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Review: KINKY BOOTS

    by ToZinman
    Published 

"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Oscar Wilde's wry and excellent advice speaks the spirit of Kinky Boots, especially when Lola, drag queen extraordinaire, delivers the wisdom. This sweet, high-energy musical is about tolerance and fabulous shoes, so no wonder it won six Tony awards in 2013, including Best Musical, with a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein.

The plot is based on a true story which then became a charming movie, before it was transformed in a big Broadway musical: Charlie Price's (Steven Booth) shoe factory in the north of England is about to fold since nobody wants brogues that will last a lifetime. But when he meets Lola (Kyle Taylor Parker), he discovers the niche market that will save his business: gorgeous, outrageous boots (Gregg Barnes designed the costumes) for drag queens.

There are love interest subplots—Charlie's snooty fiancé (Grace Stockdale) and his cutie employee (Lindsay Nicole Chambers)--but they take back seat to the story of the two very different men who, in a lovely duet, "Not My Father's Son" discover they share the fate of many men who are not what their fathers wanted them to be. Similarly, the big cast of factory workers takes a back seat to the Angels, Lola's backup crew, whose spectacular production numbers are the highlight of the show.

Parker's big voice is impressive, especially in "Hold Me in Your Heart" which he milks for sentiment and applause. Booth's singing voice is a bit too nasal for my taste and his fake accent obscures many of the clever rhymed lyrics, but he is a warm presence onstage.  The full-cast numbers are the most fun, and the audience was rockin' in their seats, and everybody said "Yeah" for the song, "Everybody Say Yeah" which brought the house and the curtain down on Act I.   The finale—a all-company, all-stops-out rendition of "Raise You Up" did just that and had the audience on their feet.

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Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St. Through May 10.  Tickets: $55 to $115. Information: 800-447-7400 or www.telecharge.com or   www.forrest-theatre.com