Kinky Boots the celebrated Broadway musical finally makes it to New Zealand in its full glory. Spectacular, ribald drag queen theatre combined with a tale of redemption. Of Mice and Men. Symbolised by an outrageously long and lascivious pair of red boots where the sex is in the heel.
Players: Stewart Adam McKensy, Nic Kyle, Nomi Cohen, The Angels
Director: David Atkins, Choreographer: James Luck, Music Director: Zac Johns
The origin of Kinky Boots comes from a true story. Englishman Steven Pateman was facing the collapse of his family’s shoe manufacturing business. It was saved when he specialised in fetish footwear for men and Divine Footwear was born.
From a BBC documentary to a well-regarded movie, Kinky Boots (2005). Theatre producers in America fell in love with it and saw potential in a musical version.
Harvey Fierstein was commissioned to write it, Cyndi Lauper to supply the original songs and score. It had a muted critical reception with its premiere in Chicago 2012. By the time it got to Broadway in 2013, it was off and running. Awards and accolades followed.
When the lights dim and the curtain goes up, the audience are presented with a magnificent stage setting. A huge bricks-and-mortar factory façade which lifts and rolls away in three pieces to reveal a large shop floor with an upstairs balcony office highlighted in the centre.
The mouse is Charlie Price (Kyle). The fourth generation of the Price and Sons shoe manufacturers. He has grown up there but has no interest in shoes and longs to escape his fate. He has a domineering fiancé Nicola (Paris Dallow) who is luring him away to the exciting future of London.
Charlie’s father dies and suddenly the business is thrust on to him. He rushes back to the factory to find a declining market for those specialised and expensive men’s shoes. And a workforce he feels an obligation to, being his second family.
It is clear Charlie is a bit meek and nerdy, and the time has come to step up.
The metamorphosis of Charlie comes in an explosion of the conformity and dictates of his upbringing.
We meet Lola (McKensy) in a dark alley at first. Charlie steps in when she is being assaulted and gets knocked out in the process of being chivalrous. He follows her to a nightclub called the Blue Angel. Lola is a drag queen. The production comes out of its shoe box, from chrysalis to magnificent monarch butterflies, with the spectacular introduction of the Angels.
Six drag queens in outrageous, multi-coloured costumes and closely choreographed dance routines. Stunning and breath-taking acrobatics at times.
The Opening Night audience give big cheers. The are several drag queens present in the audience, and most others have dressed for a special occasion.
The singing has been reasonably good up to now, but it rises several levels with McKensy taking centre stage.
Cyndi Lauper’s music and lyrics mines her full repertoire of styles. She is one of the great pop singers and writers of her time. The girl just wants to have fun, and the way she performs has been fully inclusive of Drag culture from the beginning.
The name of the nightclub is a touching tribute to her first band Blue Angel. One of the greatest pop albums ever made, and it remains an obscure cult classic for aficionados’ only, to this day.
This musical style is now reflected in the rest of the show.
Both McKensy and Kyle have excellent trained tenor voices. Lauren (Cohen), a factory worker who falls for Charlie, channels some of the special spirit of Lauper’s unique style of singing.
There is a large live band off-stage. Credit for the excellent sound to musical director Zac Johns.
The budding partnership that forms between meek Charlie, and flamboyant Lola, is the heart of the story.
Kinky Boots has developed over the time that diversity and sexuality has opened up in the new millennium. Drag Queen culture is centuries old. Shakespeare contains so much gender-bending as to be integral to his genius. Ribald and risqué humour matched with acute social commentary and sexual politics has entertained people of all cultures. Even if it is mostly at odds with social mores.
The heart of this story is the revelation and transformation of two men who had strict upbringing and heavy expectations placed on them by domineering fathers.
The meek one divests himself of his lack of courage. The flamboyant one confronts his lack of acceptance and other peoples’ moral judgements.
There are dark places that exploring these themes can lead to. This production keeps the mood upbeat and joyful throughout. It is another retelling of the Cinderella story. That’s right, magical shoes, transformations and somewhere there is a pumpkin. His name is Don (Patrick Jennings).
Of course, Ray Davies of the Kinks wrote Lola.
Girls will be boys and boys will be girls/ It’s a mixed-up, muddled, shook-up world/ Except for Lola.
Well, I’m not the worlds most masculine man/ But I know what I am, I’m glad I’m a man. That’s for Charlie.
It all ends in a magnificent parade of those Kinky Boots.
Rev Orange Peel
Tickets for shows can be purchased from ticketmaster