Kick Up Your Heels & See Kinky Boots

There's nothing I don't love about a fabulous drag queen. I love me some sequins, big hair, and a good strut no matter the occasion. I am, after all, a gay man wrapped up in the dressings of a straight gal. But let's try not to focus our entire attentions upon me. Moving on. There is good drag... and then there is, what I would appropriately dub not only the best drag show I have seen but truly one of the most fantastic Broadway shows, Kinky Boots.

It is hard to imagine a marriage between Brooklyn-queen-fag-hag Cyndi Lauper and the incomparable Harvey Fierstein as anything but over-the-top amazing.  And believe me when I say, it is just that. Kinky Boots is the outrageous lovechild of two brilliant talents and does not disappoint from start to finish. I have seen my fair share of Broadway over the years and I truly have not experienced an energy like the one I did last night from any other show. Lola (played by Billy Porter), one of the lead characters (although in my opinion the real lead), a drag performer, draws you in from the first moment he/she walks on stage. "Ladies, Gentlemen... and those who have yet to make up their minds," he quips throughout the entirety of the show. The show takes place in Northampton, England, depicting the story of a straight shoe salesman, Charlie Price (played by Stark Sands) who joins forces with the bawdy Lola (Porter) to boost business by creating a line of shoes for a "niche market".The niche market? Transsexual cross-dressers, colloquially and casually known as drag queens. And is it this niche market that lies at the heart of the show.

Lauper and Fierstein are able to craft a show that successfully checks a slew of diverse boxes. Dynamic musical, interpersonal drama, and societal piece. Underneath the big hair, sequins, glitz and six-inch-heels, Kinky Boots also makes a clear statement on gay pride. Interwoven throughout the lyrics of most songs and within character dialogue, the theme is always there. "You change the world when you change your mind." "Be yourself." "Accept others for who they are." These expressions of pride and self-love consistently pop up... and they do so in a manner that is authentic, accessible and most of all, non-preachy. You do not walk out of the theater with a feeling of having been lectured on marriage equality, rights under the law or anything of the sort. You feel a sense of joy and fun that is a result of "out-of-the-box" characters who love themselves for exactly who they are. And in addition to the contagious lyrics, the fabulous costumes and breathtaking talent, it is this acceptance-self-love theme that gives Kinky Boots its true heart.

From a theater-loving gal to all of you, I would say this. If you have not yet had the fortune of seeing Kinky Boots, run, do not walk, to the theater immediately. Whether you are gay, straight or stuck somewhere in the middle, I promise you the show is perfect for you. Don't believe me, though, until you've seen those divine red boots for yourself.