Kinky Boots Is Fabulous!

Billy Porter, who plays Lola, in Kinky Boots (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Broadway’s smash hit musical Kinky Boots is changing minds to allow people the right to be themselves and wear fabulous shoes

by Heather Cassell

A man kept walking past me and staring at me while I was eating dinner at a restaurant recently. Super G had left the table for a moment. In my head, I was asking myself, “Is there something wrong with me? Is he looking at me because I’m with a girl who looks somewhat masculine? Is he looking at me because I’m with a woman of color? Why is he looking at me?”

On the third pass-by the man finally stopped and asked me, “What is on your shirt?”

Relief! I smiled, sat back from the table and revealed the sparkly red boots in a form of a “K,” Kinky Boots. What puzzled the people at his table behind me was the quote from the amazing musical on the back of my t-shirt, “The sex is in the heel.”

Super G bought the shirt for me at the theater after we saw it on Broadway in New York. She got the shirt that quotes, “You change the world when you change your mind.”

I chatted up the people at the table behind me telling them all about Kinky Boots and that it’s a show not to be missed!

We love Kinky Boots! What’s better than a musical about shoes? A musical that is not only fun but packed with a great message about acceptance and being true to who you are. That musical is Kinky Boots.

Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein’s “True Colors” shine through with Kinky Boots. It’s no wonder that Kinky Boots swept the Tony Awards winning six of the statues depicting the drama and comedy masks in 2013.

Then again you can’t go wrong with putting Cyndi and Harvey together with fabulous boots and drag queens dancing around the stage in the three inch heels and belting out songs about being true to yourself and accepting others for who they are.

Billy Porter, who plays Lola, left, with Starks Sands, who plays Charlie, right, and the cast of Kinky Boots (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Billy Porter, who plays Lola, left, with Starks Sands, who plays Charlie, right, and the cast of Kinky Boots (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

A quick breakdown of the story: two young boys who don’t want to follow in their father’s footsteps, one a boy who loves dancing in women’s shoes and the other who prefers football over making high quality shoes at his father’s factory. Tragedy strikes bringing the two together in what would appear from the outside world to be an unlikely match, but they find out they have more in common than they ever imagine. Even better, the story is inspired by a true story.

Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 British-American film directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Geoff Deane and Time Firth.

Super G and I can’t get enough of Kinky Boots. We love it and rave about it any chance we get. Just ask us. The performance was spot on with a great singing, costumes and stage set … oh and shoes. After the boring men’s shoes get tossed out for more audaciously designed boots and even Kenneth Cole got into the game offering up a special pair of shoes for the ladies (you just have to go see it to see the special pair of fantastic shoes, can you say, “Hello, luvah?”). Overall, the musical is inspiring. You can’t help but leave with your spirit uplifted and just feeling honest joy for life and people upon exiting the theater.

The added bonus was that there wasn’t a bad seat in the house at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) in New York. Super G and I were in the last row, commonly referred to the nose bleed seats, but it was perfect for us. We saw everything without using binoculars and we weren’t blocked by the heads of people who are taller than us. Granted, we wouldn’t turn away tickets in the orchestra seating, unfortunately we spent the money for closer seating at another musical that didn’t amuse and entertain us as much as Kinky Boots.

This is a great night out on the town in New York, but Kinky Boots is touring, so don’t miss it when it comes to a city near you!

Billy Porter, who plays Lola, in Kinky Boots (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
Billy Porter, who plays Lola, in Kinky Boots (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

ON THE TOWN:

Kinky Boots, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West 45th Street, New York, NY; 212-560-2162; KinkyBootsTheMusical.com.

TYPE OF EVENT: MusicalTheater music by Cyndi Lauper and written by Harvey Fierstein

RATING: 5 = midnight blue

(0 being the worst rating and 5 being the best rating)

VIBE: Everyone in the theater was excited to see the show. It was packed, but the audience was in a very good mood.

SCENE: Gone are the days of dressing up for the theater, all you need to wear is jeans and t-shirt.

SERVICE: The ushers to the concession stand were friendly and very helpful. They were all in a good mood.

NOISE LEVEL: The acoustics were perfect.

DAZZLE ME AGAIN: This was thoroughly entertaining and worth seeing over and over again. The music, writing and costumes perfectly wove together the performance by the cast. Broadway at its best.

WHERE TO NEXT?: Kinky Boots is coming to: Denver: October 29 – November 9; Los Angeles: November 11 – 30; San Francisco: December 2 – 28; and Cosa Mesa, Calif.: December 30, 2014 – January 11, 2015

THE TICKET: $89 – $349

(average price range per individual ticket to see the show)

WORTH THE OUTTING?: This was a rock’n good time!

To book your New York trip to Broadway, contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at Travel Advisors of Los Gatos at 408-354-6531at or .

To contract an original article, purchase reprints or become a media partner, contact .

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