Encountering a show title that uses the word “kinky,” you might think that the so-named play could push the boundaries of taste. That’s certainly not the case with Kinky Boots, despite the images the title suggests. In fact, the touring production of this Broadway hit (winner of several Tony Awards), at the Aronoff for a two-week run, opens with a building façade that looks as if it was moved in from a historic street in pre-3CDC Over-the-Rhine. It’s actually the Price & Son shoe factory in Northampton, England. But built in 1890, as the sign proclaims, it’s the same vintage as many buildings in Cincinnati’s historic neighborhood.
The factory has not fallen into the disuse that afflicted OTR, but it’s on the brink. Charlie Price (Adam Kaplan), the family’s fourth generation, yearns to escape the shoe business, but his father’s death draws him inexorably back from London, where he had gone to work a marketing job with his imminent fiancée, the demanding Nicola (Charissa Hogeland). There’s a lot about Kinky Boots with which twenty-something Cincinnati natives can identify — gossipy neighbors, hidebound attitudes and narrow-mindedness — as well as the gravity that pulls younger generations back to childhood homes.
In London, Charlie meets Lola (J. Harrison Ghee), an extroverted drag queen who bemoans the challenge of finding sturdy footwear for her club performances. Back in Northampton, fretting how to save the factory and the jobs of workers who have been there for years, Charlie gets inspiration from Lauren (Tiffany Engen), a sassy worker who has a hard time containing her contrary thoughts: “Change your product,” she tells him — and make something people really want. Charlie puts that together with Lola’s plight and decides that “kinky boots” from Price & Son could be the answer.
The story — faithfully following a 2005 film based on real events — unfolds as Charlie recruits Lola to Northampton as a design consultant to create what she calls “tubular sex.” There’s outraged resistance to the idea from the stolid men in the factory, but Lola and her gang of “Angels,” back-up performers for her Rock & Roll onstage shows, fascinate many of the female workers.
Simon, Lola’s male alter ego, has some touching moments with Charlie, especially in the emotional song, “Not My Father’s Son,” about finding one’s own path rather than living up to parental expectations. Ghee is the constant spark plug for this production, bringing a blast of vitality to every one of Lola’s scenes. Even when he’s Simon in men’s clothes, Ghee is an imposing, outspoken presence who doesn’t fit into the conservative factory environment. His principal nemesis, tough-guy Don (Aaron Walpole), distills the opposition — but also proves to be capable of changing his attitude.
Kinky Boots is rather predictable, but that doesn’t diminish the fun. Ghee’s performance is constantly entertaining, and Lola’s production numbers with the Angels (Joe Beauregard, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Sam Dowling, Sam Rohloff, Ricky Schroeder and Juan Torres-Falcon) in their spectacular costumes keep the energy rolling.
Engen’s stylized portrait of Lauren is consistently entertaining, and her rendition of “The History of Wrong Guys,” chronicling her bad luck in love, is memorable. Kaplan’s performance as Charlie is a tough assignment: he’s almost always overshadowed by Lola’s high-jinx, and his frustration with the factory is repeated at the same emotional level from start to finish. However, Kaplan is a fine singer and, when he pours out his anguish in “Soul of a Man,” it’s a powerful moment.
That’s followed by Lola’s own revelation, “Hold Me in Your Heart” — a somber proclamation for a nursing-home audience professing her pride in what she does. Up next is the big finale rounding up the entire cast for “Raise You Up/Just Be,” an anthem about following your own path and celebrating life. Of course, there was never any doubt that this moment was coming, but it nevertheless rallied the audience. The quick standing ovation proved that Cincinnati audiences can dive into being “kinky” and have a good time.
KINKY BOOTS, presented by Broadway in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, continues through Jan. 17.
This article appears in Jan 13-20, 2016.
