Zane Champie and Robert Vardiman in Kinky Boots (Luke Harbur)
It would be nice if, in the decade since Kinky Boots’ Broadway premiere (not to mention the nearly 20 years since the debut of the film the live show is based on), the play’s themes and even direct plot elements had become less timely. Instead, Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s musical celebration of drag and gender expression in a battle against judgmental bigotry is as relevant as ever.
In Kinky Boots, Charlie (Zane Champie) is the son of a shoe manufacturer, forced to give up his plans of leaving his small factory town for a marketing career in London and instead take over the long-struggling family business following the death of his father. Lola (Robert Vardiman) is a drag queen also grappling with the weight of a father’s expectations. Together, the two form a plan to save Charlie’s father’s business by shifting focus from men’s shoes to an underserved niche market in need of sturdy yet glamorous—even kinky—footwear: drag performers.
The show is bogged down a bit by a few rather stilted performances (and some issues with mics cutting out that didn’t help bring the energy back up). I got the impression that some of the cast might have gotten caught up in the self-consciousness that often comes with having to work in such strong accents. Still, overall, the play—which hasn’t been produced in Kansas City since its national tour came to town in 2016—is a ton of fun.
The highlights of Kinky Boots come largely from Lauper’s catchy music. It should be no surprise that the biggest bursts of energy come every time Lola’s backup drag crew of fabulous “Angels” hit the stage. (Weston Thomas, especially radiates such exuberant glee, he comes close to stealing every number.) Vardiman is a joy in the first act’s romp “Sex Is in the Heel” and does a commendable job with a moving second-act power ballad. But the show’s standout is Maryann Traxler’s hilarious and authentic solo number, “The History of Wrong Guys.” The journey of her character, Lauren—Charlie’s employee who develops a sudden crush on her boss the moment he shows her the first bit of kindness and encouragement—feels like a tacked-on, severely underwritten afterthought to the main plotlines, but Traxler still kills it with the material she’s got to work with.
Thematically, there are some beautiful and deeply, darkly complex issues at play. Vardiman captures an incredible range of character, both with Lola and also her alter-ego of sorts, Simon. The show’s explorations of gender identity, fluidity, sexuality, and self-expression are powerfully compelling. Unfortunately, the script does not stick the landing with those themes, leaving its character arcs insultingly imbalanced. Lola gets her power ballad, yes, but—without getting too far into spoiler territory—Charlie gets wholly unearned, absolute redemption for a painful burst of deep cruelty and betrayal.
Ultimately, the team at the White Theatre does an admirable job with Kinky Boots. The show has some energy slumps but as usual, the production values on display at the theatre are impressive enough to keep an audience rapt. Jeremy Smith’s sets and Liz Ernst’s choreography are especially dazzling. Kinky Boots is well worth seeing, especially for first-time viewers.
“Kinky Boots” runs at The White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (5801 W 115 Street, Overland Park, KS) through February 19. For more information, visit thewhitetheatre.org.
