
THE HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC “SOME LIKE IT HOT” FOR BROADWAY
Clip: 4/10/2023 | 13m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
REIMAGINING THE HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC “SOME LIKE IT HOT” FOR BROADWAY AND A NEW AUDIENCE
The hit 1959 film “Some Like It Hot,” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, is back, this time as a Broadway musical. Joining us to discuss how the iconic movie has been reimagined for the stage are the show’s star performers - Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee and Adrianna Hicks.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
MetroFocus is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS

THE HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC “SOME LIKE IT HOT” FOR BROADWAY
Clip: 4/10/2023 | 13m 34sVideo has Closed Captions
The hit 1959 film “Some Like It Hot,” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, is back, this time as a Broadway musical. Joining us to discuss how the iconic movie has been reimagined for the stage are the show’s star performers - Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee and Adrianna Hicks.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch MetroFocus
MetroFocus is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> Good evening.
The classic 1959 film "Some Like it Hot" is back, this time as a Broadway musical.
The new version, which critics call a jubilant, crowd-pleasing musical comedy, takes the story of two Prohibition-era heroines.
It has fabulous singing, dancing and some much more modern twists.
Here is a preview.
>> I hope you like your Broadway hot.
>> Chicago is too hot.
We can't stay here.
♪ >> Some like it hot, and that ain't bad.
>> We are delighted to have with us the three stars that showcase a constellation of talent on that stage.
Welcome to all of you.
So delighted to have you joining us here.
I want to start this conversation with a compliment.
Probably not a bad way to start.
My wife and I saw the show, and we are Broadway theatergoers.
We said that was one of the most enjoyable theater experiences we have ever had.
That is a good way to start our conversation here with that out there.
An iconic film.
When you bring it to the Broadway stage... what was the first reaction to it?
>> I think it was AFI's number one comedy all time.
I think the main challenge and thrill is attempting to take a comedy that -- some of it will be a little problematic.
The material has great comedic bones as well.
It was great to work with something fresh and new.
We talked about a new twist.
Certainly your character when you look at your character in Jerry and Daphne.
>> It was quiet a smooth process for me at this.
There was a lot of trust.
It was wonderful to trust each other, to come into the room and to bring ourselves into the world.
It was great to authentically walk into the room and be myself.
Your role is parallel to an iconic Marilyn Monroe role.
Once again, very different.
Similar to Jay's.
Talk about your character and what you have done to make those changes and to make it through a more modern lens.
>> It was wonderful to have director Casey Nicholaw say, "We don't want you to be Marilyn Monroe.
We want you to be you."
That was it, to do a new take on Sugar.
Now you have this beautiful character who is set in the 1930's.
She is a black woman now.
The stakes are different.
Things shift.
It was such an honor to see our similarities but also glean from other women like Judy Garland and Lena Horne and the list was endless for me.
That process was truly a blessing.
Thinking about trying to fill the shoes of Marilyn Monroe, there was no way I could have done that.
To take this character and make it my own and find the similarities between the two of them was very helpful to me.
>> I think it was accomplished by all of you.
I had seen the film before.
Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe.
From the beginning, I was not seeing any of you -- it wasn't.
I think that is probably what you wanted.
Have any of you actually seen the movie?
All of you have?
Alright, I was wondering if you watched it to prepare for this.
>> I watched to prepare for it.
I had never seen the movie so before agreeing to do the reading at the time, I watched the movie as research and as Christian had before, there were things that were problematic and needed to change.
I was excited to see what work needed to be done.
>> Let me talk about the energy on the stage.
I think that is one of the first things -- the dancing is breathtaking.
What kind of training do you have to -- we play football games once a week.
You doing this twice a night.
>> It is -- it helps -- We as theater performers -- our entire day is geared toward our body prepared at that hour.
We have our moments right before the show where we get to check in with each other.
One of our mantras is 1 foot in front of the other.
The show is such a train ride, literally and figuratively.
All you have to do is begin and we have this, our heart's number.
You can have me if you don't have him.
It is the greatest loss in the world.
Everything after that is like dessert.
Once you catch your breath, you kind of go along for the rest of the ride.
It is good exercise.
>> 1 foot after the other is a pretty good mantra.
>> We can adapt that.
I saw you saying one time this is like a kid playing in the sandbox.
How do you mean?
>> It is because I am working with adult kids almost.
I love being around them so much.
He helped me to tap into my inner child.
Just his freedom and his expression with building something was one of the best experiences of my life.
He reminds me of being like a dad, he looks after me for providing guidance as well as talking about things like, Do you love Disney World?
I love Disney World.
That youthful energy that we all would bring to the stage is what I mean by that.
>> We talk about how this is probably physical theater at its very best.
But with a focus on things that are important today.
I jotted down some notes after I saw it in terms of themes.
You are going to have fun if you come to the show.
But you have to think about some things.
The couple of things I wrote down, let me ask you this.
I said, Freedom, authenticity, journey.
Does that work?
>> For sure.
This is a story of adventure, finding freedom, finding authenticity.
These people are on separate journeys but they find themselves in such beautiful ways.
We can learn that in life to allow certain fantasies to -- You can find a fuller, more deeper version of the human being that is possible.
>> That is beautiful.
>> That is a wonderful way to put all of this.
I know you do this for a living and you are all veterans.
You will have great success in all areas of your performances.
It looks like you're really having fun.
It is a lot of work.
I would suspect that maybe not every production you have been in in your lives has always been fun.
To some extent.
Is this fun?
I look back to you, Adriana.
It is a lot of work.
People don't realize how much work this is.
Does this remain for you night in and night out?
A fun performance?
>> It does.
It is a comedy.
It is a classic musical theater comedy with these people feeling better about living and it helps to work with some of my amazing costars.
They make me laugh every single day.
We all come together and that is our way of tapping into make sure that we are all one and we know what we are going to do and if the work is the work, we understand what this business takes and it is lovely to have a group of people that understand that but also our adults about that while being kids while giving space to create like we used to do when we were younger.
>> We could talk for hours about this.
I want to give you the last question if I can.
What are you hopeful for when people walk out of this theater?
What are you hopeful they will take with them from the show?
>> One of the great things about doing musical comedy is that you make a contract with the audience.
People walk in and hear great music.
You will see some fantastic dancing.
But what is such a relief after the two-year hiccup of not being able to work on stage is to see people collectively laughing, healing.
You have that aspect of it.
The laughs build and build and build in this.
Then there is this lovely sucker punch of a message and humanity that leaves people and there was kind of turned upside down.
The humanity of it all.
- News and Public Affairs
Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.
- News and Public Affairs
FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.
Support for PBS provided by:
MetroFocus is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS