Review: Kinky Boots delivers ‘energy and entertainment’

I just googled, “What’s the difference between a musical and a drag show?” I went to see “Kinky Boots,” performed by Mason Street Warehouse, the Saugatuck Center for the Arts professional theater company, and this musical does not present as most musicals do.

“Kinky Boots” is the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical based on the 2005 film of the same name. It centers around Charlie Price, heir to Price & Son, a shoe manufacturing company. After Charlie’s dad dies, Charlie inherits a near-bankrupt business. It isn’t until he meets Lola, a drag queen, that Charlie realizes there may be a way to save the factory — by moving production in a new direction: designing kinky boots. 

This musical is replete with everything that sparkles. Set designer Jeremy Barnett was masterful in his creation of the middle-class English town in which most of the story is set. A special shout-out also needs to go to the resident costume designer Darlene Veenstra, head of wigs James Leppa, and makeup consultant Misael DeJesus. From the shoe factory employees to the drag queen ensemble, the look of the characters gave the audience something to ground them in the story. 

The band does an incredible job of bringing the energy the songs require. It’s clear we are watching people perform their hearts out; so much so that solos performed by Topher J. Babb (Lola/Simon) and David Socolar (Charlie) didn’t travel much past the front row. 

Earnest performances

Socolar’s Charlie and Babb’s Lola and Simon are impassioned, and these performers delivered performances as earnest as their characters. A head-scratcher in “Kinky Boots” is the storyline of the female leads. Lauren (played by Becca Andrews) and Nicola (Tess Marshall) find themselves in a love triangle of sorts with Charlie. Both Lauren and Becca seem to view romantic relationships as a means to an end rather than an end in itself. Whether it’s fame or pleasure, the female characters of “Kinky Boots” seem reduced to goals that involve only themselves. 

This reminds me of a scene wherein Charlie is carrying a shoebox. At multiple points, it was clear there were no shoes in the box. In the same way, some characters’ motivations don’t possess the weight called for in the story. In the same way that the shoes aren’t complete with a set, the story requires a journey that goes beyond itself.

Nevertheless, this musical argues that people deserve dignity and an opportunity to unearth their true selves. Who can’t get behind a message like that? If you want a musical that delivers energy and entertainment, “Kinky Boots” is the musical for you. 

The show (appropriate for ages 10 and up, according to the official recommendation) runs through July 16. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit https://sc4a.org/event/kinky-boots/.