Some Like It Hot: Tavis Kordell and Matt Loehr – Photo: Matthew Murphy
Tavis Kordell may not yet be a household name, but their performance career is off to an auspicious start. The young triple threat graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro last year and within six months landed a leading role in Some Like It Hot, the musical based on the hit 1959 film about two heterosexual musicians on the run from the mafia after witnessing a murder. To hide, they dress in drag and join an all-women’s band.
Kordell steps into the shoes and heels of the role of Jerry/Daphne, which earned J. Harrison Ghee a Tony Award when the show premiered on Broadway in 2022. Both actors have much in common. They are non-binary, are preacher’s children, and, even more coincidentally, share the same hometown.
“I’ve always been a fan of J,” says Kordell. “I was able to see Some Like It Hot in New York. I met them at the stage door and told them that I’m also from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They gave me some advice to get out of there and pursue my dreams. When I booked this national tour, I reached out to them and admitted that they may not remember, but I sent the picture that we took together. It was just such a fulfilling moment. The baton was literally passed over.”
Kordell wasn’t familiar with the classic comedy, but after falling in love with the Broadway show, he watched it. “It was really hilarious and progressive for its time,” they say. But he admits that it was also problematic. He praises the bookwriters, Matthew Lopez and Amber Ruffin, for modernizing the story.
“I’m so glad that we updated the trope of men in dresses. That a man was in a dress was the main joke in the movie. We were not going to have our show based on that trope. Instead, it is about someone exploring their identity and coming into the realization of who they truly are through a disguise. Jerry, my character, and his sidekick, Joe, decide that this is how we need to disguise ourselves in order to save our lives. On the way, Jerry finds his feminine side as Daphne. That is just another part of them, and that’s who they want to express as well.”
As a proud non-binary individual, Kordell says that “many people think non-binary folks are confused and don’t know who they are. Ultimately, there are some people who present as whatever mixture they want to be . To me, it’s just a specific realization of who I am. I’m telling you exactly who I am, how to address me, what makes me comfortable, and what is respectful.”
Kordell maintains his faith and prays before each show. “That is such a vital part of who I am, and I incorporate that in my work and my career as well. It kind of puts me in the right mindset. I know that everything’s going to be good. I’m equipped with everything I need and it’s gonna be a good show.”
After the tour ends in April 2026, Kordell is setting his sights on New York City.
“The plan is to get there,” they say. “We’ll see what other jobs come after this. I feel like this was such a great start to my career. I just wanna see what’s next.”
Some Like It Hot runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 7 at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW.
A Pride Night performance is Sunday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. Use code HOT2025 to take $30 off your tickets. Visit www.broadwayatthenational.com.
For all you George Michael lovers who have been waiting for that day that The Life and Music of George Michael -- "a tribute, a party, an epic show" -- would return to town, have faith. Your knight in shining Ray-Bans is back on a North American tour, and dancing into D.C. for one night only at the National Theatre.
"We were there last year, and wow! Amazing audience," recalls Craig Winberry, who performs as the late, Grammy-winning gay icon in the concert-style show written and directed by Dean Elliott.
A singer-songwriter himself, in addition to performing theater roles Off-Broadway and on tour, Winberry has racked up nearly 100 dates and counting, bringing the music and legacy of Michael's 115 million albums-sold career to fans eager to relive that "Freedom '90" magic.
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How many cats does Paula Poundstone own? "I have 11," she replies. When I joke that she's playing into stereotypes, the 65-year-old comic breaks into a hearty laugh.
"I think I probably am, but you know what? Cat people are good people, I think. The fact that JD Vance hates us is so empowering. And my cats can't talk, but trust me, they don't like JD Vance."
Given how often today's news outlets distort the truth or report outright lies, it's almost comical that E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel Ragtime was once dismissed by The New Yorker's editor William Shawn. Because Doctorow's tale, set in the early twentieth century, wove real historical figures into fictional lives, Shawn refused to publish a full-length review, calling the book "immoral."
Now, the musical adaptation returns with forceful, spectacular splendor at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theatre. And this second revival of the beloved story arrives on Broadway at just the right time.
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