Can a bevy of high kicking and singing drag queens led on by Lola (a phenomenal Billy Porter – a composite of Tina Turner, Shirley Bassey, Whitney Houston and Effie from Dreamgirls) save the Price & Son shoe factory about to go under in Northampton England? You bet your booty!
Not only is Billy Porter gorgeous when all done up but he has a heart and a soul that runs deep and touches us with the passion he has for all that he does. A passion that he slowly instills in his co-star Stark Sands who portrays Charlie Price – the son of the owner of the shoe factory down on its heels, ready to close – putting many dedicated workers out of a job until he accidentally meets up with Lola and they forge an unlikely partnership.
The talented and handsome Mr. Sands’ part is far less flamboyant – in fact he plays straight man to Lola for much of the evening until he discovers and gets to follow his real passion, letting loose on the runway in Milan where a delightful Adinah Alexander rules with an iron Italian fist.
Charlie is torn between his fiancée Nicola (Celina Carvajal) a bridezilla type with her own agenda and saving his dad’s factory (nicely designed by David Rockwell) that he would rather not be a part of.
His foreman, George (a standout performance by Marcus Neville) and Lauren – the other woman in Charlie’s life (Annaleigh Ashford – who manages to steal every scene and song she is in) pitch in to help when Lola is hired as head designer of “Kinky Boots” to fill a much needed “market niche” – supplying shoes for men who dress as women.
And please take note of the tallest and thinnest of Lola’s Angels (Charlie Sutton) – with a wild mane of hair and attitude that commands the stage especially during the boxing match.
Of course there are obstacles along the way including a heavyset worker Don (the fine Daniel Stewart Sherman) who doesn’t much care for the bloke in high heels even when he dons male garb and tries desperately to fit in. Lola as Simon shares a most heart wrenching song with Charlie “I’m Not My Father’s Son”. But it is as Lola that Porter has us cheering him on with each of his star turns. It’s a magnificent performance.
Cyndi Lauper has written a fabulous score that has a modern immediacy with some great and memorable hooks that will get you all afire once the book by Mr. Fierstein gets the all too necessary exposition set up and in place. Then the show really takes off and raises the roof of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre and has the audience cheering throughout the bravo inducing production which is a feast for the eyes, the ears and the heart as directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.
Costumes by Gregg Barnes are a knockout. Hair design by Josh Marquette is fabulous. And those kinky boots! They become characters unto themselves. KINKY BOOTS is a combination of La Cage, Pricilla Queen of the Desert, The Full Monty and Dreamgirls – It is the best of the best.
If you can only see one show see KINKY BOOTS – a life affirming, passionate ode to finding the way – being accepted and accepting each other – done with professionalism and a flair for what’s most entertaining. Go and celebrate each other!
www.kinkybootsthemusical.com Photos: Matthew Murphy
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