By Barry Reszel
Broadway in Chicago is hosting a celebratory fusion of Cyndi Lauper and Nancy Sinatra.
Because Lauper’s “Kinky Boots” new national tour is high-kicking off in (mostly red…hey, it’s the color of sex) style at the Cadillac Palace before walkin’ all over the country, performing engagements booked through the next year.
(Patrons unsure of the Sinatra reference and those desiring a little mod-styled flashback to the 1960s are encouraged to click on the play button of the YouTube video above.)
It’s a really a fitting homecoming for Kinky Boots, which first premiered at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre in fall 2012 before opening to acclaim on Broadway the following April and cleaning up at June’s Tony’s. The Broadway accolades include Best Musical, Best Score (Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Actor (Billy Porter), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus) and Best Sound Design (John Shivers). The original Broadway cast album of Kinky Boots also opened that spring at #1. Harvey Fierstein wrote the terrific book.
Kinky Boots is a quirky story of a young, working-class Englishman, Charlie Price, played on tour by Steven Booth, who looks like a Republican presidential candidate but sings like Josh Groban—not a horrendous tradeoff. He inherits his father’s nearly bankrupt shoe factory and eschews his self-centered, London-focused fiancée to attempt to save the family business and livelihood of its workers.
Enter Simon/Lola, a cross-dressing entertainer originated by Billy Porter and ably played on tour by Porter’s Broadway understudy, the amazingly talented Kyle Taylor Parker. The chance meeting of the two inspires Charlie to make stiletto-heeled boots to sustain the weight of a man. More importantly, it inspires the two men to break free of their father’s desires, live their lives authentically and send home the message that all should accept others for who they are.
Wrapping the plot and moral are gorgeously zany costumes (courtesy of Gregg Barnes) and brilliant sets and lighting (David Rockwell and Kenneth Posner, respectively). If there was a nit on opening night, deafening bass, English accents and overall balance made full understanding of the dialogue and lyrics, even from the best seats in the house, at times difficult.
But to be sure, this Kinky Boots is a first-rate production of a funny, soulful, insightful musical; some might argue it’s the very best new musical of the decade.
In addition to Booth and Parker, kudos go out to Lindsay Nicole Chambers for her performance as factory worker/love interest, Lauren. In July 8’s Chicago opening, Chambers’ fabulous rendition of “The History of Wrong Guys,” 2/3 of the way through Act 1, brought the needed energy to catapult this cast to its best. Prior to that, the production felt almost timid, but after Chambers’ implied permission to let loose, the rest of the performance was full Broadway quality. The advice here is for Chambers to let her full Annaleigh Ashford (the role’s originator) snark consistently shine through. This young triple threat is a star in the making. So, too, is Joe Coots hilarious in the role of factory worker Don, who makes perhaps the greatest growth and transformation, which says a lot.
Adam Souza‘s excellent touring orchestra is supplemented with local musicians and performs Lauper’s rich score particularly well. Additional musical highlights include the salacious “Sex is in the Heel;” the gorgeous ballads where Parker’s star particularly glistens, “I’m Not My Father’s Son,” “Soul of a Man” and “Hold Me in Your Heart;” and big production showstoppers, “Everybody Say Yeah” and “Raise You Up/Just Be.”
Indeed, before these reinforced Boots made for walkin’ head to their next stop in Minneapolis, they should first be treated to a richly deserved homecoming in Chicago. No ticker-tape necessary; sold-out performances preferred.
Broadway in Chicago’s “Kinky Boots” runs through July 26 by at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph, Chicago. Tickets ($25 – $108) and more information are available online here by phone at 800-775-2000 and at all Broadway in Chicago box offices.
Leave a Reply