BWW Reviews: KINKY BOOTS at The Music Hall At Fair Park

As celebrated in its Tony-award winning score, "sex is in the heel" of Kinky Boots, stomping across the country in the sparkling Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award winner Cyndi Lauper, and a book by esteemed Broadway legend, Harvey Fierstein. As these boots are made for more than walking, they will chassé out of town on March 8th. Until then, you can see them strutting onstage at The Musical Hall at Fair Park, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.

Like the 2005 film of the same name (written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth), Kinky Boots is based on the true story of a young British shoe factory owner, Charlie (Steven Booth), who creates a unique partnership with a sassy drag queen, Lola (J. Harrison Ghee), to creatively save his struggling business. At the suggestion of his love-struck employee Lauren (Lindsay Nicole Chambers), Charlie rebrands the conservative business, changing his product and changing minds (including his own) along the way. Appropriate to the Cyndi Lauper score, this is a heartwarming story of showing your "true colors" and allowing yourself to "just wanna have fun".

Without a doubt, the six featured drag queens (called "Angels") are the saucy and sexy stars of this show. Whether high-kicking or backflipping, Darius Harper, Tommy Martinez, Nick McGough, Ricky Schroeder, Juan Torres-Falcon and Hernando Umana shine brighter than sequins under a disco ball on New Year's. Like famous girl-groupers of the 90's, these boys (ladies?) are delightfully posh, sporty, and scary, with their remarkable gender-bending abilities. Renowned director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell was clever to cast legitimate triple-threat performers here; these are not simply dancers or lip-syncing drag performers.

Also stealing the show is Lindsay Nicole Chambers as the quirky factory worker, Lauren. With arguably the best number in the show, "The History of Wrong Guys", Ms. Chambers is a master of comedy, with a powerful voice as bright as her glittering cast mates.

As Charlie and Lola, Steven Booth and J. Harrison Ghee have tremendous fraternal onstage chemistry. As they learn to understand one another, both men shine in their Act One duet, "Not My Father's Son." Although Mr. Booth's character, per the script, takes some time for the audience to connect with, he leads the show with charm, charisma, and crystal-clear vocals. Alternatively, at the performance I attended, Mr. Ghee (who is playing Lola while the tour's lead "queen" performs a 3-month stint in the Broadway company), seemed tired of the glitter and heels, dragging the show (no pun intended) at a sluggish pace. When onstage with the Angels (including the spirited Darius Harper, with whom Mr. Ghee alternates the role), Lola often disappeared amongst her congregation. The energy of this over-the-top show heavily lies on Mr. Ghee's very tall shoulders, so hopefully he can find a way to revitalize Lola in the already cavernous Music Hall. (To add to the cave feel, there were numerous dark areas in the lighting design/actualization, and I agreed with nearby guests who struggled to hear the actors at times.)

Costumes, designed by Gregg Barnes, and hair/wigs designed by Josh Marquette deserve special praise, as does Grace Stockdale, who uses her epic voice to make the most of Charlie's cattish finance, Nichola. Another highlight of the show, if you watch closely, is Anthony Pocatello as Young Charlie, whose performance in the finale is absolutely priceless.

Overall, Kinky Boots is an exciting evening full of humor and heart. Despite the racy title and drag stars, the show is remarkably family-friendly, rarely straying from PG/PG-13 themes. With equal parts guts and glitter, this extravaganza is sure to please the whole crowd! Kinky Boots performs at The Music Hall at Fair Park through March 8th. For tickets, visit www.DallasSumerMusicals.org or call 1-800-514-ETIX (3849).

To post a comment, you must register and login.

 

---

Join Team BroadwayWorld

Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.

Interested? Learn more here.

---

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!