Review: Feel-Good KINKY BOOTS at The 5th Avenue Theatre is Fun-Filled and Fabulous

Picture it: New York City; the year, 2002. A wide-eyed, Broadway first timer awaiting her first celebrity signature after a production of "Hairspray" felt a deep connection with the raspy-voiced actor when he looked me dead in the eye and apologized for his dry sharpie. With one "Darling, I'm so sorry," I felt connected to something that felt so distant to me before. I was probably the only 10-year-old at my elementary school who was a Harvey Fierstein fan (specifically for "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "La Cage aux Folle"). Little did I know that at that exact moment, my love for Broadway would be inextricably linked to my love for drag, so a drag production based on a book written by Harvey Fierstein should be a no-brainer. Throw in a score written by Cindy Lauper and you have a show that had far to fall for me if done incorrectly. Thankfully, "Kinky Boots" at The 5th Avenue Theatre was as fabulous as I hoped it would be.

Directed by Jerry Mitchell, "Kinky Boots" tells the story of Charlie Price, the heir to the Price & Sons shoe factory that he does not want to run. When he is forced to take over for his father, he teams up with drag queen Lola to rebrand the company completely, saving the factory from going under. Behold, a world that can only exist in a musical: conservatives and queens working together to fight for justice. This production's greatest strength and greatest weakness is its classic foundation. Like in a great old Broadway production, the choreography by Mitchell was prop-filled and jazzy; the sparkle levels on the costumes (by Gregg Barnes) were cranked up as high as they could go in the best way; and the singing was exceptional. But "Kinky Boots" suffers from its quite standard narrative. I warn you that it shamelessly pushes your every emotional button, and aside from sassy drag queen Lola, the cast comprises of pretty stale, old-Broadway archetypes. Though it may not be the most groundbreaking script, "Kinky Boots" tells its story through song and dance the way a classic musical should.

J. Harrison Ghee as Lola was effervescent and effortless in her high-heeled boots: easily the star of the show.

Unlike Kaplan's Charlie Price, who seemed quite awkward in his own skin-on numerous occasions trailing off uncomfortably when he started to make bold statements-Ghee's Lola was saucy, confident, and charmingly vain. Her performance, along with the rest of her drag sisters, aka "angels", was easily the most engaging part of the show. Kaplan had some powerful moments, particularly in his rendition of "Soul of a Man." Frankly, matching the energy and vivaciousness of a singing and dancing drag queen is a tough task to take on, and Charlie is not particularly interesting to begin with. Straight-man struggles pale in comparison to Lola's, but Kaplan did a decent job giving Charlie some depth in a predictable narrative.

The central plot of the musical feels obtrusive in all of the electricity of the dance numbers. Charlie's struggles with love and the factory brought the pizzazz to a screeching halt, which made the story feel interrupted rather than cohesive. I was a bit confused as to how much intricate choreography was given to the drag queens, but so little to the rest of the cast during the musical numbers. It felt odd that the barely-there choreography given to the downtrodden, blue collar factory workers did not come off more humorously. If anything, it felt a bit sad how white bread and boring the shoemakers were compared to Lola. Tiffany Engen as Lauren, the "shy, plain girl that was there all along" archetype, performed outrageous choreography during "The History of Wrong Guys" that, though perfected in its comedic timing, was far from graceful. When Lola and her gang of drag sisters danced along with the factory workers, the factory workers came off as being in over their heads, but it was not exaggerated enough to come off as funny. Since Lola's sole purpose was to cheer up the down-trodden factory bozos, all of the color was drained from the stage, making it hard for me to stay engaged.

That said, I applaud director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell for his audacity incorporating conveyor belts into a dance number. And "Kinky Boots" closed with one of the best curtain numbers I have seen since "Hairspray" in 2002. "Kinky Boots" is not truth; it's drag, it's broadway, it's glitterfied, and it's really fun.

I give "Kinky Boots" 4/5 stars.

"Kinky Boots" performs at the 5th Avenue Theatre through May 8, 2016. For tickets and information, visit them online at www.5thavenue.org.

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