Joe

Who is Joe?

Joe is a talented but unreliable saxophonist who, along with his friend Jerry, witnesses a mob hit and flees Chicago disguised as a woman named Josephine to join an all female band. Charming but prone to using people to get what he wants, Joe's disguise forces him to confront his own selfishness as he falls for Sugar Kane while still hiding his true identity from her.

His journey becomes one of reluctant growth, as maintaining the deception, and his genuine feelings for Sugar, push him to become more honest and less self serving than he was at the story's start.

Joe's role in Some Like It Hot

Joe is a lead role requiring sharp comic timing alongside strong musical theatre vocals, since the character spends much of the show juggling two identities under increasingly absurd pressure. Christian Borle originated the role on Broadway, bringing his established comic pedigree to a part built on quick disguises and rapid tonal shifts.

Audiences remember Joe for anchoring the show's farcical plotting while still delivering a believable romantic transformation, the con man who has to become someone worth trusting.

Joe: frequently asked questions