Interview: Aaron Walpole of KINKY BOOTS Appears at Overture Center

KINKY BOOTS, the smash-hit musical, arrives in Madison at the Overture Center for the Arts on Tuesday, July 12th. Aaron Walpole (whose Broadway credits include LES MISERABLES, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, and ROCK OF AGES) plays the role of Don, the factory foreman. Walpoke spoke with me recently about the show and it's impact during these turbulent times in our society.

As someone who has never seen KINKY BOOTS, what should Audience members like me expect?

It's a pertinent message for this time right now with all the stuff that's going on in North Carolina, the bathroom situation, and what happened in Orlando recently. It's a message of love and acceptance, learning how to accept people for who they are and that you can change the world if you can change your mind. It's a very, very important message that we get to spread with this show, and we get to do it in such a fun way that everybody's going to love the show.

You play the role of Don, the factory foreman. What can you tell me about him?

He's the blue-collar worker, closed-minded kind of a guy from a small town who doesn't understand different people like drag queens, who come into the factory. A lot of the husbands dragged there by their wives to see a musical aren't always too pleased to be there. They often actually end up identifying more with my character. A lot of people do, because I'm the macho men's kind of character. And then they end up on their feet at the end dancing and loving it in the finale. It's really fantastic that way. A really great message and a fun way to present it.

Is there a musical number in the show that's closest to your heart?

There are two songs in the show that I absolutely love, Not my Father's Son. These two characters, Lola and Charlie, have issues with not turning out to be who their fathers wanted them to be. And Not My Father's Son is a beautiful song and that's the first time the two of them really connect with each other.

The other song is Hold Me In Your Heart, a song to Lola's father. It's a beautiful piece about how she became who she is regardless and she still loves him. It's like a big Whitney Houston-esque type of number. These are really the songs that tear my heartstrings.

What is the biggest challenge for you in the show?

Spoiler alert. The boots at the end. I don't always want to give that part away, but I do end up wearing the boots. They are a challenge for a big guy like me. Two hundred and seventy pounds in high heels is like Bambi on ice.

When reading your bio, I noticed that you appeared on Canadian Idol. Tell me a little more about that.

A friend of mine actually made me go with her to help support her for her audition to idol. The only way I was allowed to stay in line with her was if I registered, so I registered. I was like fine, whatever. I ended up going all the way through and she didn't make it past the first round. I didn't even go with the intention of auditioning.

Walpole ended up finishing in third place on Canadian Idol.

What's up next for you?

KINKY BOOTS will be shutting down for four weeks, so I'm looking forward to a break with my family including my four-month-old son, Eli, who was a Leap Day baby born on February 29th. After the break, the tour resumes with five more cities in the states, then Japan for five weeks, and Canada after that.

KINKY BOOTS took home six 2013 Tony Awards, the most of any show in the season, including Best Musical, Best Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus) and Best Sound Design (John Shivers). The show also received the Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Broadway.com Awards for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Album, along with many other accolades.

Inspired by true events, KINKY BOOTS takes you from a gentlemen's shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father's expectations and continue the family business of Price & Son. With the factory's future hanging in the balance, help arrives in the unlikely but spectacular form of Lola, a fabulous performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

KINKY BOOTS will run at Overture Center for the Arts from Tuesday, July 12, through Sunday, July 17. Tickets can be purchased at overturecenter.org, in person at the ticket office or by phone at 608.258.4141.

Photo Credit: Aaron Walpole, J Harrison Ghee and the cast of the National Tour of KINKY BOOTS. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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