Mariah Carey made her Broadway debut on Dec. 11 in the new musical Some Like It Hot.
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Though Carey, who is also a co-producer of the show, didn’t step on the actual stage of the Shubert Theatre in New York City, she does play a small role during each show, which features a pre-recorded pre-show announcement by Carey.
”Welcome to the Shubert Theatre,” Carey was heard saying to the theater full of famous faces in the audience, including Bette Midler, John Stamos, Debra Messing, Nathan Lane, Uma Thurman, Andy Cohen, and many more, who heard the intro for the first time.
Her recording continued, ”At this time, please take a moment to turn off your cell phones, and remember the use of photographic equipment and recording devices is strictly prohibited. And now, ‘Some Like It Hot.’”
A longtime fan of the Billy Wilder-directed 1959 MGM film, Some Like It Hot, starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemon, and Tony Curtis, Carey first got involved as a producer of the show in late November of 2022.
“I first became familiar with this story through the timeless film starring Marilyn Monroe,” said Carey, who also named her twin daughter Monroe. “She’s been an important touchstone throughout my life, so much so that I acquired her treasured baby grand white piano at an auction.”
Carey added, “When [producer] Neil Meron shared this new take on the beloved film, I knew I had to be a part of it. “
Scored by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Catch Me If You Can, Smash, Hairspray) and adapted to stage by writer and comedian Amber Ruffin and Matthew López, who wrote the Tony-winning Best Play, The Inheritance, the stage adaptation of the Some Like It Hot film that follows the story of two Prohibition-era musicians from Chicago who disguise themselves as women to escape the city after they witness mafia gangsters commit a crime.
“With gangsters hot on their heels, they’re on the run as the newest members of the swinging-est big band ever to cross the country,” read a descriptor of the show. “Can they hide in plain sight without completely losing themselves? Or will the mob, the truth, and maybe even love itself finally catch up to them?”
Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Aladdin), the production stars Adrianna Hicks as Sugar Kane (Monroe’s original role), along with Christian Borle as Joe (Curtis) and J. Harrison Ghee as Jerry (Lemon).
“To see how this show continues to expand on the film’s legacy, pushing boundaries, promoting inclusion, celebrating diversity,” said Carey, “I’m proud to help bring Some Like It Hot for today’s world to new audiences.”
Photo: Gotham / Getty Images
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