I hope everyone heeded my “don’t miss!” and “buy your tickets now!” when it came to Kinky Boots, which played, no, rocked the Fox March 24 through April 5. After all the buildup, I was a tiny bit concerned the hype might not match the experience, but it was sensational!
Based on a true story, Kinky Boots follows a young man, Charlie Price (charmingly crafted by Steven Booth) who discovers a niche market for his failing family shoe business. He meets Lola (the gorgeous and astonishing Darius Harper), a spectacular drag performer, and creates a line of steel-shafted, high-heeled kinky footwear specifically for men. Everything sizzled about this show: Harper’s performance stands at No. 1, but Booth was perfectly puppyish and lovable. There was not a single misstep from the entire cast.
Two other cast members deserve to be mentioned; one is Don (Joe Coots), who is the vehicle for delivering the message of the play: tolerance, acceptance and friendship. That message permeates throughout, especially when Lola and Charlie sing Not My Father’s Son. The other standout was Charlie’s unexpected love interest, Lauren (Lindsay Nicole Chambers), who was adorably awkward and waggishly quirky.
Kudos to the entire cast, costume designer Gregg Barnes and choreographer/director Jerry Mitchell. The number at the end of Act I had superb energy and truly encompassed the spirit of the play; the drag numbers were energetic and fabulous; and the finale was astounding with all the cast dancing gracefully in ridiculously high-heeled, dazzling boots.
The New Jewish Theatre gave us Donald Margulies’ Sight Unseen, which is about art and fame, love and self-loathing, and being Jewish but wanting to assimilate. Directed meticulously by Bobby Miller, the play explores so many different themes, it opens itself to the criticism that Margulies should have been more focused. There were moments that sparkled, particularly the two scenes between Aaron Orion Baker and Em Piro, but many others fell flat. Behind the scenes, it must have been exciting for local acting couple Baker and wife Emily to have this opportunity to work together.
In another biggie this month, award-winning playwright Christopher Durang’s latest offering, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, played at The Rep. It’s surely a funny play, but fell short. I appreciated the exploration of Chekhovian themes like regret and thought, but I found myself not liking any of the characters, who were mired in their own self-centeredness and wallowed in self-pity. And it is never a good sign when the audience leaves talking about the set instead of the play.
Pictured: The cast of Kinky Boots
Photo: Matthew Murphy