SOME LIKE IT HOT On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 16

[BETTY22]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 7:53am

Two cast members tell me they are putting in changes this week.

Nothing huge, but lots and lots of cuts and edits.

They seem to be very happy with the shape of the show. Now just want to tighten things up 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 8:27am

As much as I love the chase scene, among other things - it doesn’t need to be five and a half minutes. A number of other scenes/songs ran past the five minute mark that could be shorter without losing anything. I’ll be returning this week to see what has been tightened up and what has evolved since the second preview. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 12:26pm

Can we please do better than this. Imagine if you were two straight guys asking if a girl has a revealing costume. Stop objectifying people. It’s gross. 

No. It's weird and creepy.   Imagine anyone posting..."Can someone tell me about how Adrianna's body looks in any of her costumes"...get it? We're past that!  It's gross.

Thank you both for making great points and being outstanding men. Objectifying anyone is absolutely disgusting and has no place here. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 5:00pm

A few folks asked about the score. In my humble opinion it wasn't memorable and at times it seemed to stop the flow of the story and I would immediately zone out. Adriana's song in the train car in the middle of Act 1 felt like a requirement and less like inspiration (i.e. it's a calm moment and now is probably the right time for this character to sing their "I Want" song so we have a sense of who they are...check!). The one song that seemed to move the story along was the millionaire number which introduced that character and the introduction of that character immediately brought with it a humorous story arc that made the audience laugh when they realized where this was all headed. That landed beautifully! 

In general however, I can't hum the tune from any number in the show. I can't even recall the tune from title number and it's been 48 hours. That's not to say it's bad, just not the best part of the show (IMO!).

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 6:06pm

The three  songs I have heard (Darker Shade of Blue, Some Like It Hot, and Let’s be Bad) sound entertaining enough, but very generic pastiche. Those are three big numbers which I am sure take up a lot of stage time, but how do these numbers advance the plot? They don’t seem very character/action oriented. Is there more to them to drive the plot forward that is not apparent in the actual score? Is there a lot of action going on behind them or are they simply fun numbers that are performed as part of the band’s act? 

I was one of those “straight guy in dress” dissenters at first but was happy to hear of the Daphne arc. However, from these posts it seems they still treat the Josephine character as someone to ridicule due to looks and mannerisms simply for comic effect. Am I wrong to think they are trying to have it both ways?

Not trying to come off snarky, genuinely curious. I wish the show well, but just had questions. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 7:28pm

Lola Getz,

All my humble opinion but I didn’t feel the jokes about Josephine were offensive. I’m gay and work with many members of the trans, non-binary, and intersex communities at my work, but as I’m not a member of those communities I might have felt different if I were. The jokes solely focused on Josephine looking old, not ugly. 
 

I was so surprised at how they handled the Daphne scenes and during a song that takes place in Mexico Daphne has a dance solo in a gorgeous dress and I was BEAMING in that moment because you got the sense that Daphne was coming alive and feeling herself for the first time. It was beautifully done. I believe the entire audience was won over in that moment and that energy carried through the rest of the show for Daphne’s storyline so that in the moment when she comes out it makes perfect sense and doesn’t feel shoehorned in. I can’t say enough how well I thought they handled the trans storyline but I’m sure someone could have a good reason to object that I may have simply missed. 
 

the songs you mentioned:

I honestly can’t remember Darker Shade of Blue. Whoops.

Some Like It Hot: Act 1 closer. From what I recall it’s a number the band performs and just got us to curtain. No story. 

Let’s Be Bad: The number the millionaire sings to get the girls to Mexico to party the night away. Fine and serviceable but I can’t remember the tune.

I hope this answers your questions!

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 7:45pm

Thank you, theatregoer3. I appreciate your input. 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 8:22pm

Anyone going tomorrow or this week please report back on changes from last week! People were loving the first previews so I'm curious to see if it gets even better.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 8:26pm

theatregoer3 said: "A few folks asked about the score. In my humble opinion it wasn't memorable and at times it seemed to stop the flow of the story and I would immediately zone out. Adriana's song in the train car in the middle of Act 1 felt like a requirement and less like inspiration (i.e. it's a calm moment and now is probably the right time for this character to sing their "I Want" song so we have a sense of who they are...check!). The one song that seemed to move the story along was the millionaire number which introduced that character and the introduction of that character immediately brought with it a humorous story arc that made the audience laugh when they realized where this was all headed. That landed beautifully!

In general however, I can't hum the tune from any number in the show. I can't even recall the tune from title number and it's been 48 hours. That's not to say it's bad, just not the best part of the show (IMO!)."

Really, The title tune is very catchy https://twitter.com/i/status/1588286249659691009 SLIH!

[Matt Rogers]

Posted: 11/7/22 at 8:50pm

Lola Getz2 said: "The three songs I have heard (Darker Shade of Blue, Some Like It Hot, and Let’s be Bad) sound entertaining enough, but very generic pastiche. Those are three big numbers which I am sure take up a lot of stage time, but how do these numbers advance the plot? They don’t seem very character/action oriented. Is there more to them to drive the plot forward that is not apparent in the actual score?Is there a lot of action going on behind them or are they simply fun numbers that are performed as part of the band’s act?

I was one of those “straight guy in dress” dissenters at first but was happy to hear of the Daphne arc. However, from these posts it seems they still treat the Josephine character as someone to ridicule due to looks and mannerisms simply for comic effect. Am I wrong to think they are trying to have it both ways?

Not trying to come off snarky, genuinely curious. I wish the show well, but just had questions."

Josephine is just a guy in a dress, hiding from the mob. Daphne goes on a journey once in a dress and discovers who she is. I guess that is the most basic way to put it. It is all handled well. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:20am

Saw this last night and while I have a few issues - overall it was a wonderful (and hilarious) night of musical comedy. I sat front row center Mezzanine and it was an absolutely perfect seat. The front Mezz of the Shubert puts you incredibly close to the stage compared with other theatres. The show started at 8:08pm and the curtain came down at 10:45pm. 

The positive: The cast is incredible. They make incredibly tricky and physically demanding roles look very easy. Everyone was in incredible voice. I thought about 80% of the music was delightful and can't wait for a cast album. The standout numbers for me were 'Darker Shade of Blue' which I found captivating live (the youtube video doesn't do justice to how Adrianna Hicks performs it in the show. I also LOVED 'Poor Little Millionaire' and 'You Coulda Knocked Me Over With a Feather' - after which I leaned over to my husband and said "TONY". I also must note this show is incredibly funny. I felt like I was almost in a state of constant laughter for much of the night. Lastly the way Jerry/Daphne is handled was wonderful and very moving. I consider myself very liberal/progressive and left feeling very happy with everything regarding that plotline. The tap dancing was great and I wonder if some of it was cut already because I never thought it was too much.

The negative: There were 2 songs I really didn't like. I thought "Zee Bap" was messy and pointless, although it does come into play in Act 2. The bigger letdown number is "At the Old Majestic Nickel Matinee'. I thought this number was just dull and lifeless. When it started I liked the idea of having a slow ballad giving backstory to Sugar's character, but it needs a more beautiful melody and some more creative staging. My husband quite literally fell asleep during it and I can't really blame him. The set design is serviceable with some nice moments but overall I thought it was dull and cheap looking. The boat set in Act 2 is literally an ugly painted flat the looks right out of bad community theatre. I also felt like the members of the orchestra that were onstage added absolutely nothing to the show. I think I would have rather had the entire orchestra up there or none at all. It just felt like a half-hearted attempt at jazzing up the lackluster set. The costumes were mostly good, my one question was why Sugar was in yellow at the end when the 3 other leads were all in white? It seemed like a strange choice, almost as if all 4 were meant to be in white but her costume wasn't ready.

Final thoughts (with SPOILERS): While I thought some of the early laughs at Joe's expense in a dress were slightly cringey, when the entire show was done I had a different way of looking at it. I told my husband this show is like a new, woke show about a trans woman disguised as an old fashioned Broadway musical. Like a Trojan Horse that secretly delivers it's message to (at least some) unsuspecting audience members. One last thought - the chase scene at then end was fantastic and didn't feel too long at all, as someone mentioned.

Having only seen the show once I don't know what changes may have been made but if anyone has a specific question I will try to answer/remember :)

Updated On: 11/8/22 at 08:20 AM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 11:28am

We were befuddled by the yellow dress too. 

[alovingfan]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:07pm

Everyones comments so far have been kind of generic.  With no one really kvelling over the show.  I hope word gets more exciting!     

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:12pm

alovingfan said: "Everyones comments so far have been kind of generic. With no one really kvelling over the show. I hope word gets more exciting!



I don't think you've been reading very closely. Look again?

 

 

 

[alovingfan]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:53pm

JSquared2 said: "alovingfan said: "Everyones comments so far have been kind of generic. With no one really kvelling over the show. I hope word gets more exciting!



I don't think you've been reading very closely. Look again?





"

I thought I was.  

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 7:55pm

The kvelling here was so strong I went out and bought a ticket. Word of mouth here has been very solid for this show. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:02pm

It's on TDF for all performances next week. I'm going on Tuesday

[alovingfan]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:02pm

PipingHotPiccolo said: "The kvelling here was so strong I went out and bought a ticket. Word of mouth here has been very solid for this show."

I must be missing some pages on this thread then.  But I went on the other site and the comments have also been kind of just "had fun but...".      What am I missing?

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:05pm

It's very tough to take the overly enthusiastic reviews of either 'invited dress" or first preview as gospel truth.  These audiences always seem to be overly excited and filled with rabid fans.  It isn't until a week or two later that a more honest review of a show comes out. 

[Papi2013]

Posted: 11/8/22 at 8:07pm

Bill Snibson said: "It's very tough to take the overly enthusiastic reviews of either 'invited dress" or first preview as gospel truth. These audiences always seem to be overly excited and filled with rabid fans. It isn't until a week or two later that a more honest review of a show comes out."

Kind of like Beanies first few shows.  The level of baloney was palpable.  

[uncageg]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 1:11am

Saw it tonight. (Tuesday) It felt like a who's who of theater in there. Along with the creatives we spotted Ben Platt with his brother, I bumped face to face into Andrew Lloyd Weber and a lot of familiar theater faces. 

It ran 2 hours and 40 minutes with the intermission.

I enjoyed it.

Nicholaw's choreography is wonderful. It is a tap heavy show so I was in heaven with that. The score is really good. Not hummable, but I will listen to the cast recording when it is released. The book is also fine but could be slightly tweaked in places.

Unless another performance surfaces this season, I can see a tight race for Best Actor between Ghee and Borle. They are both given equal time to shine. In the opening scenes they are both fine. It doesn't take very long for the murders to happen and they are in dresses. The show takes off from there. Once settled in a bit, I can see Borle having a lot of fun doing his "thing" with the parts in a dress. They also both tap dance, very well, in heels.

For me, Kevin Del Aguila walked off with Act II. He was marvelous. A sure bet for a Tony nomination, and would be extremely deserving. He is having an absolute blast on that stage. He has so many great moments but loved the scene where he is dancing with no music.

I am not sure if I missed something but it seems Daphne does not "come clean" with the millionaire. Someone correct me if I am wrong. It was interesting when Daphne is telling Joe who she really is. There was like an immediate tenseness in the theater. You could feel it. But by the time Daphne finished her song, the audience was right back with her/him and by curtain call everyone went wild when Ghee came out. 

It seems they don't know quite what to do with the ending. The curtain falls on them just dancing around at the end of the final song. No real final "note", it just kind of ends.

It also appears that they have both a band on/above stage, and an orchestra in the pit.

All in all, an enjoyable evening that moves along and keeps your attention. It is in previews so I am sure they are still working on it. The creatives were all sitting mid orchestra with their pads. Once tightened up, this could be a huge hit. It has a throwback feel of an old Broadway musical and this evening's audience was loving it.  Just my random thoughts.

[djoko84]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 2:24am

Saw it last night. As the previous poster said, Andrew Lloyd Webber was there. I really wanted to ask for a pic, but he was talking to other people. As for the show, there's a lot to say about it, but I'll be quick. There's definitely something there, but it seems unfinished. I think out-of-town tryouts would have been better for this show. I thought the Book was the best part, but there were abrupt transitions and parts that you have to suspend belief to have it make sense. They definitely could've cut out a song or two that seemed like fill-ins. Aside from the Book, great performances from the whole cast and the choreography was top-notch. Like I said, there is something special there, but they really need to weed out various aspects of the show before opening night.

Updated On: 11/9/22 at 02:24 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 1:42pm

Bill Snibson said: "It's very tough to take the overly enthusiastic reviews of either 'invited dress" or first preview as gospel truth. These audiences always seem to be overly excited and filled with rabid fans. It isn't until a week or two later that a more honest review of a show comes out."

 

Should ANY "review"  ever be taken as "gospel truth"?  

[KitKatBoy24]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 1:43pm

I saw this at the start of the week and absolutely loved it!! It was so nice to see an old fashioned style musical that listened to contemporary issues and created a lovely queer story without being preachy. It was wonderful. 
 

The cast is uniformly wonderful. Ghee and Borle are stellar together and both will be contenders this year. Hicks also gives a beautiful performance and delivers soaring vocals on her numbers. The ensemble is working their butts off and it’s wildly impressive. 
 

Really enjoyed the choreo and direction. Casey did all the things I like about his style and none of the things that typically annoy me about his style. 
 

I really enjoyed the score. Some Like It Hot, Let’s Be Bad, A Darker Shade of Blue, Poor Little Millionaire, and You Could’ve Knocked Me Over With a Feather were standouts for me. The book is also hilarious and very witty. Our audience was having a great time and the way the script handles Ghee’s character is so tasteful and touching. Very impressed.

Natasha Katz lighting is stellar as always. The set design is minimal but serviceable. It didn’t bug me because it allowed the focus to be the dancing. It’s a smart set for touring too. Costumes are gorgeous, especially for Sugar and Daphne. 
 

I really don’t have complaints. I loved this and think it’s going to front run the Tony’s and we’ll have a nice battle between this and Akimbo. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 11/9/22 at 2:13pm

JSquared2 said: "Bill Snibson said: "It's very tough to take the overly enthusiastic reviews of either 'invited dress" or first preview as gospel truth. These audiences always seem to be overly excited and filled with rabid fans. It isn't until a week or two later that a more honest review of a show comes out."



Should ANY "review" ever be taken as "gospel truth"?"

Obviously not.  I'm just saying that typically those commenting on a first preview tend to lean toward the side of overly optimistic. "Beanie is def gonna be wining the Tony this year", "Broadway isn't ready for how amazing Devil Wears Prada is. I see lots of Tony noms for this one."  etc etc