Interview: KINKY BOOTS Tickle Gregg Barnes' Fancy

Gregg Barnes had his work cut out for him when he became costume designer of the runaway hit Kinky Boots. The outrageous thigh-high, fire-engine-red, sparkly boots that adorn the marquee and take center stage in the musical were especially challenging to create.

The red boots that Billy Porter wears as the lead character Lola "are the thinnest and highest, and they were tricky to design," said Barnes. "We used a steel shank molded from the tip of the heel all the way back with a steel pin to keep things from breaking," he said. "The dancers do things no one should be doing in those shoes," he said with a laugh.

Other outrageously show-stopping boots underscore how the show straddles two disparate worlds: a conservative English shoe factory town on the brink of financial ruin and London's drag queen scene.

"It's my favorite kind of project, where you have a gaggle of conservative factory workers in northern England and a gaggle of drag queens in London," Barnes said. "It's really the best of both worlds, and many of my projects have had that kind of Yin and Yang."

Barnes' creations earned him a Tony nomination, and though the two-time Tony winner (FOLLIES, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE) didn't win this time, Kinky Boots won six Tonys on Sunday night - the most of any show - including the award for best musical. The haul also included Tonys for Porter (actor in a leading role in a musical) and for Cyndi Lauper (best original score).

KINKY BOOTS is based on a 2005 UK film of the same name. The book is by Harvey Fierstein and music is by the Grammy-award winning Lauper. The story focuses on a struggling family-owned shoe factory that skirts bankruptcy when the owner's son Charlie (Stark Sands) departs from making traditional men's shoes and goes into business with London's pre-eminent drag queen, Lola. The plan is to create footwear for the niche market of the drag world and hopefully crawl out of the red.

"In the beginning we dressed down the factory workers," Barnes said of the play's early scenes. "Then after Lola arrives, we make the women a little more colorful, a little more put together, because Lola comes in everyday looking fantastic.

"The men are more resistant of changes and it creates friction in the story," he said. The heart of the story revolves around a do-or-die opportunity to wow a Milan fashion show.

"When everyone finally shows up in Milan, the factory workers are brighter, almost in their Sunday best, and they look like they care," Barnes said. "When the men were resisting change, their clothes reflected that, and in Milan things are more unified and positive and the clothes reflect that, too."

One of the many challenges was to create a sexy stiletto heel that would support the weight of a male dancer, Barnes said. "During tryouts in Chicago, two heels broke on different nights," he recalled. "That's the fear - that someone is going to get hurt."

Barnes admitted to being unfamiliar with the drag world before joining Kinky Boots. "I knew so little about the world of drag, I just didn't get it, what it was really about," he said. "I had never watched RuPaul on television and when I finally did, I realized what incredible artists they are," he added.

"The care they take in crafting their persona is astonishing. Just watching them apply their makeup reminded me of the ancient Kabuki artists' ritual," Barnes said. "It's an incredibly artistic performance."

Barnes credits director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell with tapping into the magic of the drag world and translating it to the Broadway stage. "Jerry was absolutely brilliant in creating and directing perfect little moments on stage," Barnes said. "The audience ends up loving these drag queens even when you'd least expect it," he said.

During one matinee he noticed a grumpy older man who was visible on one of the monitors. "You could see this old guy just being unhappy and clearly not wanting to be there when the show began," Barnes said with a laugh. "Of course he was the first one to jump to his feet and cheer at the end."

One of Barnes' challenges was making the stylish boots look polished, yet almost undesigned - "even though it's really very designed." Comfort level was a high priority, too. "I did try one on and I immediately said, 'Take it off! Take it off! Like in the Red Shoes," he said. "They were as comfortable as you can imagine a 6½-inch heel could be. Not very."

Yet no performers have ever complained. "The actors have all been great sports about wearing the skin-tight boots," he said. "Even when their feet hurt, they never complained. They do their jobs and do their physical therapy and it works out fine."

KINKY BOOTS ends on a high note. "There's something like a Whitney Houston moment when Lola sings a power ballad and audiences love that," Barnes said. "Drag queens celebrate iconic celebrities - movie or pop - and the song is a shout-out for Whitney. Lola's wearing a yellow dress with one chiffon arm and gold beading and it's stunning. I love beading."

Despite his profession, Barnes doesn't consider himself a clothes horse. "I don't design for myself," he said. "I hate to shop and I always look a mess. It's like the shoemaker's family never having shoes."

Barnes is thrilled to be part of Kinky Boots. "I couldn't imagine a world where I would sit down with Cyndi Lauper!" he said. "I'm from San Diego!"

KINKY BOOTS is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.