RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Actor Tavis Kordell (he/they), right at this moment, may be living his best life. The North Carolina native has mostly performed regionally up until now. But on his first national tour, the 24-year-old is handling a lead role in the musical Some Like it Hot.
If this isn’t his best life right now, it’s certainly a level up.
“Telling this great story and spreading this message across the country is absolutely a dream, especially fresh out of college and as my first tour,” the UNC Greensboro grad said.
Natch, getting that call was an emotional moment for Kordell. After seeing the show and then seeing the tour auditions, he was hoping for a swing or cover role.
“The moment that I got this offer, I literally slid down the wall crying. It was the most dramatic thing in the world,” he recalled. “But, you know, I just saw the show on Broadway not long before that, and I seriously thought, ‘This is a dream role. I just want to have some access to that role.’ But then, to be told that I was going to be taking the role full time was the absolute dream come true.”
Broadway Dallas presentation of Some Like it Hot opens March 31 at the Music Hall at Fair Park and runs through April 12 before moving to Bass Hall in Fort Worth for an April 14-19 run.
Kordell plays Jerry, a musician on the run from gangsters alongside his best pal Joe, after witnessing a murder. The musical is, of course, based on the 1959 film starring Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. That throwback was an appeal for Kordell, despite not having seen the movie prior to casting.
“I really love the classiness of the show, and I felt transported to those days of MGM musicals and the Nicholas Brothers and Fred Astaire. It’s all giving this glitz and glam — a story like that with the music and costuming,” he said.
The musical, though, also speaks with a modern sensibility — another level of its appeal to Kordell. The actor portrays Jerry, but at times he’s also Daphne.
The main characters disguise themselves as women playing in an all-female band. At times, Jerry has to be Daphne. Kordell appreciated how this was all approached in the story.
“There is a fresh cultural sense in the show that touches on gender fluidity, and, as someone who lives in both masculine and feminine, you know, it was just the perfect role,” he said.
The story gives Jerry an interesting facet. As Daphne, Jerry is tapping into something he’s unaware of. Kordell described the character as possibly having more to his identity than the character thinks.
“Jerry doesn’t really have a sense of what he wants to do in his life. But through these unfortunate circumstances, he is able to experiment with the feminine side, and he begins to find the softer and more elegant things which can be associated with being feminine.
“And with that being said, there’s a line that acknowledges the fluidity of Jerry, or perhaps both Daphne and Jerry,” Kordell said.
The queer-identifying actor has found joy in portraying a character he can relate to.
“There is a glee to this realization and allowing myself to be fluid and accept both parts, but also a joy for other people to have that discovery,” he said. “To play this character really means everything and — especially that there’s a role out there that I feel can represent me to the fullest.
“I’ve never seen a role like this other than maybe Kinky Boots,” he said. “This role gives me the freedom to fully step in and express myself in my full capacity.”
For tickets, visit BroadwayDallas.org or BassHall.com.