When “Kinky Boots” was released as a dramatic film in 2005, it captured the attention of Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, who saw the potential to turn the true story depicted in the film into an uplifting musical that celebrated diversity. The result of their labors, the musical “Kinky Boots,” debuted on Broadway in 2013 to mixed reviews. Some thought it was too maudlin; others saw flaws in the script. But many liked the effort and thought the show could develop a following.
The audience and industry reactions confirmed that expectation, and at year’s end, the musical received 13 Tony award nominations, winning in six categories, including Best Musical and Best Score. The touring production arrived in Sacramento earlier this month, and we attended a performance on the last Saturday night of the engagement at the Community Center Theater. The hall was packed to capacity, reflecting the popularity the show has gained over the years. (It continues in production on Broadway.)
The musical (book by Mr. Fierstein from the film script written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth; music and lyrics by Ms. Lauper) tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits a shoe-manufacturing company from his father and quickly finds it is nearly bankrupt. Just before giving up and closing the company, however, Charlie meets a drag queen named Lola who motivates him to create a whole new line of footwear: the kinky boots of the musical’s title.
As might be expected, complications ensue. As the staff of what is essentially a family-owned, mom-and-pop operation struggle with the new footwear designs Lola has suggested, some of the workers (in particular a red-neck type named Don), exhibit prejudice against Lola. But stripped of her drag-queen attire, Lola is definitely a man, one who was trained in boxing by his boxer father as a child. A critical second-act scene (very impressively staged in the touring production) pits Don against Lola in a boxing match. Its resolution leads the play towards its somewhat saccharine, but definitely uplifting conclusion.
The production that Sacramento residents saw was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Stephen Oremus. (Roberto Sinha served as music director, with music coordination by Michael Keller.) While the music was generally appealing, we didn’t sense there were any classic standards in the score that will be sung years from now. And the little choreography in the production was mostly limited to Lola’s band of “angels” (six drag-dressed men who were a source of comic exhibition whenever they appeared on stage).
The story is thin, especially in the first act, when roles are defined and the sense of a theme (fathers’ expectations and the burdens for their sons that those expectations create) is introduced. Things pick up considerably in the second act, when the conflicts become the focal point until they are happily (perhaps too happily?) resolved. The finale (“Raise You Up/Just Be”) was definitely a crowd-pleaser. Other highlights were “Not My Father’s Son” (Lola and Charlie), “Soul of a Man” (Charlie), and “Hold Me in Your Heart” (Lola).
The cast was strong throughout. Most notable were the two leads. Curt Hansen was effective as Charlie, albeit his voice was strained on some of his singing. As Lola, J. Harrison Ghee had the superior singing voice, and he had the more dramatic (and comedic) scenes in the script and delivered them well.
Others of note in the cast were Aaron Walpole as Don and Rose Hemingway as Lauren, a loyal worker who develops an infatuation for Charlie. A small, nine-member, orchestra provided a full orchestral sound when needed, courtesy of two synthesizers.
On balance, “Kinky Boots” is a good (not great) musical that soars largely on the spirit of inclusiveness and the celebration of diversity that it promotes. We left the performance feeling hopeful about the future, which, in light of the realities of a new presidential administration, may be the best indication of how good this production was.