Kinky Boots finally makes its Milwaukee debut with a big splash of glitz, glamour, humor and heartfelt confessions – all a part of what makes the show a Broadway showstopper and a multi-Tony Award winner. This isn’t the kind of show that yanks audiences from the lapels the minute the curtain goes up. It works its charm a bit more subtly. It finds a way to infiltrate the audience’s hearts the way an old-fashioned Broadway musical used to do. Audiences can’t help but root for the success of the main character, a shoe-factory owner named Charlie (a competent but uninspiring performance by Adam Kaplan). Given the fact Charlie was born wealthy and privileged; this is no small trick. His job upon college graduation, should he choose to accept it, is to save his father’s business. Like the old Nancy Sinatra song, these (kinky) “boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do.” And the musical shows no signs of slowing down. Kinky Boots is in its third year on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theater. Additionally, Kinky touring shows are running in the U.S., Toronto, London, and Melbourne (starting in October). A Korean production closed last year. Notably, it has taken four years from the show’s initial pre-Broadway run in Chicago for Kinky Boots to stomp across the state line and kick up its heels in Wisconsin. Based on a true story and the indie film of the same name, Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price, who abandons his family’s shoe factory located in a small village to live in London. After the unexpected death of his father, Charlie returns to the struggling factory and finds it’s up to him to figure out a way to keep the business alive. Enter Lola, a fabulous drag queen, who gives Charlie the idea to create ladies’ shoes for men. Soon, the factory is turning out “kinky boots” under the supervision of Charlie and Lola. There are many hurdles to jump (such as the male factory workers’ initial distaste for the product). Unlike Charlie, a character that is never fully developed, there is a laser intensity on Lola. This may not be surprising, considering that the show’s book is by Harvey (La Cage Aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy) Fierstein.
One learns about Lola’s childhood and his growing alienation from his father, a blue-collar worker who can’t deal with having a “pouf” for a son. The rest of the story is told through Cyndi Lauper’s polished score, which ranges from ballads to big production numbers.
Among the biggest numbers is Act I’s lavish “Sex is in the Heel.” This is where the musical really takes off. Lola prances into Charlie’s factory, determined to make him “get it” when it comes to she/male footwear. The factory’s male workers have their chins on the floor as they try to make sense out of Lola’s gender-bending appearance. Conversely, the women workers seem pleased and amused by Lola’s antics.
Jerry Mitchell’s choreography is among the true stars in this glittering showcase of magic and fun. The ensemble is well-trained and energetic as it goes through its paces. Although the six-foot-plus Lola always manages to stay center stage, the dancers have more than enough room to pull off some impressive dance moves.
Among the show’s disposable characters are Charlie’s father (Tom Souhrada), who dies after being prominently featured in the show’s opening number, and Charlie’s girlfriend (Charissa Hogeland). For someone so sharp, the girlfriend is a bit of a dunce when it comes to realizing that Charlie’s heart never left the factory that, basically, was his home while he was growing up.
Some surprisingly good performances are turned in by actors in minor roles. Tiffany Engen is playful and passionate as Lauren, the sweet, tiny blonde factory worker who is “promoted” to the executive ranks by a grateful Charlie; and especially the wonderful Aaron Walpole as Don. Like Lauren, Don is another factory worker – but also one with a great deal of pride. He reminds Charlie that they were once on equal footing as schoolmates. Of all the show’s characters, he’s the one who makes the largest emotional leap, from being Lola’s nemesis to his begrudging fan. Walpole makes this transition as hilarious as it is credible. Finally, veteran actor Jim J. Bullock impresses as George, a longtime employee of the Price family’s business.
On the subject of Lola, the glittering drag queen, there’s no question that J. Harrison Ghee can’t fill the boots formerly occupied by Billy Porter (who won a Tony for his performance). Ghee has the moves – and the voice – to pull it off, but Porter gave the show its necessary star quality (even before Porter could really be considered a “star”). All the musical’s razzle-dazzle is in full swing in this tour, and an appreciative opening-night audience nearly roared its admiration after the finale. Milwaukee audiences may have had to wait years for the arrival of Kinky Boots, but they seemed ready to welcome the show and its social message of equality with equal rapture.
