Interview: Devin Cortez of SOME LIKE IT HOT at Segerstrom Center For The Arts

Huntington Beach native Devin Cortez is returning home with the national tour of SOME LIKE IT HOT, playing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts through October 19.

It’s a national tour debut for the performer, who trained at the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts and grew up performing in one musical after another—while regularly attending shows at the very theater where he now takes the stage.

Some Like It Hot debuted on Broadway in 2022 and is based on the 1959 Billy Wilder film of the same name, starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon. It follows two musicians who disguise themselves as women to escape gangsters. Cortez plays in the ensemble and understudies Osgood, a wealthy suitor with a big heart and a flair for romance.

Cortez spoke with BroadwayWorld about his start in theater, what it means to perform back in Orange County, and why this jazz-filled, tap-dancing musical feels so fresh and relevant today.

You grew up in Huntington Beach. How did you first get started in theater, and where did you train and perform locally?

I first got started in theater at Orange County Children’s Theater in Sound of Music. And funny enough, I actually wasn’t even cast originally because I was so unprepared for the audition (I sang “Happy Birthday” as my song). But the director saw how much I wanted to perform, so he found a spot for me. I performed at OCCT for many years until high school. I then went on to study musical theater at the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts at HBHS!

What does it feel like to return to your roots in this way — both emotionally and artistically — and who is coming to the Segerstrom to see you (friends, family, teachers, mentors, etc.)? 

It feels incredibly full circle to be at Segerstrom with Some Like it Hot. Growing up with season tickets, I always remembered dreaming that one day I’d get to perform there with a Broadway show. Every show I saw made that dream even bigger. 

My first one was Avenue Q, which my mom unknowingly brought me to as a 12-year-old, thinking it was a kid’s show (it definitely was not). But I left the theater humming all the songs, and when I tell you every experience at Segerstrom was a formative one, it really was. 

Tons of my teachers from my early days of training, as well as friends who I grew up doing theater with, and lots of family members have been able to come to the show. It’s been such an amazing bout of support, and I’m so grateful. I think it’s been just as exciting for them as it’s been for me.

How does it feel to have those old connections come back and see your success?

Having them at the show at Segerstrom makes the journey to get here feel so real and worth it. The cast jokes that they see the mob of friends and family at the stage door every night, and they call me the "Mayor of Orange County.”

In Some Like it Hot, you have dual responsibility as an ensemble member and as an understudy for Osgood. Tell us what’s been the most rewarding (or surprising) part of juggling ensemble work and being prepared to step into a principal role.

Being in the ensemble as well as covering Osgood is truly the best of both worlds. I love being in ensembles for most shows because you get to be a part of the show community and be silly and have a little bit more freedom since the audience isn’t always looking directly at you. You get to bond with the cast in a different way as well as wear multiple hats throughout the show, literally and figuratively. However, covering Osgood is also so rewarding because he’s such a sweet character to play—so funny and so himself. I feel that he’s easy to drop into because I’m able to bring a lot of myself to my take on Osgood. 

The audience also loves the character, and getting to learn from Edward Juvier’s physical comedy has been such a treat. Having the responsibility of knowing that track is funny at times because I’ll be onstage singing my ensemble track harmonies while also paying attention to Osgood’s tracking. Trying to do two things at once has been a challenge for sure, especially during the learning process! But I think that’s true for all of us who cover in the show. We all do our best to pay attention to the track we cover, as well as not to let it get too far away from us while we are doing our everyday tracks.

For readers who haven’t seen the show, give us your best 1–2 line elevator pitch — and what makes this musical adaptation feel so alive and relevant today?

If you’re missing big, jazzy, funny, dance-y, classic musicals, this one is for you! And tap dancing—everyone is always talking about how they miss musicals with tap! 

What’s great about this one is that we bring this movie into the new age. The music has a classic familiarity to it, with a jazzy take, but with modern styling. And the largest thing that differs from the movie is that this isn’t about the comedy trope of a man in a dress anymore. It’s a story of self-discovery and acceptance, which I think has been truly resonating with audiences all over the country.

Is there a small moment in the show (a gesture, look, bit of physical comedy, or choreography) that you especially love, that you hope audiences notice (or might miss)?

One of my favorite moments in the show happens in the opening number. After tossing my dance partner all over the stage and eventually through my legs, I get to slide downstage center and dance with her right on zero in a bit of choreography that I really love. It really feels like my arrival point in the show, and whatever energy I have left to give in the number, I give it there. 

However, my favorite bit of physical comedy is easily Tavis Kordell as Daphne when she gets presented with a ring. Tavis does an amazing job at that response, and I don’t want to give it away, but that is easily the biggest laugh of the night for every performance.