Parents can be such a pain, especially when they do boring things like sell shoes. In England. Not even London, but Northampton.
But fear not. Lola the drag queen and her Angels are back to fix that and kick up a storm (in 7-inch stilettos, mind you) at Moonlight Amphitheatre, which closes out its 41st season with “Kinky Boots" through Oct 1.
About those shoes: Charlie Price’s dad (Johnny Fletcher) has been selling boring old shoes for years. Now he wants to retire and leave the business to Charlie (Lukas Poost), a thought that doesn’t cheer the boy all that much. And when the old man does pass on, Charlie gets ready to move to London with his intended fiancée Nicola (Dayna Sauble). Then he realizes he’ll have to fire the staff to move on.
But Charlie lucks out. One day he’s saved from a mugger by drag queen Lola (Terry LaVell). They get to talking, and Lola says she’s looking for spiffier stiletto boots to wear in her drag show. So Charlie can keep his staff but give them much more interesting things to create.
That’s the setup for “Kinky Boots,” the 2005 film that became a Broadway sensation, winning six Tonys in 2013, including Best Musical and Best Score.
Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics (and became the first woman to win the Tony as composer and lyricist), and Harvey Fierstein wrote the book.
The rest of the plot isn’t surprising at all, just great fun and full of characters like Don the bald grump (Berto Fernández) and Lola’s high-stepping Angels, who astound with their athletic feats.
But this show isn’t about plot; it’s about the courage to stand up and “be who you want to be.” And since this is about a drag queen, that’s going to require visual imagery. This show has that in spades.
Bravo to Director Larry Raben and this big, wonderful cast, and to the creative team: scenic designer David Rockwell, costume designer Gregg Barnes, lighting designer Jennifer Edwards, sound designer Jim Zadai, hair and wig designer Peter Herman, properties designer Kathy Fabian, costume coordinator Felicia Broschart and properties coordinator Bonnie Durben.
Music director/conductor Wilkie Ferguson leads his eleven musicians with gusto, though at times the musicians come close to drowning out the singers.
But if you’re looking for entertainment, this is your ticket.
The details
“Kinky Boots” plays through Oct. 1 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive in Vista.
Shows Start at 7:30. Gates open at 6 p.m. for picnicking. Table reservations on the Moonlight Patio are available for $5 per person and include early entry at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at $17-$61 with lawn discounts for seniors, students and military.
For tickets: (760) 724-211 or moonlightstage.com
No comments:
Post a Comment