"Kinky Boots" seems the offspring of a chance mating of "The Full Monty" and "Priscilla Queen of the Desert". "La Cage aux Folles" was its godmother. The show, a dance musical with more sequins and spangles than a Mardi Gras ball, opened Tuesday night at the Fox.
A struggling shoe factory in the English Midlands is inherited by a very young man who decides, thanks to a drag queen he runs into, that the only way he can save his workers from the dole is to start making high-end, high-heeled boots. For men, of course.
That doesn't sound like very much. But the book is by Harvey Fierstein, which pretty much guarantees a bushel of smart alec remarks that are worth hearing. Even though the time is the present, there's an intermittent feeling of the '80's about some of the music and costumes that reminds you the decades wasn't as bad as we tend to think it was. It's Cyndi Lauper's first Broadway show, which accounts for some of those rhythms. The lyrics might be nice, too, but only the solos and duets are mostly understandable; that dratted Fox sound system left the chorus sound almost totally blurred. Nevertheless, it's impossible to resist any song called "Sex Is In The Heel."
Pride of place has to go to Darius Harper, who plays Lola, who is still, occasionally, Simon. Harper pretty much owns the audience in the musical numbers. Charlie Price,the new owner, is, Steven Booth, a fine portrayal of a guy that young who's in over his head, pleasant, but fairly reserved for much of the show, all in keeping with his Englishness. Craig Waletzko, the factory's accountant George, looks pretty drab but has a great voice. And don't bother checking the program – unlike "La Cage", all the girls in Lola's chorus line are guys.
Logically enough, the show is both directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. And there's a live orchestra, another reason to nod approvingly. A spring evening of laughs and enjoying music at the Fox.
Kinky Boots
through April 5
Fox Theatre
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I got free tickets from a family member and wasn’t sure I’d like it. I’m so glad I went, it turned out to be amazing. I loved how the cast owned their roles, the set design, the costuming, but that sound system really was the weakest part of the evening.