“I have to warn you, Charlie from Northampton, I have a terrible habit of doing exactly the opposite of what people want of me,” says Lola. But perhaps the stage icon’s words have one exception: we wanted an absolutely fabulous night and we got it.
Kinky Boots’opening night was everything you’d expect from the larger-than-life show: glitter, feathers and a vivacious energy that can only be encapsulated by a pair of knee high boots - which were in high supply both on the stage and in the audience.
Based on the 2005 British film Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth and inspired by true events, the musical follows the life of Charlie Price. Having inherited a shoe factory from his father, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership and friendship with Lola, a fabulous cabaret star in need of some sturdy stilettos.
As the dynamic duo work together to produce a line of flamboyant high-heeled boots and save the family business, the two discover that they have more in common than they think, and together drive home the mantra that you really can do anything with the right pair of shoes.
The cold and dreary weather outside was a stark contrast with the sparkly, effervescent and red - not maroon - glamour that glistened on the Civic stage. In fact, the Civic’s heating wasn’t needed at all when it came to the fiery musical that took to the stage come Thursday night.
Staged by Amici Trust, which is responsible for bringing productions such as Mary Poppins and Les Misérables to the Civic Theatre, Kinky Boots’ opening night brought the whole audience to its feet come curtain close and it was all on the backs of its incredible performers.
A dress rehearsal preparing for opening night of Kinky Boots at the Civic Theatre. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Canadian Stewart Adam McKensy plays the extraordinary Lola, with locals Nik Kyle (Lord Farquaad in Shrek The Musical) as Charlie and Nomi Cohen (recently in Chess The Musical) as Lauren. Joined by a predominantly Kiwi cast, the musical took Cyndi Lauper’s Tony Award-winning score to great heights, which is high considering the cast were all balancing on 6-inch stiletto heels.
The show’s stand-out musical moments lingered on the stage - and the mind - long after the curtain had closed. The upbeat Sex is in the Heel induced a theatre-filled toe tap, while Cohen’s The History of Wrong Guys had the crowd both in stitches and questioning their taste in men. During tear-inducing Not My Father’s Son, you couldn’t hear so much as a whisper from the crowd as McKenzy left his soul on the stage and the audience hung on the raw emotion of the lament.
And one couldn’t forget the Angels. By far the stars of the show, the six dazzling drag queens brought a fierce energy to the stage that provided the fuel for the musical mobile to fly - and boy, did it soar.
Harold Moot thought up an imaginative unfolding set, which displayed the brick and mortar store front of Price & Sons on one side and the glitz and glam of the factory and its creations on the other. The stage quite literally depicted business in the front and party in the back and provided an inspired canvas for the show to shine.
Stephen Robertson’s suitably outrageous - and fabulous - costuming brought the musical to life via sartorial design. Lola’s colourful and captivating wardrobe was just as exuberant as her persona and had the audience waiting in anticipation for the next whirlwind costume change. And of course, the iconic kinky boots. The thigh-high stilettos left no step unstrutted thanks to their intricate design and excessive use of glitter.
Kinky Boots will have you walking in cold and perhaps a bit sceptical of what’s to come, but you’ll leave with a spring in your step, a smile on your face and a sudden urge to swap out your sneakers for shoes with a bit more soul - pun intended.
“It’s just filled with love, laughter. It’s like none other and it’s the show you never knew you needed,” says McKensy, which is just the incentive you need to shake off the May chills and rush to see this big-hearted musical extravaganza now.
Kinky Boots is showing at The Civic Theatre from May 25 and St James Theatre from June 28. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.
