@showsiveseen "Some Like It Hot" #jazz #musical at the Paramount Theatre from Broadway Seattle national tours and @Seattle Theatre Group. #Tap dance extravaganza starring @Tavis Kordell and the delightful Matt Loehr. Closes 9/21/25! Review: showsiveseen.com/13616 Photos: MurphyMade Director/Choreo: Casey Nicholaw Stage Manager: Donovan Dolan Conductor: Mark Binns #tapDance #tapDancing @Some Like It Hot The Musical ♬ Some Like It Hot – NaTasha Yvette Williams & Adrianna Hicks & J. Harrison Ghee & 'Some Like It Hot' Original Broadway Cast
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Some Like It Hot jazz musical at the Paramount Theatre from Broadway Seattle national tours and Seattle Theatre Group. Tap dance extravaganza starring Tavis Kordell and the delightful Matt Loehr.
See it, especially if you enjoy tap dancing.
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Yes
Mainstream Appeal: Medium
If A Random Stranger Asked What Show They Should See This Weekend, Would I Mention This Production? Yes
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): After witnessing a Chicago mob boss commit a crime, two brothers become his next targets. To escape, they disguise themselves in drag and join an all-female traveling musical group hoping the ruse will take them safely to Mexico.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Winner of 4 Tony Awards®, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album, SOME LIKE IT HOT is “A Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!” – The New York Times. Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime. And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show in its season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it “a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater.”
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’d probably appreciate the show more if you watched the classic film.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actors: All
Total Actors: Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Other Rave(s)
- Tap Dancing: This production featured more tap dancing than any musical I’ve seen. Director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw used it in wonderfully inventive ways. In Act I, tap dance drove madcap escape sequences, while in Act II it added energy to fast-paced chase scenes. Though tap isn’t a style that usually involves tactile partner work like a waltz, there were clever moments where the dancers physically connected in doubles, which added variety to the dance form. The tap choreography stood out in the Act I finale, “Some Like It Hot,” as well as in one of the early playful numbers, “You Can’t Have Me (If You Don’t Have Him).”
- Delightful Characters: Matt Loehr played Joe/Josephine like a class clown, always ready with a clever quip up his sleeve. The running gag about his aged appearance in drag landed consistently, keeping the audience in stitches. Meanwhile, Edward Juvier’s portrayal of the hopelessly smitten Osgood Fielding III carried shades of the persistent, nerdy Ogie from Waitress.
Rant(s)
- Sound Balancing: The sound balancing left much to be desired. Several microphones were set too low, most noticeably for one of the leads, Tavis Kordell. I can only assume this is the curse of national tours opening in new venues without the benefit of preview performances.
- Orchestra/Band: I’m not sure if this was also related to the sound balancing, but the orchestra didn’t quite achieve the full-bodied “big band” sound the score seemed to call for. At key moments (such as the Act I showstopper and “A Darker Shade of Blue”), the music lacked the punch and vitality needed to elevate the numbers. I longed for the astounding accompaniment from the nearby 5th Avenue Theatre like in their recent Bye Bye Birdie.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- Injury: There was an substantial unexpected 15-minute delay before the second act. At first, it sounded like technical difficulties. But it turned out to be an injury sustained by lead actor Tavis Kordell from the first act. Fortunately, Jonathan Duvelson (or perhaps Jamal Stone?) stepped in to cover the dance-heavy portions of the role with Kordell pushing through the acting portions. Honestly, I wouldn’t have noticed the seamless switch if the Assistant Director Steve Bebout hadn’t announced it before the second act. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have been different had Kordell continued with their original track. Oh, the magic and unpredictability of live theatre! The delay did lead to a few audience members leaving, which meant I scored a much better view without the someone sitting in front of me. 🙂
- The Reveal (Spoiler Alert): It wasn’t clear whether Osgood understood that Jerry/Daphne’s identity was not a cisgender woman.
Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group
Venue: Paramount Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
Price Range: $56-192
Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees/students are still eligible for an organization discount.
Dates: 9/16/25 – 9/21/25
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the former Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.
Like/Comment/Share my Social Media Posts About this Performance:
Buy a Ticket or Learn More:
- https://somelikeithotmusical.com/
- https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/some-like-it-hot/
- https://www.stgpresents.org/events/some-like-it-hot/
- Program
Pictures: See production pictures below by Matthew Murphy.
Cast and Production Team: See after pictures below.













