The new Broadway musical
Kinky Boots is an infectious, fun and upbeat crowd pleaser. And while it is yet another musical based on a movie just like the show we saw the week before,
Hands on a Hardbody,
Boots is based on a small independent film and not on a well known Hollywood blockbuster. The fact that it is based on a film that not a lot of people have seen makes it actually come across as completely original which is another asset going for it.
Kinky Boots tells the story of two men in England, Charlie and Simon (aka drag queen Lola), who are from very different backgrounds and who come together for a common cause. That cause is to save Charlie's family owned shoe making business. The idea to save it is to stop making traditional shoes, which are forcing the business into bankruptcy and instead make kinky boots, the type of outrageous shoe ware a drag queen extraordinaire like Lola knows intimately. Can Charlie and Lola put aside their differences to work together and create the right style of kinky boot in time to make it to the big shoe show in Milan and save the business? While you think you might know the answer to that question, the fun way the show gets to the upbeat and energetic ending is a simple joy to watch and be a part of.
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| Stark Sands and Billy Porter |
It is a show with a fairly simple plot and a fairly contrived chance meeting between the two lead characters who only meet up due to a brief incident on the street. That moment, when Charlie believes he needs to save Lola from an attacker outside of the club she performs at, is what brings these two men together, however what sets them off on their journey is their realization that they aren't so different and need each other to succeed. The fact that they are both trying to prove themselves by standing up to their basically non existent fathers might seem somewhat odd, especially considering that Charlie's father passes away right after the opening number. However, there is plenty of humor and drama along the way to keep the relationship between these new friends fresh and real as they work together to become better men and hopefully save the shoe factory.
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| Annaleigh Asford and Stark Sands |
The creative team behind the show is very impressive with direction and choreography by Tony winner Jerry Mitchell and a book by multi Tony winner Harvey Fierstein. However the big news here is the score by pop diva icon Cyndi Lauper. While Mitchell's direction and choreography and Fierstein's book for this show are all in line with what you'd expect from these two award winners, Lauper has written some infectious showtunes, including some stand out ballads, comical songs and toe tapping anthems. It is hard to believe this is her first attempt at a Broadway score. Her act one duet for the two men "Not My Father's Son" is an emotional tear jerker on par with some of the best Broadway ballads. And her "Sex is in the Heal" and "The History of Wrong Guys" are in line with some of the more comical Broadway songs with Lauper providing some truly clever lyrics.
The cast of
Kinky Boots is also top notch. Stark Sands as Charlie and Billy Porter as Lola are a powerhouse couple with Porter delivering a star making performance. Don't be surprised to see Porter and possibly even Sands with Tony nominations come May with Porter a clear front runner to win the award. While Sands is given the straight man part to play, in more ways then one, he manages to instill a sense of seriousness, urgency and realness to the part. And while Porter as Lola is larger than life, it is when he is out of the drag and playing the soft spoken and somewhat shy and nervous Simon that Porter really shows you what he is capable of. The fact the two men played these parts in the pre-Broadway Chicago tryout last fall has only strengthened the bond between them. They've created an amazing relationship but one with warts and issues, just like you'd imagine would exist in a relationship with a straight man and the drag queen who he becomes friends with.
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| Billy Porter and the "angels" |
Annaleigh Ashford is giving a great supporting performance as the factory worker who finds herself falling in love with Charlie. Her solo turn with "The History of Wrong Guys" affords her the opportunity to not only win over the audience but deliver a comical performance that will hopefully be remembered come Tony time. Besides these three actors, the majority of the rest of the cast is a well oiled ensemble playing various parts but Daniel Sherman is a stand out as the rugged factory worker who has a problem with Lola and drag queens and gay men in general. Sherman manages to not come across as the stereotypical bigot and Fierstein's book gives him some nice dramatic as well as comical moments to provide his character with some nice layers. The rest of the ensemble is extremely hard working with special attention necessary for the hilarious and beautiful six men in the cast who play Lola's "angels" who perform at the club with her.
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| the cast and the imaginative factory set design |
At the preview performance we saw there were a few odd moments that will hopefully get worked out before opening night. One of these moments in act one included Lola performing a magic act at her club that is weaved around a scene with Charlie at the factory. The stopping and starting up of the song and magic act and while Lola is even performing a magic act since before and after we never see her doing anything magical again don't make any sense and only slow down the plot. It is also a little unclear if Lola owns the nightclub she performs at or what and the character of Nicola, Charlie's girlfriend, seems to have had her part cut down so much that we aren't exactly sure why Charlie loves her and why they stick together. I think Fierstein made too many cuts in the first fifteen minutes of the show to get Lola introduced that he gave short shrift to the backstory of Charlie as well as some of Lola's past. Hopefully the preview period will afford Fierstein the time to clarify some of these items.
Creative aspects are superb with an impressive and imaginative set design by David Rockwell that includes a beautiful factory setting, a revolving center set piece that functions as several locations and the use of conveyor belts as a choreographic element. Costumes by Gregg Barnes are simply amazing with some of the most outlandish dresses for Lola and her Angels as well as some of the most impressive boots you've ever seen.
isn't the greatest musical out there it is a well crafted "feel good" show with several break out songs and makes for a very good night out. The two big stars of this show are Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper's Broadway song writing debut.
Scenes from the show -unfortunately some spoilers about the ending are included:
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