Some Like It Hot
Some Like It Hot is a Tony-winning musical comedy that reimagines the classic film about two 1930s jazz musicians escaping the mob by disguising themselves as women in an all-female band bound for California. Joe and Jerry become Josephine and Daphne, grow close to the band’s singer Sugar Kane, and discover unexpected possibilities around identity, friendship, and self-expression. The production combines Prohibition-era spectacle, elaborate choreography, bright costumes, projections, and dance-heavy musical numbers, while bringing themes of gender exploration and Black identity into sharper focus than the 1959 film could.
The musical features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and a book by Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin. Audience members can also reserve a limited number of cabaret tables inside the club, with champagne service.
When: September 18–November 8, 2026
Showtimes: Specific performance times are not listed on the page.
Venue: Bernard Family Theatre at Olney Theatre Center
Tickets: Price not available
Premise: Jazz musicians Joe and Jerry flee mobsters by joining an all-female band in disguise as Josephine and Daphne. Their journey to California, relationship with the band’s star singer Sugar Kane, and experiences on the road lead to comic complications and personal transformation.
Run time: Approximately two and a half hours, including one intermission.
Age guidance: Comparable to a PG-13 film for comic violence, identity-related themes, and adult behavior.
Creative team: Jason Loewith directs, Karla Puno Garcia choreographs, and Christopher Youstra serves as music director. Marc Shaiman wrote the music, Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote the lyrics, and Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin wrote the book. The musical is based on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture *Some Like It Hot*.
Cast: Tavis Kordell plays Jerry/Daphne; Jacob Tischler plays Joe/Josephine; Jessica Bennett is in the ensemble; Jay Frisby appears in the ensemble and understudies Jerry/Daphne; Caroline Graham is in the ensemble and understudies Minnie; and Kaya Julie Harrison is in the ensemble and understudies Sugar Kane.
Production honors: The musical won four 2023 Tony Awards, eight Drama Desk Awards, a 2023 Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical, five Outer Critics Circle Awards, and the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. It was also nominated for twelve Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.
Season: Part of Olney Theatre Center’s 2026–27 season.
Special seating: A limited number of cabaret tables are available inside the club and include champagne service.
Press reception: The page highlights favorable notices from the *Washington City Paper*, *The Washington Post*, DC Theater Arts, BroadwayWorld, MD Theatre Guide, *Talkin’ Broadway*, and the *Washington Blade*, praising the production’s visual extravagance, choreography, humor, emotional warmth, musical-theater craft, and treatment of identity.