North Shore Music Theatre’s KINKY BOOTS to run from October 25 – November 6, 2022 – Tickets on sale now at www.nsmt.org.
By Easton Mills
Nothing in the world could’ve prepared the good people of the North Shore to see legendary producer Bill Hanney rise up through the stage in thigh high sparkly red stilettos last night for the opening of KINKY BOOTS at North Shore Music Theatre. The audience was rolling with giggles and glee, a reaction indicative of how the night was destined to go.
Based on the 2005 British film by the same name, KINKY BOOTS follows the story of Charlie, a young and inexperienced white man who unexpectedly inherits his family’s shoe factory. Realization of the factory’s dire financial situation, a fraught relationship with his fiancée, and a chance meeting with a sassy Black drag queen lead him to transform his father’s business into something never before seen in London’s outer boroughs. Cultures clash, ideologies and long held biases fall to pieces, everything and everyone starts to sparkle and shine like never before.
NSMT’s Production adapted the modern classic to its famous round stage, giving audience members 360° views of Price and Son’s famous shoes, and the queens who would eventually wear them. While it was obvious that this show was not initially created with a round in mind, the staging worked because each of the actors excelled in assuring that each section audience received almost equal attention.
Ultimately, despite its many flaws (inadequate discussions surround issues of gender, classism, privilege, and queer identity), there are many reasons people love this Tony® award winning show – the primary one being that it’s a whole lot of fun.
Audrey Belle Adams as Lauren in KINKY BOOTS at North Shore Music Theatre thru November 6, 2022. Photo © David Costa Photography
There were several remarkable performances of the night. Julian Malone as “Lola” was unequivocally one of the best performances I have ever seen. For me, the show did not truly begin until “The Land of Lola.” Lola and her crew of talented “Angels” infused magic into the existing beige the show was initially cast under.
The non-binary performer’s vocals, physicality, and comedic timing were on point and inspiring. They held the audience captive. We caught every wink and small facial expression alongside every over the top hip thrust and high note.
Alongside knockout moments like “Sex is in the Heel” and “The Land of Lola,” one would think “Not My Father’s Son” would caress listeners as a gentle whisper. Instead, it hit with an emotional wallop that shook through the audience palpably. Malone’s vocal prowess in these moments was nuanced and moving in ways that should be experienced rather than described.
Additionally, there is a moment in “In This Corner” where a costuming choice allowed for a surprising and somewhat uncomfortable vulnerability on the part of the actor. While it’s unclear whether this was a personal choice or a directorial choice, the visual evidence of gender nonconformity is clear, and the audience is confronted with the fundamental challenge of identity:
What does it mean to be a gender noncomforming “man” of color in a world where the ideal archetype of “man” is young, white, athletic, and attractive?
The cast of KINKY BOOTS at North Shore Music Theatre thru November 6, 2022. Photo © Paul Lyden
Opposite Lola is Luke Hamilton’s (NSMT alum: JERSEY BOYS, 2019) “Charlie Price” (a cisgender man who is young, white, athletic, and conventionally attractive). Unfortunately, Hamilton did not match up to his primary scenemate in terms of vocal performance and physicality.
It struck this reviewer quite critically that the performer playing Harry, Dean Cestari, was understudying the role of Charlie. During “Take What You Got,” Cestari outshone Hamilton by degrees. Reviewers can never know what happens behind the scenes in terms of casting choices, but when the talent discrepancy is this apparent, I can only wonder at what led to the final decision.
Another weak point in the show is Nicola, played by Etta Grover, whose Nicola was all over the place vocally from her opening moment to the final number.
Blissfully, however, the rest of the cast rose to the challenge this production faced beautifully. The many standout performances really bolstered the two weak ones and made the show an incredible experience. Everyone in the room knew that they were witnessing something unique, colorful, and alive.
Audrey Belle Adams “Lauren” was also a gift that kept on giving throughout the entire production. Somehow channeling the best parts of both Adele and Amy Poehler, Adams slayed the audience both with her comedic timing and her powerhouse vocals. Everything she did was deliberate and delightful. I had to put down my pen during “The History of Wrong Guys” because I was laughing so hard I thought I would drop it. Also, after seeing what Adams did to that patent leather shoe in the middle of Act 1, I will never perceive footwear or tripping into romance the same way ever again.
She was also the only one capable of truly staying in the dedicated Northampton accent throughout the show.
Two other graceful and poignant performances were from Kevin McGlynn as “George” and James Fairchild as “Don.” These strong male performances could’ve been easily underplayed or overlooked, but they each brought forth something that made the audience fall in love with them.
Julian Malone (Lola) and the cast of KINKY BOOTS at North Shore Music Theatre thru November 6, 2022. Photo © David Costa Photography
Being a show about shoes, the spectacle of this production was also driven by costuming. Gregg Barnes, with an assist from Kelly Baker, energetically and believably dressed shoe factory workers and queens alike. Drab browns adjacent to bedazzled reds were well tended to in their contrasts, with the star of the evening being the asymmetrical and fabricly rich white gown Lola performs in “Hold Me In Your Heart.”
Unfortunately, some of the wigs that were chosen left much to be desired. While the queens shined head to toe, many of the factory workers sported wigs that left this reviewer wondering why there was a wig being worn at all.
A nod should be given also to Miss Jaye’s glamorous Makeup design for the Angels, and lighting, staging, and orchestra all did their part to make this a worthwhile experience. The choreography could’ve been more lively at points, but overall it did the trick.
Although I will state that near the end there are celebratory popping sounds that release confetti into the crowd. This was not announced before the performance and in an age where gun violence is an active and triggering issue for many people in crowded venues, a content warning is necessary. I would encourage the production managers to mention this moving forward.
Luke Hamilton (Charlie) and Julian Malone (Lola) with the cast of KINKY BOOTS at North Shore Music Theatre thru November 6, 2022. Photo © Paul Lyden
Overall, North Shore Music Theatre’s production of KINKY BOOTS is a bedazzled spectacle of an experience that everyone within 100 miles of the theatre needs to see. The weak points of the production hardly matter in comparison to the shining stars of Malone and Adams and the remarkable ensemble who supports them. Go see this show for them. Go see this show because Bill Hanney’s wore shoes fit for a queen.
A sight never to be unseen.
North Shore Music Theatre’s KINKY BOOTS to run from October 25 – November 6, 2022 Tickets on sale now at www.nsmt.org.
Easton Mills (he/him) is a contemporary theatre critic fascinated by language, rhetoric, and weird puns nobody else notices. He is a dog dad to Marshall and an aspiring birder. Follow him on Twitter @EastonMWrites
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