Matt Loehr is no stranger to the stage, boasting a 27-year career filled with dazzling performances in Broadway shows like The Book of Mormon and Evita. Currently, he’s bringing huge laughs to audiences across the country as Joe/Josephine in the National Tour of the Broadway musical Some Like It Hot.
I saw the show when it was on Broadway, and I can’t say enough good things about it. From its high-energy tap numbers and catchy songs, the show is a love letter to old-school musicals.
Loehr took some time out to talk about the show, his whirlwind audition process and what it’s like stepping into such a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud spectacle. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For the full interview, watch the video above or check out our YouTube page.
How long have you been on tour?
Matt Loehr: We’re actually four months in now. We started in Schenectady, New York, in the middle of September.
As you would, in Schenectady.
Matt Loehr: Well, you know, it’s so fun, like, “Really, Schenectady?” But now that is where, like, almost every tour starts a show. Because it’s a great place to tech a show. It’s not far from New York. It’s a gorgeous theater and it’s got good space. So it’s a great starting point to get everything together before you start moving to theaters that have more limited space.
I saw the show on Broadway, and I loved every second of it. It was fantastic. Did you by any chance see the show before you were asked to audition?
Matt Loehr: Yes. I went and saw it. I had been on tour prior when the show first opened on Broadway.
I’ve worked with the director choreographer Casey Nicholaw several times over many years. And several of my friends were in the show so, I was very excited about it.
And it was one of the first shows back after COVID and not only are they bringing Broadway back, they’re bringing, like, old school, big number tap dancing Broadway with this 21st century sensibility in terms of culture, which I think is fabulous.
So, when I got off tour, I knew, one, I wanted to see it to support it and I also knew that Christian Borle‘s role was very right for me. So I was like, “I kind of need to see this.”
As an actor, you want to see the stuff that you may fit into. So, I had two missions for that and absolutely fell in love with it. It was so exciting. It was right after the Tonys, too, so everybody was just high on that. And I know I’m biased now, but whatever.
I’m an actor as well and whenever I go see a show, I’m like, “Oh, I could play that role.” I feel like I’m always scouting.
Matt Loehr: Oh, yeah, of course. I do it for everything because I mean, I’m no spring chicken. I’ve been doing this for 27 years and to keep going, it takes a certain amount of crazy and grit and constantly looking forward in one way.
I don’t know if you feel this way, but I actually really do think I still can enjoy a piece. You know, when I go see it, like, I really can, like sort of sit back and watch it all. And that’s what I did with that show. And then at the same time, I’m going like, “Oh, yeah, that’s good for you. Okay, that’s good.”
From the time you saw the show to finding out the tours coming up, how did the role like sort of get to you?
Matt Loehr: I was very lucky because again, having worked with not only Casey, but other people on the team, my agent put a big interest in for this role for me for the tour. And they fast tracked me to the last day of auditions.
I was actually on the road with MJ, the Musical, during this time, and we were in Costa Mesa so then I just flew out for one audition, did all the material they wanted and they asked me to stay and read with a potential opposite for me, the Gerry/Daphne role. And then a couple days later, I got called and got the part. Like it was, it was pretty fabulous.
I’ve had to do like eight auditions for something, and this one, this was a very nice moment of when you feel you’re right for it. And then they feel like, “Yeah, we think you’re right for it.”
Then you deliver on that day and it’s like, “Okay, so I guess you really don’t need to do more than one.”
I think when you get to San Diego, it’s going to get a huge reaction, because a lot of it is set actually in the Hotel Del.
Matt Loehr: I know. I’m chomping at the bit to get there for this.
What were the rehearsals like? You were working with the original director, right?
Matt Loehr: Yes. I mean, it’s not always the case. We were very lucky with this production to have Casey in for the majority of the process.
In the beginning, we had four weeks of rehearsal in a studio in New York. And primarily that first week was about just really getting a ton of material out there, all the choreography, the vocals, because it’s so much. And for a while we all felt like we were just getting hammered. Like, “can we like sit with this one for one moment?”
But it actually made a lot of sense to really overload it on the top to get all the information out. Because then we made a couple of changes to the show, nothing huge, but just like a couple lines, couple jokes, they wanted to do a couple of musical switches to improve on some things slightly. So that was really great to be in the room with them. Mark Shaman and Scott Whitman are the composers and lyricists, the legends that they are, they were there all the time.
And it was just such a very fun experience. I mean, of course, it’s stressful, because you’re working hard, and you’re tired. And you always want to get it right. But it was really cool that we got to feel like we were setting up our own company that way.
And then by the last week of rehearsal, which again, is why I thought the overloading at the top was really smart, we just ran the show. We ran the show more than I’ve ever run a show in my life in a studio. But it makes so much sense with this one, because it is so intense.
It is such a marathon for everybody, that you got to build up your stamina. And they knew and then once we get into tech, you lose that for about a week, because it just goes section by section. So, it was really, it was really a great process.
On the first day of rehearsal, with all those creatives, are you nervous?
Matt Loehr: Oh, yes. But personally, at that moment, I felt like, “I know this, I’ve got this. And I know these people, and I know that they support me.”
It’s so tricky, as an actor, we always get so in our head about, “Oh, my God, are they’re gonna like me?” Even in auditions, they always want you to work out, they’re always rooting for you.
And with this, I was really able to just sit in that feeling and go,”Just try stuff, just do it.” And that was so freeing and so fun. Now, I definitely know that others who are newer to the business, it’s a different kind of feeling, because when you step into this business, fighting to be seen, fighting to prove yourself and everyone’s getting to know you. So it’s a different kind of energy that way. But this was a really a very grateful energy for me, for this experience, to be able to feel comfortable.
What’s your quickest change? From what I remember, your characters walk off and then almost a split second later, you’re fully dressed in a wig and this beautiful outfit.
Matt Loehr: And yeah, and some of that we change, we do it on stage. Like, the vamp number where we get the idea to dress up as women is this really high powered, lyrically heavy, high, high range song all while you’re putting on clothes, makeup and all that stuff. And that was a nightmare when you first started. But it’s so much fun.
It’s just so funny how once you’ve done something, you’re like, “Ok.” But at the beginning, you’re like,” Jesus, how am I gonna make this work?”
I think the fastest change is after the first number that Jerry and I do that big tap number, ‘You can’t have me.’ We have to exit and we change into tuxes. This is when we witnessed the murder. And I do think it might be the fastest in terms of time, because there’s just a brief scene that we have to get it done.
During the show, there were moments when the audience was laughing so hard. Like, they couldn’t do anything on stage because the laughter was so intense for such a long period of time.
Matt Loehr: It just it never gets old, you know? And then, of course, you get spoiled because you have those and then you go to a city and you don’t have that. And you’re like, well, what did I do? I suck. I’m quitting the business.
You mentioned yourself that you’ve been a working actor working for twenty-seven years. How have you sort of kept the ball rolling for that long?
Matt Loehr: I was incredibly lucky to have amazing mentors. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, which is not any kind of arts Mecca. But there are these people who were sensational. They really grounded me, trained me, and really helped me realize that if I wanted to do this that it was a marathon, not a sprint.
I also and I have this obsessive need to be the best triple threat I can be personality. Like, my whole thing about being an actor is to explore every side of myself. So, I have all these wide range of roles and I’m constantly just like, “Well, then I can do this for a while. And then as I evolve, I can do this.”
And of course, it’s a great plan, but it’s very difficult to actually achieve that in a business that, no disrespect, type you pretty quickly because they have to. You know, there’s only so much time and only so many people. And they’re like, “Oh, that person’s great at that. So that’s what they’re always going out for.”
But if you want to keep growing and changing, you have to kind of keep pushing against that. And sometimes you don’t. And in my career, I’ve been enormously lucky to work the entire time. But in terms of variety, it’s definitely gone up and down.
I don’t think there’s anything else I want to do. You know, it’s like the greatest gift ever to get to do this in spite of how difficult it can be. So I just have this, “I’m never giving up because I don’t know what else I do mentality.”
I do also teach, and I did take two years off to teach as a full time professor at the North Carolina School of the Arts. And that was from 2014 to 2016. And that was at a time where literally, I was changing age from being like younger guy to a middle age guy. And in a lot of ways, I think it helped to have a slight break from the performing and redevelop a real deep sense of gratitude for the work I’ve done and the work I still want to do.
Finally, my last question that I’d love to ask everybody, what’s been your worst audition ever?
Matt Loehr: Oh, God, Hamilton. It was for the workshop. I was doing The Book of Mormon on Broadway, and I knew I was actually leaving after about 18 months to start this teaching position.
I was a little tired and I got this audition. And obviously, who knew it was going to be what it was, but I did know the people involved and it was for the Public Theater.
And at the time, it was for the King. But it was like the King was in the ensemble, like it was going to be like a featured moment for just a dancing ensemble member or something.
The audition was before two show day in the morning and there’s a high note there. And I was like, “I think I’m okay.” So, I’m singing, “Oceans rise, empires fall….” And it was the loudest, wildest crap… and I just, I mean, it’s just unquestionably the most embarrassing moment I’ve ever had in a room. In some ways, what’s nice about that is when you go big or go home, I just had to own it. And I was like, “So I thought I had it today but apparently I don’t and I’m so sorry.” But they were very nice about it. But still, to this day, the most embarrassing audition I’ve ever had in my life.
Some Like It Hot is on tour and currently playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre. For more info and tickets: Broadway San Diego
