Perky, funny, alive... and much more!

Theater review: Kinky Boots

MANILA, Philippines - “The most beautiful thing in the world is a pair of shoes.” That line easily registered on the audience’s mind while watching the first production number, The Most Beautiful Thing, in Tony Award-winning musical, Kinky Boots.

That Kinky Boots will easily soar as a successful stage musical was not surprising, what with songs penned by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper (yes, she just wants to have fun). In her first attempt at writing songs for theater, Cyndi brought home the 2013 Tony Award for Best Original Score.

The musical came seven years after the 2005 British premiere of Kinky Boots on the big screen. To date, Kinky Boots the musical has been successfully staged and well received all around the world.

From its Chicago debut in 2012, Kinky Boots made its Broadway debut the following year then went on to tour the United States. The musical also toured Australia and has also been staged in the West End, Toronto, Tokyo, Seoul, Germany and this year, here in Manila.

While the film did not have the same, strong vibe as the well-received musical, the reboot of Kinky Boots onstage was really perky, funny and alive. Thanks to the music by Cyndi and book by Tony award-winning Harvey Fierstein, who won yet another Tony for Kinky Boots as best musical.

The Manila production, we should say, was strongly awaited not just by those who were already familiar with the Kinky Boots story, but even those who had yet to see the musical or watch the 2005 film.

Charlie Price wanted to resurrect the shoe factory he inherited from his father with the help of drag queen and erstwhile boxer Lola/Simon, who convinced him to instead venture into making thigh-high red boots that offer “two-and-a-half feet of irresistible, tubular sex.”

Nyoy Volante, who earned raves when he did Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys last year or even earlier when he played the humorous Donkey in Shrek: the Musical, staged perhaps his best lead theatrical role to date. As Lola/Simon, Nyoy effortlessly shifted in his dual roles with great ease.

Notably, he also didn’t croon the songs in his distinct voice, like what he did as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. Impressively, Nyoy sang to a different vocal timber as Lola even as he also gyrated onstage.

Similarly, Laurence Mossman gets his biggest role to date as he plays Charlie Price. This singer-actor from New Zealand proved he could really stretch his thespic wings. He was previously seen onstage in a minor role in Fun Home, which had a re-run early this year.

Yanah Laurel plays spunky factory worker Lauren, who secretly harbors a desire for her boss Charlie. Yet, in the end, when Charlie’s relationship with his girlfriend did not work out, Lauren enters the scene — successfully. As Lauren, Yanah gets her haunting solo with The History of Wrong Guys.

At the helm of Kinky Boots is Bobby Garcia, who does not need to prove anymore that he is a first-rate theater director. It goes without saying. Bobby lives and breathes theater, so every script he touches is guaranteed to create a positive ripple among theater audiences.

While there was no particular song that can be easily remembered in the musical, Nyoy as Lola belted out the heart-rending number, Hold Me In Your Heart. Nyoy and Laurence, who were both expected to deliver the “goods” by their respective dads, also did a duet in the heart-rending Not My Father’s Son.

To say that Kinky Boots was hilarious would simply be an understatement, what with the script and dialogue that elicited constant guffaws and howls from the audience. Clapping and at the same time laughing were just immediate reactions from the crowd. This musical really gives a kick.

The glamorous finale in the Milan catwalk, with Charlie, Lola and the drag queens in sexy and glittering, thigh-high boots and colorful outfits, fittingly closed the musical on a high note. It was a highly energetic ensemble number in Raise You Up/Just Be, with Lola’s “Angels” doing splits, cartwheels and back flips onstage.

Among those who graced the celebrity-studded premiere were Miss Saigon original actors Lea Salonga and Leo Valdez. Singers Rachel Alejandro and cousin Nino, Bituin Escalante, Franco Laurel (who undoubtedly beamed with pride for the performance of his sister, Yanah) and Viktoria Agbayani, theater actors Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Pinky Amador, Markki Stroem, JM Rodriguez, Rafa Siguion-Reyna and Carla Laforteza.

We also spotted the big bosses of Atlantis Theatricals Entertainment Group (ATEG) — Tony Tuviera with wife Madeleine, Bobby Barreiro and direk Bobby — as well as actress KC Concepcion and sister Garie, Dawn Zulueta with her two kids and mom Cleo Salman, model-TV host Patricia Tumulak, designer Rajo Laurel, noted lensman Raymund Isaac and musical director Gerard Salonga, whose wife, DJ, was a member of the orchestra.

Kinky Boots runs until July 23 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at RCBC Plaza in Makati. This early, Atlantis already announced its next production, Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical, which goes onstage starting Nov. 8 at the Meralco Theater.