KINKY BOOTS - Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit!
Event details
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Kinky Boots at The Schuster
After seeing Kinky Boots, I’m almost tempted to buy myself a pair of high heeled stiletto boots…almost. What if I do though? Yes, I would likely break my neck, but how would people feel about me? Kinky Boots is a romping good time, filled with spectacular music and amazing dancing, but also contains a powerful message about acceptance.
I’d heard a lot of great things about Kinky Boots, and I’m a Cyndi Lauper fan (she wrote the music), but the idea of watching men in drag didn’t really appeal to me much. However, after seeing the ‘true colors’ of the cross-dressing males, I had a change of heart and now consider Kinky Boots one of the best musicals I’ve seen. Plus, Lola (Timothy Ware), the central he/she of the show is one of the most captivating characters to ever grace a stage. Lola has the personality to match the outlandishly flamboyant outfits ‘she’ wears and is certainly a magnet for attention. Much credit to Ware, who not only totally rocks a number of evening gowns, but also gives a totally stellar performance that crosses the gender lines.
Kinky Boots is the story of Charlie Price (Ciaran McCarthy), who is forced to take over the families struggling shoe making business. In order to keep the doors open, Charlie must explore new, creative ideas, which results in a partnership with Lola. The duo designs and produces a line of Kinky Boots, which are high heeled boots built to withstand the weight of a man’s body. The show is about so much more, at its soul, (or should I say sole) is the struggle to accept others for who they really are. Despite their vast differences, both Charlie and Lola feel they are following an alternate path from the one chose for them. Those sentiments are displayed in a heart wrenching song titled ‘Not My Father’s Son.’
On the night I attended, Charlie was played by McCarthy, who is an understudy; but I can’t imagine anyone filling the role any better. Every step of his performance, even while in the kinky boots, is pure perfection.
There is so much fun-filled action in the first act of Kinky Boots, including a phenomenal closing number that features dancing on an assembly line, I wondered if there was anything left for act two. I didn’t have to wonder long as act two comes out swinging, literally, and lands a real knockout punch. Yes, there’s a boxing match that is unlike any bout ever seen before. There’s even bigger wallops that follow though. There’s a war of words between Lola and Charlie that leaves you breathless. Reminiscent of being hit hard, squarely in the gut. Occasionally there are special moments in shows when all ears are tuned in at the utmost level of intensity, every spoken word carries more weight, and a wave of tension fills the air…such moments is the definition of theatre in its finest form. Such a moment occurs when the frustrations erupt between Lola and Charlie.
All superior shows require a stellar supporting cast, and Kinky Boots has a masterfully assembled cast. Most unique to Kinky Boots is the entourage that follows Lola, a group of cross dressers known as the Angels. Their high-stepping dance moves are impressive, not to mention their flashy costumes and mesmerizing on-stage persona’s. Admittedly, I found myself keeping a close eye on one of them, certain that she must be a real female, an attractive one at that. I can best identify the individual by saying, their rear end was a real bell ringer. Other standouts in the cast include another understudy, Erica Peck, as Lauren. The cheery blonde, is all woman, and with the air blowing through her hair, displays her vocal talents with ‘The History of Wrong Guys.’ The shoe factory even looks like a fun place to work, due to the gentle giant Don (Aaron Walpole) and Trish (Tami Darbura), who appreciates big hands and has a quick wit. There’s also George, who delivers some big laughs and I didn’t even realize until after the show that it was Jim J. Bullock who was a TV regular in the eighties, appearing on several sitcoms such as ‘Too Close for Comfort.’
The scenery is also top of the line, with quick, seamless set changes, never allowing the action to slow down. There is not a single flaw in the show to be found. Men, women, and everyone in between is sure to enjoy Kinky Boots, which is at the Schuster Center through May 28.
With songs by Grammy- and Tony-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover, and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Inspired by true events, KINKY BOOTStakes you from a gentlemen’s shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan.
Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father’s expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory’s future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.
With direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde,Hairspray) and a book by Broadway legend and four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), KINKY BOOTS is the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography.
Take a step in the right direction and discover that sometimes the best way to fit in is to stand out.
“There is no show hotter than KINKY BOOTS!” – CBS News
“Cause for celebration!” – Entertainment Weekly
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The Schuster Center
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