High kicks in higher heels: Kinky Boots Preview
Broadways hit musical to come to San Diego next week
By Kevin Karn
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
@kkarn7
Photo Courtesy of Matthew Murphy
Kinky Boots opens Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Civic Theatre downtown.
The Tony Award-winning Broadway spectacle, “Kinky Boots,” struts into town this week boasting a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein and a score by Grammy Award winner Cyndi Lauper.
After over a year of performing to standing room only crowds and breaking attendance records at New York’s Al Hirschfield Theatre, the show takes its U.S. tour to downtown San Diego this week at the classic Civic Theatre located on Third Avenue. Opening on Tuesday, Sept. 23, the show will continue until Sept. 27, giving students and theater fanatics of all ages an ample opportunity to experience the show where high kicks in high heels translates into high levels of energy and excitement for the audience.
At the core of the production’s success is Lauper, who is best known for her ‘80s pop hits such as, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time.” In making the transition from writing pop songs to writing songs for musical theatre, she explains the differences between the two genres in a Q&A included in the show’s press release.
“Everybody asks the question about pop songs and theater songs,” Lauper said. “I just think that, in some ways, they’re very similar and in other ways, they’re not. You need to be economical. You have to say something simply. I believe you still can have poetry.”
Her undeniable lyrical ability helps to create powerful, show-stopping numbers that highlight some of the show’s major themes of self-acceptance and the pursuit of one’s passions. She is quick to point out, though, that the power of the story lies with playwright Fierstein, who has received acclaim for his roles in “Hairspray,” “La Cage aux Folles” and “Torch Song Trilogy.”
“Just the way he looks at things, just the way he views a story, the way he tells a story,” Lauper said. “And if you’re watching Kinky Boots, you can see what a wonderful storyteller he is.”
The two artists combine their massive wealth of talent and team up with Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring the captivating story of Charlie Price. Played by Steven Booth, Charlie is the owner of the family shoe company who struggles to find a way to keep his father’s old business alive. Determined to save the business, Charlie meets a drag queen named Lola, played by Kyle Taylor Parker, who is in search of some quality heels.
Charlie becomes inspired to begin constructing high heels for men, seeking to fill the need that Lola has suggested and boost sales. As the two of them work together, Charlie quickly discovers that he and Lola are not that much different and it forces him to reexamine the expectations of his father while looking to become the man he always wanted to be.
That central theme of following one’s true self reverberates throughout the play and allows its characters to reach new heights, both in the form of tall aspirations and their equally tall 6-inch heels.
Whether or not students at USD find themselves rocking the flashy heels, the relatable, strong messages alone should be enough reason to see the show. If not, the show has amassed 13 Tony Award Nominations and six Tony Award winners, which essentially translates to one thing: Go see “Kinky Boots.”