Medley was a 2022 Black Theatre Coalition Fellow. June 28, 2023, By She had kind of an elegant vulgarity about her. Some Like It Hot / Trivia - TV Tropes All clothing is drag. Isnt It Wonderful? But he didnt stop there. They wanted us to select off-the-rack stuff from the costume department. The 1959 film "Some Like It Hot" milked most of its comedy from the sight of men in women's clothes a reliable laugh-getter since the days of "Charley's Aunt." Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks, and more star in the new musical based on the 1959 film. "Some Like It Hot" is a 1959 classic movie about two men who disguise themselves as part of an all-female jazz band to escape the mob. From nearly every angle, Some Like It Hot is a weird, subversive picture: two hard-luck jazz musicians (Curtis and Lemmon) who witness the St. Valentines Day Massacre go into hiding as women in an all-female orchestra, and must navigate love and attractionone lusts after the bands sultry singer, played by Monroe, while the other is pursued by a wily old millionaireall while dodging the mob. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1401, is amended by adding the following language as a new subdivision:"Adult cabaret performance" means a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration. She is a party, but she also, in her existence, is a statement: I can be whoever I want to be in my Blackness and in my queerness. Inspired by the French film Fanfare of Love, Some Like It Hot follows two Prohibition-era jazz musicians in Chicago (played on screen by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon ), who witness a mob hit. MORRISON When we were at Playwrights, I did have a wig, and the wig actually became a big bone of contention, more than the dress. "We believe a reasonable interpretation of the law applies to public filming of shows or films where drag is presented, especially when children are present.". Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. When she calls back, "Good night, honey!". Joe and Jerry are no more now theyre Josephine and Daphne. I am playing a woman who loves her kid more than anything else in life, and Im trying to be as believable as possible. and Elliots cycle flight in front of the moon. People Songs Tour Stops Production Staff Opening Night Cast Replacements The 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot, about two men who dress as women to escape the mob, starred (from left) Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. It was released in 2022. Image Via Donaldson Collection/Contributor, Getty Images. Starting At $79, Buy Tickets Doubtfire.. Some Like It Hot review - Broadway adaptation is lukewarm He said, Okay., When I interviewed Curtis in 2004, he recalled the experience of getting fittedand how they had some fun at Monroes expense: Were all at Goldwyn Studios and our dressing rooms are alongside of each other: Jack, me, Marilyn. He cast George Raft (Scarface) as Some Like It Hots heavy, Spats Colombo; studio player Pat OBrien as the chief lawman; and hey, that guy! George E. Stone (Little Caesar) as the fink. There was a moment where I would take the wig off onstage, and there was something about the meta-theatricality of taking that off. Despite the retakes and blown lines, what Wilder was able to capture on screen was a kind of ineffable star power, as well as a performance of technical skill. Ask the person if they want to play a trivia game with you. Sheneneh was a real person to me. Their comments, about the charm, the concerns and their own connections to the art form, are edited and excerpted. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Its stars, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe, were all at the top of their game in the film and every laugh is earned. But that didnt stop the American Film Institute from ranking the top 100 American movie comedies, topped by Some Like It Hot. Women have been asking Hinge matches for their most controversial Fiscus, Kirsten. Diamond. We're very sorry, but we had a problem canceling your order. Like, your Martin Lawrence as Sheneneh? June 28, 2023, By The reason why, though, depends on whose story you believe. Starting At $67, Buy Tickets Some Like It Hot - Broadway Musical - Tour | IBDB ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION The credits for this production have not yet been completed or verified. The show, which was originally scheduled to open in Chicago last year before transferring to the Great White Way, will begin performances on Nov. 1. By A. H. WEILER here should be no doubt this morning that the members of the happily. When it was all done, and my stomach got back to normal, it seemed well worth the agony of working with her.. We thought about it all week. Accessed 9 Mar. SOME LIKE IT HOT - Developmental Agreement Auditions - Broadway World Director Casey Nicholaw doesnt and, therefore, packs in unmotivated tap dancing anywhere he can. During production, she would show up hours late for work, claiming to have lost her way to the studio. The humor in the German movie was rather heavy-handed and Teutonic, Diamond said. | Brad Pitt wearing a skirt on a red carpet. Once the actors were in place, it came time to turn to more serious matters: the costumes. The Misfits with a script by Miller, is a turgid bore with delusions of profundity, while Lets Make Love squanders Monroes talents on a forgettable rom-com. Theres a power in the defiance of what you say I should be and what you say I should look like. Plus, a number of other performers and writers: the drag artists Charles Busch and John Epperson (Lypsinka); the actor John-Andrew Morrison, who wears the dress in A Strange Loop and picked up a Tony nomination for his performance; and three writer-performers who have considered these issues in their work, Harvey Fierstein (Torch Song Trilogy, Kinky Boots), Taylor Mac (A 24-Decade History of Popular Music) and Ana Nogueira (Which Way to the Stage). Talkin' Broadway Regional Theatre News & Reviews - Some Like It Hot But thats not whats going to happen. I held my head up, straight and high, and never went for those low-down jokes.. Juniper Street Productions is production manager, with 101 Productions, LTD. as general manager. APA Dictionary of Psychology. Why Some Like It Hot is the greatest comedy ever made COOPER Its making a mockery of the misogyny. Maybe its empowering for you to get up and do for a few hours a week, the female character says of her friends drag act, but for some of us its a [expletive] prison, and to be expected to look like that and be like that is exhausting and demoralizing.. Neither of us could come up with anything better, so we shot that line, still not entirely satisfied. Viewers felt entirely differently. 'Some Like It Hot': Broadway's latest drag musical is tepid - New York Post | Some Like It Hot. He stands there and measures: 29, 34, 18, goes around her [waist and rear] and he said, You know Marilyn, Tony Curtis has a better looking ass than you. She unbuttoned her blouse, opened it, and said, He doesnt have t*ts like these! Curtis laughed and clapped his hands. MAC I think it can be used in a misogynistic way, but I dont think it inherently is misogynistic. One can fit a number of genres and genders under a dress-wearing umbrella there are men and male-presenting performers playing women, playing men playing women, wearing dresses for drama, wearing dresses for laughs, wearing dresses as a means of self-expression. Absolutely. To me the important thing is the presentation: Am I funny when Im wanting to be funny? "I think they realized they needed to start from scratch," Reside said. At one point in November of that year, the production headaches grew so pronounced that Variety commissioned a more deeply reported piece that looked at the insurance issues that Monroes health problems were causing. Some Like It Hot. The 1959 Marilyn Monroe film is one of the best comedies of all time. The Tennessean, https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/01/tennessee-drag-bill-will-drag-shows-and-performances-be-banned/69949236007/. He stood Billy up. Wilder, who became a director to control the fates of his scripts, likely wouldnt have reacted kindly to such an affront to his authority. In April 1958, Monroe was finally ready to return to the medium that had made her globally famous, with Variety proclaiming Monroe to Do Hot. I knew that I was going to go crazy at moments. I went to Billy, and I told him Jack and I wanted Orry-Kelly dresses, too. THE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN COMEDY WAS INSPIRED BY A DRY GERMAN REMAKE OF A FRENCH FARCE. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Some Like It Hot is a musical comedy written by Matthew Lpez and Amber Ruffin, with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. Personal interview with Tony Curtis, 2004, 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved, Billy Wilder, The Art of Screenwriting No. For every violation afterwards, it would be a felony charge that could be punishable with up to six years in prison. He said, Cary, how did you like Tonys impression of you. Cary said [Curtis switches to his impersonation], I dont talk like that!, Wilder and Diamond were precise writers. LEE Drag is its own piece of art altogether. Anyone can buy it. They end the first half with their song Lets Be Bad from TVs Smash, which, lest we forget, was a humongous flop for NBC. In an article entitled Whos Holding Bag? Interesting Question on Marilyn Monroe Pic, the trade noted that productions that blow past their wrap dates werent indemnified for female ailments, including pregnancy, which the article went on to imply was the cause of her missed days. Some Like It Hot: Challenging Heteronormativity Through Comedy "Hays'd: Decoding the Classics 'Some Like It Hot.'" Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is a fact-checker for Snopes. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee and Nehemiah Persoff in supporting roles. And speaking of retreads, the original, classic 1959 "Some Like It Hot" was itself a remake of a remake. Wilder would have to run 80-plus takes to get one line, like Wheres that bourbon? or Its me, Sugar. She continually deferred to her acting coach, Paula Strasberg, in the midst of arguments with Wilder. Warner, and Anna Nilsson.) It felt so natural, so organic, and I felt this sense of freedom in exploring my femininity. It is an ABC book to teach sexual terms. Orchestrations are by Charlie Rosen and Bryan Carter, with vocal arrangements by Shaiman, dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly, and music coordination by Kristy Norter. 1929. The joke is: See how ridiculous men are when they try to be women. "Sugar" got middling reviews when it opened 50 years ago. Did Tennessee Ban the Classic Movie 'Some Like It Hot'? Most critical lists include Billy Wilders 1959 classic, Some Like It Hot at or near the top. Published Jan 28, 2022 Aside from being one of the funniest films of the twentieth century, Some Like It Hot was pivotal in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. L MORGAN LEE I was invited to one of the open dress rehearsals for Some Like It Hot and remember sitting there thinking, They are going to get celebrated for this, when whats happening here is actually really irresponsible. I remember leaving the theater feeling like they invited a few trans people to be in the space, but they didnt ask our opinions. The photographer Justin J Wee, with a series of self-portraits, sought to evoke a sad clown, caught under the lights at closing time. In the last fifteen years there were ten projects that came to me, and Id start working on them and Id think, Its not going to work, it needs Marilyn Monroe,' he told an interviewer. More specifically, the changing views of gender cis and trans. At the Shubert Theatre, 225 W 44th Street. *This review requires creating a free account or a paid subscription. The first paragraph of my accompanying written essay: On principle, progressive 21st century viewers would likely object to a film like Some Like It Hot. The Hays Code would stand until 1968, but its killing blow was struck 9 years earlier when Wilder's sixteenth feature, SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), found widespread commercial despite being made without the Code's approval, rendering the once-tyrannical institution unnecessary and irrelevant. As an actress inside of the thing, I cant help but notice. When [A Strange Loop] brought it up to me, I was absolutely terrified of it, because I didnt want her to become a joke. But he obviously saw possibilities in the material. I dont see Lola in Kinky Boots as the same as Doubtfire or Tootsie. Its someone who is outwardly saying I am a performer.. So when we got to D.C. [at Woolly Mammoth Theater Company], I said if the wig is something that is going to cause a problem, then we dont need it. HARVEY FIERSTEIN I dont think I ever would have been able to get onstage with mens clothing. But it was also the norm for how the actress, who was prized more for her curvaceous looks than her performing chops, was treated by a media that wanted to commodify and objectify her, while remaining steadfastly unsympathetic to her struggles. Logan Culwell-Block JOHN EPPERSON What is it that pushes peoples buttons, whether in a positive or negative direction? ROSS When you take an American classic like Chicago and you put a Black trans woman front and center in the lead, it not only makes room for people of color and my fans and audiences to see themselves and know that its possible for them too, if this is the direction that they want, but its also forcing some folks who are dragging their feet toward the line of equality for everyone. "Banned in Tennessee: Billy Wilder's Some Like It Hot (1959)," The Other 98%, aorganization dedicated to winning the "battle of the story" using viral original political content, posted on its Facebook page. This years Tony-winning best musical, A Strange Loop, has scenes in which a goateed male actor dons a pink dress to portray the protagonists mother. The new season on Broadway will also feature an audacious. The film did generate controversy. Jack Lemmon Saw The Apartment As More Controversial Than Some Like It Hot Its a good picture, and Im proud of it. 2023. I dont think any story is off limits, but I do think every story and subject matter deserve scrutiny. It was wild. The production is dedicated to the memory of producer Craig Zadan. On Broadway, Weighing the Risks and Rewards of Staging Some Like It Hot Adapted from the 1959 film written and directed by Billy Wilder, the musical features a book by The Inheritance Tony winner Matthew Lpez and Amber Ruffin and a score by Hairspray's Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with the former providing music and both contributing lyrics. Some Like It Not: Are Men in Dresses Still Funny? Plus, go inside the solo show's opening night on Broadway where attendees include Micaela Diamond, Regina Spektor, Busy Phillips, and more. When it came to developing how Junior would sound, Curtis brought out his Cary Grant impersonation. You cant beat that story. Clueless. We were very cooperative, Lemmon says about being put in makeup and high heels, but we did put our feet down when we wanted better dresses. "Sugar's" producer, the legendary David Merrick, had not secured the rights to to the title "Some Like it Hot" when the show first played Broadway in 1972. ", Based on the context, "adult cabaret performances" might be interpreted to mean "live performances" only. When Some Like it Hot finished, Billy Wilder showed it to Cary Grant, Curtis told me. Drag is costume. The director always wanted to work with Grant, but things never came together. Theres nothing quite as sexy. While analyzing the impact the legislation could have, the Tennessean wrote, "So while one governing body might believe drag performances aren't obscene or harmful to minors, another might believe differently based on "contemporary community standards. ", Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Joan Marcus ("Ain't No Mo'"). Vividseats: Official Ticketing Partner of New York Post, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Johnson, Jack. So, traipsing into the ladies we went, and, boy, oh, boy, the flop sweat was really flying, Lemmon remembered. The phrase "appeals to a prurient interest" came from a 1973 Supreme Court case about obscenity, Miller v. California. In this, it remains refreshingly relevant today. PDF Some Like It Hot - Library of Congress California Doubling: For Florida. Theyre not performing women, theyre performing men performing women its a totally different thing. Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Runtime: 97 minutes. The seed that bloomed into Some Like It Hot was planted by an obscure 1951 German film, Fanfaren. As your eyes blink to adjust, you slowly realize that things werent as fabulous as you had seen them in your head, he explained.Credit Men in dresses are in vogue on Broadway. ROSS In Chicago theres Mary Sunshine. "Others can be inspired by and build on the work that came before them," Reside said. Ill also say that Im curious why theres so little drag where women are dressing as men, where masculinity is being put on and maybe skewered. 1. He previously covered religion, and was part of the Boston Globe team whose coverage of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Cary Grant was Billy Wilders white whale. The new season on Broadway will also feature an audacious play, Aint No Mo, in which the main character is a flight attendant played by a man in drag. BUSCH Now we see Brad Pitt wearing a skirt on a red carpet, so the shock of that is long gone. The National Legion of Decency condemned it as morally objectionable, claiming it promoted homosexuality . Just before the pandemic, there was Tootsie, and just after the shutdown, Mrs. 'Some Like It Hot' Musical Plans Fall Opening on Broadway Cher: Christian had a thing for Tony Curtis so he brought over "Some Some like it hot. But it actually had a modest career of its own. Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, the emotionally bruised, gin-swilling singer and ukulele player, remains her most accomplished performance. I found it very useful in being strong. AN ACT to Amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 14, Relative to Adult-Oriented Performances. At first, Wilder thought of casting Mitzi Gaynor in the role. 'Some Like It Hot': 2-Hour Comedy - The New York Times Web Archive However, even if you go in totally cold Whos Jack Lemmon? God forbid the show still disappoints as a stand-alone piece of theater. So he went in and measured Jack, and Jack came out in boxer shorts, stood in front of him and put the tape around his neck: 16, 31, 29, 18. "Security," Lemmon fires back. As the years went on, he softened in his view of his experience working with her. My feet are going to hate her, and my skin might hate her with all that makeup, but Im excited that more people will get to meet her. Controversy Surrounds Auction of 'Some Like It Hot' Actor Tony Curtis' Belongings. It is based on the 1959 MGM/UA film Some Like It Hot, which was based on the 1935 French film Fanfare of Love. When you put on drag, you are taking on the magical powers that you attribute to the other sex. Doubtfire. Now comes Some Like It Hot, a musical adaptation of the classic caper comedy about two men who dress as women to escape the mob. And Kinky Boots, the once long-running Broadway show concerning drag-friendly footwear, has just returned to New York for a commercial Off Broadway run. Its even there in the initial coverage of the production before things threatened to go off the rails. Doubtfire, 10 artists reflect on an enduring trope and how it works, or doesnt, today. The funniest people in the show, actually, are NaTashha Yvette Williams as Sweet Sue and Angie Schworer as the Society Syncopators manager of sorts. MAC Clothing is not gender. The notion of a comedy that relies on the simple concept of men in drag for most of its humor is rather troubling, the implication of course being that the mere act of placing a dress on a man . Through his persona as Daphne and his subsequent romantic relationship with Osgood, Jerry comes to a fuller appreciation and understanding of the objectification of women as sex objects. You couldnt do what you did in the movie. Yet, nothing reveals the full extent of Monroes power and hints at the unexplored potential of her prodigious talent like Some Like It Hot. It may have been hell to shoot, but its a joy to watch. The new show, directed by Casey Nicholaw, and starring Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, and Adrianna Hicks, is racially diverse as well as sexually fluid. The screen icon, who would have turned 95 on June 1, was battling ill health, which was linked to her barbiturate dependency and fragile psyche, and she was recovering from a miscarriage. 1. The last piece of the characters was their makeup. I think this is a challenge that our show did not meet. team. The scene of me and Marilyn kissing, the scene with Jack and I on the trainall of that intimate stuff needed those big close-ups, and thats what made the movie so appealing., Comedy is such a subjective genre, that its impossible to say something is the best. Best to who? SAFER-SEX TRIVIA. Some Like It Hot. So that was difficult. Censorship, negotiation, and transgressive cinema: Double Indemnity "Why would a guy want to marry a guy?" Some Like It Hotwas a huge hit when it was released in 1959, but not everyone had the opportunity to see it. Im not someone that wants to sterilize you can tell your story any way you want to tell your story I just want you to be mindful, and to be aware that you are not alone on this earth. Pregnant with a child she would ultimately miscarry . Tony Curtis Sings and Dances in Some Like It Hot, Lillian Ross, The New Yorker, June 3, 2002Billy Wilder, The Art of Screenwriting No. And their ultimate goal is to cross the border to Mexico to avoid being offed. We have a whole week to think about it, Wilder said. "Every jest is an earnest in the womb of time," George Bernard Shaw wrote. Some Like it Hot: Some Like it Noir | Fresh Potatoes - Sites at Penn State 2023. A man in a dress! Fearing for their lives, they get all dolled up, hop aboard the train to California and join a touring all-female band called Sweet Sues Society Syncopators. And some don't mind if it's a bit warmed over. Young Thug , French Montana, and several other rappers were named in texts read in court during the YNW Melly trial to prove the Florida native was affiliated with the Bloods gang, WPLG Local 10 . Ghee, full of charisma, fares better as Daphne. He needed to see if it could play. ANA NOGUEIRA Obviously we all love Some Like It Hot no one is tearing down the film, and it feels like it was actually progressive in its own way, pushing the gender boundaries of the time. Some Like It Hot - Wikipedia Some Like It Not: Are Men in Dresses Still Funny? Wilder and Diamond both liked that particular deviceand not much else. If youre going to do a man-dressed-as-a-woman story, you have to go a little deeper, a little edgier, a little more dangerous. Banned in China: Upon its original release, Kansas banned the film from being shown in the state, explaining that cross-dressing was "too disturbing for Kansans". PDF Why study - BRENTFORD MEDIA AND FILM STUDIES DEPARTMENT Thanks for contacting us. Act 2, for all its plot complications, is eerily calm. But the smirky performance is too tongue-in-cheek to be believable. https://dictionary.apa.org/. And, so, as only Broadway knows how to do, it has churned out a mostly charmless song-and-dance version of a beloved title. (It was a novelty Wilder employed on Sunset Boulevard, too, from hiring silent-screen superstar Gloria Swanson as the lead to finding places for Cecil B. Demille, Buster Keaton, H.B. Men in dresses are in vogue on Broadway, with recent and upcoming shows like (clockwise from top left) "Tootsie, "Mrs. Doubtfire," "A Strange Loop" and "Ain't No Mo. "Tennessee Drag Show Bill: Will Drag Performances Be Banned? Its not the best because there is no best. Director: Amy Heckerling. Hippensteel, Abby Matsusaka, Jarvis B. Manning, Jr., Brian Martin, Amber Owens, Angie Schworer, Charles South, Brendon Stimson, Raena White, and Richard Riaz Yoder. 1995. But the first time I was in drag-drag was for Aint No Mo. I had no desire to play Peaches. It can be, and has been, extremely harmful because that then gives a cue for society sometimes to take trans people as a joke, especially if they arent, in societys eyes, succeeding at presenting in a socially acceptable gendered way. Under the auspices that we were, the production end of it was very clumsy. ANGELICA ROSS The joke is an old joke. Gender is seen by many as fluid. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. I have heard that two women left one of my performances in Los Angeles and were puking. Its been a strange thing to watch the rise of RuPauls Drag Race as something that is inspiring a lot more Americans to just calm down about men in dresses. Violating it once will carry a misdemeanor charge punishable of $2,500 and/or up to a year in jail. When Snopes readers emailed us about the claim, we looked into it and found insufficient evidence to rate it true or false, so we have rated the claim "Unproven" for now. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. When Snopes reached out to the main sponsors of the legislation, Rep. Chris Todd and Sen. Jack Johnson, for clarification on the status of such films, we did not receive response in time for publication. Curtis hemmed and hawed about leaving his dressing room first, so Lemmon took the plunge and he was like a 20-cent tart, Curtis said. BUSCH With some really outrageous or clown drag, I could see why women would think theyre being portrayed as vulgar bitches, but I really dont think that was ever the intention. Texts From Young Thug, French Montana, and More Brought Up - Complex
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