Kinky Boots - Original London Cast Recording

"Kinky Boots" is a Broadway/West End musical based on the much better 2005 movie of the same name written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. This cast recording features the current, original cast. The book is by Broadway favorite Harvey Fierstein. The catchy songs are by pop empress Cyndi Lauper. Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations are by Stephen Oremus. It's a live recording with audience reactions caught on tape. The musical is fun but its messages don't hold up well under scrutiny.

In "Kinky Boots," white Englishman Charlie Price (Killian Donnelly) bemoans his inheritance of his father's shoe factory. What he really wants is to move to London with his modern, sexy fiance Nicola (Amy Ross). Things turn sour when the factory nears bankruptcy. Charlie moves home and is saved by courageous drag queen and magical black person, Lola (Matt Henry) via the power of stilettos. On the way, Charlie falls in love with factory work/activist Lauren (a screechy Amy Lennox). Eventually, the day is saved and everyone learns some important lessons about being true to yourself and finding fulfillment where you least expect it.

The good folks at Masterworks Broadway tell us that "this joyous musical celebration is about the friendships we discover, and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind." It part, this is true. It is also true that this musical capitalizes on the otherness and popularity of drag queens but conveniently misses the opportunity to accurately tell their truths. Rather, we're taught that drag queens are marketable so long as we don't have to care too much about their struggles. The movie does a much better job at divulging the ins and outs of Lola's experiences. The musical, while conventionally fabulous, lacks depth.

The star of this recording (and just about every production) is Lola. Matt Henry slays in his performances of "Land of Lola," "Sex is in the Heel," "Not My Father's Son," and "Hold Me in Your Heart." They are all very good, very sing-a-longable performances. While the subplots of Charlie and the factory workers are fun, we don't care for them the way we come to admire and love Lola. It is a wonder that Fierstein and Lauper didn't use artistic license to rewrite the musical so its focus is on her instead of Charlie. Other characters, especially Charlie, have their plot lines and solos but it is always Lola that draws our compassion.

"Kinky Boots" is still playing at the Adelphi Theater in London. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.kinkybootsthemusical.co.uk/

"Kinky Boots"
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music by Cyndi Lauper
Arrangements and orchestrations by Stephen Oremus
Produced by Masterworks Broadway
$10.99
Available on iTunes or Amazon.com