Review: Singapore Gets Kinky as KINKY BOOTS Opens In Town!

For the first time, Singapore was treated to a night of Kinky Revolution as the direct from Broadway's national tour of Kinky Boots opened on Friday (5 Oct). Following closely to the plot of the 2005 movie, it is a complete visual treat with dazzling neon lights, powerful ballads, and costume extravaganza. Amidst it all, it is also a compelling story of acceptance, determination and kindness. Audiences in the Sands Theatre were bursting with laughter and love throughout the night.

A smash-hit Broadway musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Tony Award-winner for Best Score for Kinky Boots), Kinky Boots is about Charlie Price (Lance Bordelon) who has suddenly inherited his father's struggling shoe factory. Trying to live up to his father's legacy and desperate to save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of an unlikely friend, Lola (Jos N Banks), a drag queen in need of some sturdy stilettos.

Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie. As they work to turn the factory around and bring their new creations to Milian, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible and discovered that sometimes, the best way to fit in is to stand out.

With a show titled Kinky Boots, it is probably no surprise that there are over 216 pairs of shoes and boots in the show, with Lola, Charlie and the Angels standing in the highest 6" heels. We see the shoes at the various stages of creation as the factory goes through a product transformation. From brown and dull (but good quality) men's shoes to two and a half feet of irresistible, tubular sex for a new niche market. It is no doubt that Lola and the Angels carried the show on their heels, dancing, cartwheeling, sliding and doing backflips in full drag glamour while belting out show stopping numbers.

The show explores the lifelong struggle of fulfilling other people's expectation. In this case, paternal expectations with Charlie's dad expecting Charlie to take over the shoe factory and Lola disowned by her boxer dad who was unable to accept the fact that his son would rather have a career as a drag queen. As the show develops, we see how these two sons from very different worlds start to heal from their wounds from back home. A personal favourite point of the show is Bordelon and Bank's solid performance in their heart-wrenching duet of Not My Father's Son.

As I left the theatre, determined to stop complaining about walking in heels, I was also in awe of the diverse cast that came together to put on such a fantastic performance, which made up for the minor technical hiccups and pitch issues in the show.

Patrick stole the limelight, and our hearts throughout the show with her on point comic timing and her solo of History of Wrong Guys as her character Lauren found out that she has developed a crush on the "has a fiancée, Nicola" Charlie. The details were all taken care of, the small town British accent of Charlie, Lauren (Sydney Patrick) and the other factory workers and the heart pumping dance choreography in Sex Is In The Heel and Everybody Say Yeah, I caught some sitting around me bobbing to the numbers in their seats.

The idea of masculinity portrayed in the show was thought provoking. With Lola challenging the stereotype in What A Women Wants, sensitivity, tender touch and commitment, instead of being dull and dumpy of a man. We also witness Dom (Adam du Plessis) a bigoted burly man and Lola in a fight scene to which Dom certainly learnt the true meaning of acceptance and respect.

This show came to Singapore at the perfect time. Intense debate has been rampant throughout the city regarding the repeal or retaining of section 377a, the criminalising sex between mutually consenting adult men. We could undoubtedly reflect on the show's core message of accepting someone for who they are. It is indeed easier said than done just like Lola's challenge to Don, but it is not rocket science. But only with true acceptance would our friends and loved ones able to live life authentically. Hopefully like Don and the rest of the crew at Price and Sons, we will be able to change the world when we change our mind.

If you find yourself in Singapore this week, you have to sashay down to Marina Bay Sands and get yourself a ticket to catch the ever so dynamic Kinky Boots that is playing for a super limited season till 14 October!

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

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