A few weeks ago, I had the sheer delight to go and see the Harvey Fierstein-Cyndi Lauper musical, "Kinky Boots."
(I must apologize for getting this review posted so very late, as my Mother fell and broke her hip, and I was unable to tell you about this fabulous musical any sooner.)
...and tell I must!
Knowing a little about the musical and seeing it sweep the Tonys a few years ago, I was both excited and apprehensive. Would I like it? Would I love it? Would my date be offended in any way?
First of all let me say this, I didn't like it -- I LOVED IT. Was my date offended? Not in the least. She loved it as much and maybe even more than I did.
What a show! If you are local to Atlanta, I hope you were able to catch the Kinky Boots run during its stop at The Fox Theatre. If you aren't local, I hope you will try and catch this fiery, upbeat, and inspirational musical when it plays your home town.
(One thing I love about the Atlanta scene is that Broadway in Atlanta keeps bringing us the best musicals out there and straight from Broadway. We never fail to miss out on any of the talent touring America.)
If you don't know the backstory of Kinky Boots, let me very briefly bring you up to date:
Set in a British town that has been hit by hard times, shoe factory owner Charlie Price must make a hard decision. Should he close down the factory his Dad left him or try to find an underserved niche market?
Lucky for Charlie and the workers in his factory, and just in the nick of time, they meet LOLA, a local drag queen. In a showdown of conservative vs. liberal, the shoemakers must face Lola and her Angels and accept that these anti-conservatives may be their only hope to saving their jobs and factory.
It occurs to Charlie, via Lola, that maybe drag queens are the underserved niche market he's been looking for...(Don't cross dressers need footwear than can hold up to the demanding weight and wear of their owners?) ...and our story picks up steam and rolls from there...
Over the course of the story, we watch as Charlie and Lola form a friendship and a bond, based on childhoods where their fathers thought they should be so much more and maybe something so much different. And yet, they became who they are. Strong men. Independent men. Each one living and walking their own way, despite what their fathers impressed upon them.
And we also learn how to accept everyone, regardless of how they look, act, talk, or walk. It's a truly inspirational story of love and acceptance - something I'm not really sure I expected!
When you combine this heart warming story with fabulous musical numbers and great comedy, it's win-win combination. In our show, J. Harrison Ghee and Adam Kaplan were perfection in their roles, and Tiffany Engen really brought the house down with her comedic timing.
While I have read several internet discussions on this musical and whether it is appropriate for children, I'd definitely say it is. Maybe Middle School-aged children and older. I'm not sure that younger children can grasp some of what would be in front of them. But, the play is devoid of sexual acts, nudity, and any amount of profanity - making it relatively clean and in good spirits and humor.
I can't remember seeing a musical in a long time where we laughed so much and out loud. Truly a feel good show that will leave you walking out singing the finale number, "Raise You Up/Just Be" and smiling.
Kinky Boots is now touring the country and on Broadway. You can visit their facebook page to find out schedules and information.
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