Review: KINKY BOOTS at Wonder Theatre

Such an anticipated night for Wonder Theatre! It was the first show in their new space at Wonderland of the Americas, and Kinky Boots provided the perfect colorful explosion their new space deserved. Even the mayor of Balcones Heights came out to welcome Wonder Theatre to the area, and the house--even with temporary seating--was full! Full of people and lots of fun energy. The Wonder Theatre community came out with sparkles and lots of glittery, tall, colorful boots! It was a full-on celebration!

The story of the show surrounds Charlie Price and his pursuit to keep the family shoe factory in business. By happenstance, he meets Lola, whose ferocious style and choreography give him an idea. What if the factory made boots for drag queens? Sexy enough to dance in but sturdy enough to handle the weight of a full-grown man. He and Lola, along with the entire factory crew work together to keep the Price business alive with this new idea, all while learning to bring their authentic selves and accept authenticity in others. Oh, and also the show is about shoes. Glittery, fabulous, sexy, high-heeled shoes. The costume designers, Rose Kennedy and Morgan Clyde, fully delivered on bringing beautiful shoes and costumes that brought audible gasps from the audience. 

Benjamin Grabill’s scenic design became an immediate draw-in, with its towering two-story factory interior, moving assembly lines, and easily transitionable spaces. He created a truly inventive space that provided a fun playground in which the talented cast was able to tell such an endearing story.  Benjamin Farrar’s projection design highlighted the performance with realistic imagery and plenty of fun spectacle. Much of the show’s spectacle was also created by Alonzo Corona’s spicy choreography, which at times had an excited audience on its feet.

Nick Degraw Glavac, as Charlie Price, let us know from the very beginning that we were in for some seriously dynamic vocal performances from him, and he continued to deliver those big vocals throughout the show. Myles Harris as Lola/ Simon was an absolute star and stunning to watch on stage. They had a palpable electricity that made the audience lean in, not wanting to miss a moment of such a powerful performance. Juli Pope, as Lauren, delivered great vocal performances with lively comedic timing that made her a fast audience favorite. Also bringing great comedic timing and a strong stage presence was Ray Seams, as George, who added a delightful spark to every second he was onstage. Salomon Lopez as Don gave us a meaningful character arc and showed us how to “accept someone for who they are.” 

Overall, the show was energetic, fun, colorful, and tender. The entire Wonder Theatre company brought this stage to life in a perfect explosion of live theatre under the exceptional direction of Morgan Clyde, who in her spare time helped design the costumes and choreographed the fight scenes. She has been a busy gal!

Cheers to the explosively successful opening of Wonder Theatre’s new space with this delightfully colorful production!

Photo cred: Siggi Ragnar and Crystal Truong

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