Riverside Theatre’s winning cast and crew find the heart and joy in its flawless production of “Kinky Boots.”
Mind you, the title itself should serve as a caveat emptor to those who are sent to the swooning couch at the mere mention of the term “drag queen.”
Written by Harvey Fierstein, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, “Kinky Boots” is layered with self-acceptance, courage and a huge dollop of delight. It links plot, character and music with Fierstein’s trademark flamboyant humor and warmth – as seen in his play “Torch Song Trilogy,” in his Tony Award-winning book for “La Cage aux Folles” and in his Tony Award-winning portrayal of Edna Turnblad in the Broadway musical “Hairspray.”
And Lauper’s Tony Award-winning music and lyrics fit ecstatically into this show. If you only know her for “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” you will come away impressed at her music and lyrics, which are fresh, winning and loaded with heart.
From the fun little number “The History of Wrong Guys” to the grand “Hold Me in Your Heart,” the music here overflows with themes of love and personal courage.
The storyline is set in an old English shoe factory in Northampton, about 60 miles outside of London. The factory is already teetering on the edge of insolvency when the owner suddenly dies and his son, Charlie, begrudgingly takes over.
Fate plays its hand when he comes to the rescue of who he thinks is a woman being threatened by a couple of thugs. However, the person he thinks needs saving is a drag queen with a mean right hook. When Charlie gets knocked out, he regains consciousness backstage at a drag queen show with Lola and her Angels, which is when “Kinky Boots” ratchets up into high gear.
A bevy of dancing, finger snapping, oh-no-you-didn’t drag queens strut to the edge of the stage and take over. It is quite impossible not to at least tap your foot when they perform.
They are so much fun; you’d like to nestle down with one or two and have them read you a fairy tale.
It also launches the plot into unexpected territory when Charlies realizes that the shoe factory could serve a niche market not being addressed – cross-dressers and drag queens who want dazzling stiletto heels strong enough to support them.
Darius Harper delivers an electrifying portrayal of Lola, the drag queen who likes to quote Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself, everybody else is taken.”
Lola helps the shoe factory create boots that are all about S.E.X. Harper gives it all in his performance. You get the Z-snapping sass and fun moves and the take-charge attitude that you’d expect from a drag queen. But there are also the touching scenes, especially the one with the factory bully.
But here … oh boy … you also get, in a final number, “Hold Me in Your Heart,” a performance that leaves Beyoncé in his dust. It’s there, where Harper, dressed in a long, white, flowing gown, stands down center in the spotlight, singing out his heart, soul and body, shaping the song and his very being into his authentic self.
Josh Canfield makes a perfect Charlie. While his character is strange mix of awkward and arrogant, Canfield brings a well-rounded portrayal of the self-doubting young man who has been thrust into running a large business and being responsible for its employees.
He’s especially endearing in his tender friendship with Lola. He makes it all look so easy, even in his show-stopping “The Soul of a Man,” in which he laments being hurtful to others: “I’m all used up, I’m chaffed and chewed up, Who’s just screwed up, The same old Charlie hitting the ground.”
Emily Bacino Althaus shines as the factory worker Lauren, who gets a crush on Charlie. In “The History of Wrong Guys,” she sings about all the wrong men she’s dated and how she’s destined to do it all over again, because Charlie is not only her boss, but also engaged.
Althaus is adorable in this number as she uses a pneumatic device to dry off her perspiring underarms and then blow back her hair while she sings (think J.Lo). She’s got a sly comic gift which builds with perfect timing. Her background is mostly in regional theater, but keep an eye out for this talent.
Other standouts in the show are Dane Agostinis as Don, a loutish factory worker who learns to respect the man called Lola; John Anker Bow as George, Charlie’s right-hand-man; Arianne Davidow as Nicola, Charlie’s fiancée; and the bevy of marvelously festooned dancing drag queens, especially Sam Rohloff – the one in the green dress and red wig in the second number, he is take-no-prisoners fantastic.
Director/choreographer DJ Salisbury brings real excitement to the stage in “Kinky Boots.”
His choreography is some of the best he’s done, and that’s saying a lot when you consider the breadth and depth of his work from shows like “Carousel” (that ballet in the second act remains unforgettable) and his daring work in last season’s “Man of La Mancha.”
In fact, Salisbury just keeps getting bolder and better with every show, as we get to see the range of this man’s talent.
Music director Jeffrey Campos delivers solid work in his direction of the singing and in leading the 10-piece pit orchestra.
Scenic designer Cliff Simon, lighting designer Yael Lubetzky and costume designer Kurt Alger work so sublimely together. Every aspect of their work is done with solid intent. Point of fact: Lesser designers might treat the Milan fashion show scene as a throw-away sidebar.
But in the hands of Simon/Lubetzky/Alger, the Milan scene is stunning and sleekly sophisticated.
And a shout-out to the Wojcik Casting Team in New York City. It is utterly refreshing to see real people inhabiting the roles of the factory workers. It’s deeply heartening to see oneself represented.
This is a fun show. It has talent and it has heart. You don’t want to miss it.
“Kinky Boots” runs through March 17 on the Stark Stage at Riverside Theatre.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Wednesdays, select Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets start at $45. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or visit RiversideTheatre.com.
Photos provided
