[Overview – After a pandemic pause, the American Theatre Critics Association resuscitated its annual fall conference in New York City in November 2022. It represented an opportunity for theater critics to share new insights into what is happening in the theater world nationwide; to renew acquaintances; and to catch a few plays in the heart of the theater universe. Karin, my wife+editor, and I were fortunate enough to attend four plays in diverse theater categories. They are “A Delicate Balance” (Off or Off-Off Broadway classic drama),”Where We Belong” (Off Broadway world premiere solo performance), “Kinky Boots” (Off Broadway musical revival), and “Kimberly Akimbo” (new Broadway musical moved from Off Broadway). Incidentally, the definition of the category Broadway refers to size of house, specifically capacity of 500 seats or more. 100 to 499 seats is classified as Off Broadway, and smaller is Off-Off Broadway.]

“Kinky Boots”

Traditional industries in advanced economies collapse with regularity. Usually decline is accompanied by sad stories of displaced workers who lack job skills or mobility to secure a comfortable future. Occasionally, repurposing obsolete assets succeeds not only in saving jobs, but the whole ecosystem in which they occur. Doesn’t sound like grist for humor, does it? But British writers Geoff Deane and Tim Firth turned the idea into a rollicking comedy movie, “Kinky Boots,” and book writer Harvey Fierstein and composer and librettist Cyndi Lauper have transformed it into a highly successful Broadway musical which is now receiving a resounding Off Broadway revival. The audience howls to the humor and roars to the high energy music and dance.

Briefly, the conflict begins with Charlie, played by an empathetic yet insistent Christian Douglas. The young man inherits a shoe factory in small town England that is on the brink of bankruptcy, unable to compete with lower quality and cheaper foreign products. Prompted by what he observes in London as a poorly served market niche that is forced to buy products that can’t take the stress of weight and heavy activity, he decides to fully redirect production to this niche and to hire a user as a designer and consultant.

Still sounds pretty dry? Well, the product is gaudy, thigh-high boots, and the market is drag queens! The designer is Lola, a wildly flamboyant denizen of the dark who had escaped the socially conservative sticks for the friendly confines of cosmopolitan London. To Lola, a boot is not merely an accessory to walk in, it is 2 1/2 feet of tubular sex, and in red, it represents not only sex, but danger. And, oh, that stiletto heel – as she sings, “The sex is in the heel!” Needless to say, Lola’s appearance in staid, working-class Northampton causes quite a stir.

Conflicts abound. Charlie loves chic and sassy Nicola, but factory worker Lauren loves Charlie. Many clashes result from the baggage that Lola carries with her as one with a lifestyle that offends many. Don dislikes Lola because of what she represents and resents having to make the new product. Lola and Charlie clash over product design and promotion. She wants to use actual drag queens to model the product, but he insists on using professionals. Although her father trained her as a boxer (which is relevant to the plot), Lola’s coming out became a source for rejection. Lola laments how her father never saw the best in her in “I’m not my father’s son.” But even Charlie shares the common thread of not following the path that his father hoped for. Although they didn’t create the characters, is it fair to say that some of the success of the musical comes from Fierstein’s identification with Lola and Lauper’s with Lauren? Anyway, as you might expect from an uplifting experience, there are happy resolutions.

“Kinky Boots” offers a light-hearted escape triggered by the brashness of Lola, played with great verve and sung with a striking voice by understudy Nick Drake. But what brings the house down at their every appearance is the Angels, a dancing and singing crew of four drag queen friends of Lola. They rev up the house as they shimmy and shake in sexy synchronicity.

Although the show can be appreciated as simply an attractive diversion, the creatives are clearly going for more. Shared values come to the fore in romantic relationships as Charlie and Nicola grapple with what goals in life that they can agree on. The importance of community and shared experience weighs on the workers as they sacrifice in hopes of seeing a new vision to fruition. And certainly, core messages concern diversity and acceptance as Lola and her friends seek to have mainstream people understand that they are who they are, and that they deserve to be embraced by society, just as anyone else.

Throughout the story. Lauper’s bouncy and melodic music along with Director and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell’s lively dance provide emotional propulsion. It all culminates with the togetherness of the iconic and elevating “Raise you up.” “Kinky Boots” pleases audiences and in particular, inspires a younger generation of patron to appreciate what the institution of musical theater has to offer.

“Kinky Boots” with book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper is based on the movie of the same name written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, and is performed at Stage 42, 422 West 42nd Street, NY, NY through November 20, 2022.