it would be unfair to spoil.

In the 2020s, society at large can handle the undercurrents of Wilder and IAL Diamond’s original story, and book writers Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin highlight issues of feminism, gender equality, gender identity and acceptance without hindering the good times that “…Hot” should be.

Casey Nicholaw’s ensemble dance number is a big reason why, whether it’s the glee of loss in “Take a Step,” the jazzy glee of “Zee Bap” or the sharp precision of the title track, “Let’s Be Bad” and “Fly, Mariposa, fly. ” Best of all is “Tip Tap Trouble,” a frenetic, full-cast chase that uses props and quick costume changes to dizzying and delightful effect. And the sheer execution of these bits is a testament to how solid the cast is from top to bottom.

That foundation allows “…Hot’s” leads to put it all over the top with both talent and palpable chemistry that leaves audiences primed for their eventual ending. Kordell, who is good as Jerry but, like the character, really comes into her own as Daphne, making the audience feel his swelling blossoming as a genuine and natural, and entirely believable, transition. The song “You Could’ve Knocked Me Over With a Feather” explains it all, and Kordell delivers it as an anthem of empowerment and discovery.

Loehr, meanwhile, shines in three different roles, each separate from the other but without losing the core that makes them all the same person. Leandra Ellis-Gaston is a showstopper as the band’s singer Sugar Kane, delivering powerful renditions of “A Darker Shade of Blue” and “Ride Out the Storm.” And though he comes in almost halfway through, Edward Juvier as the wealthy but love-struck (and ukulele-playing) Osgood Fielding III offers expertly timed comedic genius almost every time he’s on stage while imparting odd bits of wisdom that give the show an extra bit of emotional weight.

It’s a musical that rarely slows down, and even its quieter moments are enhanced by the excellence of the performance. Forget the “some” part; everyone will be able to stand and enjoy the heat generated by “…Hot.”

“Some Like It Hot” runs through Oct. 13 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. 313-872-100 or broadwayindetroit.com.

“Some Like It Hot” Burns Up the Stage at the Fisher Theater – The Oakland Press

“Some Like It Hot” Burns Up the Stage at the Fisher Theater – The Oakland Press