Interview With Tim Fuchs, Dance Captain and Swing of “Some Like It Hot”

I spoke to Tim Fuchs on one of his breaks from performing “Some Like It Hot” in Costa Mesa at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. We covered some of Tim’s history and how he came to the show. We also discussed the physical demands of performing this show with so many production numbers and interactions with the sets. We touched on how the performers ready themselves for a show with so much choreography and the importance of safety. There is a great scene in the show which takes place at the Hotel Del Coronado by San Diego. It was also a pivotal scene in the movie. I wondered if they had been there as part of their tour? It turns out they did do a big press event there and Tim was able to visit. The show is either a dancers’ dream or nightmare depending on how you look at it as every song is a huge production number with over-the-top dance sequences and knee slides coupled with a great deal of partnering and lifts sprinkled throughout with tap dancing and Charleston kicks. It is not for the faint of heart. We spoke of the demands of the show and some of the particulars in keeping it running smoothly for audiences everywhere. I then asked, “Did you know the movie before you did the show?”

Tim: Of course I did, absolutely. Growing up I watched a lot of those old classic movie musicals. Although not a musical, it is a classic.

Me: How did you come to be in “Some Like It Hot”? I saw in your reel that you were in the Drowsy Chaperone – did that have something to do with it?

Tim: Drowsy Chaperone was a college production, it’s funny that it is still on my reel. No, it was a regular audition. I missed the initial auditions because of vacation. Later down the line I went to an invited call. It was on a Monday, and then I got the call on Wednesday and was offered the roll of Swing and Dance Captain.

Me: That is a lot of work!

Tim: It is a lot of work! I also know the Associate Director and had done “Something Rotten” with him back in 2019 and I think that helped.

Me: This show starts with a massive production number, a shot out of a canon from the very first number. I called it a “marathon of movement”. What is your warm-up for this show? Does everyone do it together or is it more an individual thing? Are you responsible for warming-up the ensemble for the show?

Tim: The way you put it, it is a “marathon of movement”, it is very true. The show does not stop. To be honest everyone has their own different versions of how they warm up. The guys do a lot of the lifting and dancing, while the women work just as hard being lifted and partnered.  I don’t specifically run a warm-up preshow. We do a group lift call at the top of the week for safety. We also do that whenever a swing goes in.

Me: Which brings me to – How often to you need to cover for others? How often do you go in?

Tim: It happens quite often. We do “Swing Outs” where we rotate people in and out of the show to give us a break and make sure that there are not injuries. Myself and management must deal with that no matter what as people get sick, people will be tired or nursing an injury.

Me: When do you rehearse for people going into the show?

Tim: We rehearse every four weeks or so. That is how often we have to rehearse on the road. We do a different understudy cast each time. Every four weeks we will have two weeks back-to -back with the two different understudy rehearsals. Also right now we just replaced some company members. We had the new cast on tour with us for three weeks and at the end of that we had a “put-in” for them.

Me: Are you in the scene in Tijuana where they sing “Mariposa”? Are you playing an instrument?

Tim: Yes, there are a select few guys who have instruments that they are “playing”.

Me: I thought you would be one of those guys because I saw in your resumé that you play. Of course they should use you for that.

Tim: In all transparency we don’t actually play the instruments.

Me: No, of course, that is for the Pit.

Tim: But I heard this, at one point there was some iteration where they did want people to play the instruments. I do play guitar. I do my best to give the effect of playing.

Me: Well, it was most convincing and worked in that number so beautifully. I was amazed and impressed with the set changes during the show. They all happened on a dime and were so smooth. Are you and the ensemble doing that or are stagehands doing that?

Tim: It’s wonderful that you noticed that. That was one of the biggest changes from New York to our tour. In New York a lot of those transitions are automated but we can’t do that on tour. So, you are correct, the scene changes are actor driven.

Me: And that is another thing. Not only are you all dancing and delivering a knockout show but you are also moving all of the sets and setting up the scenes in record time. I want to give the cast its due in making the show happen. Without you all the show would be bogged down real fast.

Tim: I want to give a shout out to our director Casey Nicholaw. He is very specific when it comes to that work. He loves transitions that flow seamlessly. We worked those transitions a lot.

Me: It helps with the pace which is crazy and makes the show super smooth. Was that the challenging part or was it the dancing? What do you think was the most challenging part of the show? For you? For the ensemble?

Tim: Most challenging part? – to be honest the transitions aren’t challenging, the choreography is challenging at times, there are quite challenging numbers, what’s most challenging about it is it’s a marathon. It is just every number is high energy, like running on a treadmill.

Me: The stamina is crazy!

Tim: That’s what it is about. Keeping up the stamina is everything. And because I’m a swing, I don’t go on as often as everybody else, so when I do it is more of a punch.

Me: The other thing I noticed, I love the costumes! Especially the male costumes of the Porters and Bell Hops are phenomenal. Aren’t there floor slides and gymnastic happening and how do you do that with those costumes fitted to that degree? Is that a problem?

Tim: There are issues sometimes. I’m not going to lie.

Me: How politic of you! “issues”.

Tim: Pants get ripped. We have kneepads under the costume but there is a lot of sliding. A lot of up and down, a lot of sliding left and right. It’s a fun time, all of the numbers have a fun energy where we get to slide and jump all over the place!

Me: When do you rest?

Tim: We get some breaks which is nice, we have the full month of December off. What did you think about the finale, the big “Tip-Tap Trouble” end of the show?

Me: That is fantastic, it reminded me of the top of the show. I loved it! The number is crazy complicated with the door farce and chase scene being enacted on top of the choreography. There is so much going on and it all works and comes together so well. The costumes are gorgeous and everyone gets to shine.

Tim: That was quite a number to put together, it took us two days to get the flow of that number, every moving part must be timed exactly. Adding tap steps to all of the movement was a challenge.

Me: That worked beautifully. Doors on wheels with a chase and tap dancing was a tour-de-force of movement.

Tim: Traveling across the country and seeing all of the different theaters is amazing. I take pictures of all of the theaters we perform in.

Me: Well, I hope you have more fun on tour. I hope you get your break and relax for the month of December.

Tim: I will. I am looking forward to spending some time at home. I am getting married next June.

Me: Wow! Congratulations! That will keep you busy! All the luck in the world and thanks for the interview.

Tim: Thank you.

Check out the tour schedule of Some Like It Hot HERE.

For more information about the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, please visit their website.

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Written by Brian Fretté for LA Dance Chronicle.

Feature image: The First National Touring Company of SOME LIKE IT HOT – Photo by Matthew Murphy.