You know the drill with Broadway revivals. Usually, the "controversy" is just some theater purist complaining that the costumes are too neon or that a high note was swapped for a riff. But when the musical adaptation of Some Like It Hot tap-danced onto the Shubert Theatre stage in 2022, the conversation was way heavier. It wasn't just about whether the songs were catchy—though Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman definitely brought the heat there. It was about whether a 1959 comedy built on "men in dresses" could actually survive in a world that finally understands gender isn't a punchline.
The Big Shift: When "Drag for a Laugh" Became a Journey
Honestly, if you’ve seen the Billy Wilder movie, you remember the ending. Jack Lemmon’s Jerry pulls off his wig, shouts "I'm a man!" and Osgood Fielding III just shrugs and says, "Well, nobody's perfect." It’s iconic. It's on Billy Wilder’s freaking tombstone. But for the Broadway show, writers Matthew López and Amber Ruffin decided to blow that up.
In this version, Jerry doesn't just put on a dress to hide from the mob. Jerry finds... Daphne. And Daphne isn't just a costume; she's a person Jerry actually likes being. By the second act, Jerry/Daphne realizes they aren't exactly a "he" or a "she" in the traditional sense.
J. Harrison Ghee, who identifies as non-binary and eventually won a historic Tony for the role, helped shape this. They didn't want it to be another Tootsie or Mrs. Doubtfire where the joke is "look at that guy in heels." Instead, Daphne sings about how the world is finally seeing her clearly.
Why some people were actually mad
Change is hard. Especially for fans of the "Greatest Comedy of All Time." The Some Like It Hot Broadway controversy basically split into two camps:
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- The "Woke" Critics: A certain corner of the internet (and some older theatergoers) felt like the show was "presentist." They argued that 1933 Chicago wouldn't have the language for non-binary identities and that rewriting a classic to fit 2024 sensibilities "ruined" the farce.
- The Representation Critics: On the flip side, some trans and non-binary writers, like L Morgan Lee, voiced concerns during previews. The worry? That no matter how much you "update" the script, you’re still using the "man in a dress" trope that has historically been used to mock trans women. They felt the show tried to have its cake and eat it too—using the old jokes for laughs while trying to be a "progressive" anthem.
The Problem with Joe: A Sticky Point
While Daphne was getting all the praise for a soulful, identity-affirming arc, Christian Borle’s character, Joe, stayed a bit closer to the original source material. And that's where things got kinda awkward.
Joe spends a huge chunk of the show lying to Sugar (played by the incredible Adrianna Hicks) to get her into bed. He uses his "Josephine" disguise to manipulate her. In the movie, we sort of forgive Tony Curtis because he’s charming and it’s a farce. But in 2022? Watching a guy use a female identity to sneak into a woman's confidence felt a little "creepy" to some reviewers.
The show tried to balance this by making Sugar more independent. This version of Sugar isn't just a "dumb blonde" looking for a millionaire; she’s a Black woman in the 30s trying to make it in Hollywood. She has agency. She has a dream. But the controversy lingered: why does Joe get a pass for the lying while Daphne has to go through a profound soul-searching journey?
The Line That Changed Everything
If you’re a die-hard fan of the film, the biggest shocker was the removal of "Nobody's perfect."
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In the musical, when Daphne reveals the truth to Osgood, he doesn't give a dismissive shrug. He says, "You're perfect."
Some people hated this. They felt it robbed the show of its funniest beat. They thought it turned a sharp, cynical comedy into something too "sweet" or "saccharine." But the creative team stood their ground. They felt that in a world where trans people are under fire, you couldn't have the "love interest" basically say their identity was a flaw to be overlooked.
Facts over feelings: The impact
Despite the bickering on Broadway message boards, the show was a massive critical hit. It took home four Tonys. It proved that you can take a problematic classic and renovate it without tearing the whole house down.
What we can learn from the drama
It’s easy to look at the Some Like It Hot Broadway controversy as just another "culture war" moment. But it actually highlights a major shift in how we tell stories.
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- Casting matters. Having J. Harrison Ghee in the room changed the script. If a cis man had played Jerry/Daphne, the show likely would have felt much more offensive.
- Farce is evolving. We used to laugh at people being "out of place." Now, we're more interested in people finding where they belong.
- Classics aren't sacred. If a joke from 1959 doesn't work in 2026, you don't have to keep it. The world didn't end because Osgood didn't say the line.
The show eventually closed on Broadway and headed out on tour, but the conversation it started hasn't stopped. It set a new standard for how "drag" musicals have to handle their characters. You can't just put a guy in a wig and expect a standing ovation anymore. You have to give the character a soul.
If you’re planning on seeing a regional production or the national tour, keep an eye on the audience during the "Ride Out the Storm" number. It’s the moment where everything clicks. Whether you think the show is "too woke" or "not woke enough," there’s no denying that it made people talk about theater in a way that actually matters.
To really understand the nuance, you should listen to the cast recording—specifically the tracks "You Coulda Knocked Me Over With a Feather" and "Ride Out the Storm." They show exactly how the production tried to bridge the gap between 1933 and today.