Review: KINKY BOOTS at The Studio Theatre Perform to Sold-Out Shows

Taking my daughter and her friend to see KINKY BOOTS has probably made me Mother of the Year! --and I quote "This is the most best, life-changing thing I have ever seen!" - Emma Bertram, and she's right. This show was amazing from beginning to end. Playing in the Bob Bidewell Auditorium at The Studio Theatre, 320 West 7th Street, in Little Rock, through Sunday, Oct. 2, I am confident in saying that you need to get your tickets online as soon as possible, because this show is RED FIRE and will sell out.

Written by Harvey Fierstein and music & lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, KINKY BOOTS is about a shoe factory that needs to change in order to survive. Charlie Price (Ethan Patterson) has to take over his father's business when he dies and finds out that the shoes they have been making are not being sold. He enters a club where he meets Lola, who needs her boots fixed. Realizing that Lola's shoes are bad because they aren't made for men, Charlie decides that his factory will make boots that can withstand the weight and structure of Drag Queens. He hires Lola to help design the shoes, with the goal of showing the boots in Milan. During this whole process, there are lessons on acceptance and embracing who you are meant to be.

Now, where do I start with how great this show is? Let's begin with how fabulous Director Justin Pike looked in his red boots as he welcomed the patrons. Every time Justin is directing, I know I'm in for a treat. The story in itself is endearing and heartfelt, but let's be honest....we are here for the dancing, the wardrobes, and the fierce attitudes. There could not have been a more perfect Lola than Brian Earles. The charisma he possessed on the stage was powerful and mesmerizing. I could not take my eyes off of him. And then, there were the Angels (Eli Butler, Paige Alexander, Kelsey Marie, and Lucas Bachus), who completed and complimented the dance numbers and made it that more magical. I enjoyed the chemistry between Patterson and his three ladies - Earles, Cortney Speyer as Lauren, and Hailey Wiener as Nicola. Though I'm sure Speyer will roll her eyes at the word cute, her whole persona, especially during Lauren's song The History of Wrong Guys, had me rooting for my fellow short, quirky girl. And you couldn't help but feel just a little sympathy for Nicola, as her man gives up the life they were creating to go back home to save a business he knew little about.

The singing was on point as well. The whole cast blows you away with the power and energy that they have put into this show. The ensemble song The Most Beautiful Thing introduces young Charlie (Madden Babb) and young Lola/Simon (Austin Bernard), who were only in the show for a moment, but set the stage for what was to come for their older counterparts, and they held their own with the rest of the cast. Land of Lola introduces Lola and the Angels to the show, and let me tell you, exciting doesn't begin to describe this number. I thought the whole crowd was going to come out of their seats and storm the stage! Sex Is In The Heel was another fun number that had a rowdy dance number. Then there were the ballads like Not My Father's Son and The Soul of a Man that had the people behind me screaming 'take your time.' Honestly, there were so many great moments in this show, I feel they need to extend the run.

Tickets are going fast, and could possibly be sold out already. To check to see if you can even get in to see this show, check out their website at https://www.studiotheatrelr.com.

I want to thank Matthew Sewell of Matthew Sewell Photography for taking such wonderful pictures for the show. Check out his website at www.msewellphotography.com for all of your photography needs.

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