Ruby Red "Kinky Boots"

-

I set a new record this year:  I managed to stretch out my birthday celebrations for over a month.

My grandmother wanted to bring my mother and aunt to Chicago for a “girls weekend” to celebrate my 25th.  She wanted to stay at Trump and buy us all tickets to see “Kinky Boots” in its out-of-town tryout at the Bank of America Theater.  However, mid-October was the earliest we could make it happen.

Obviously, I had no problem with this.  A weekend at the Trump Hotel, a tour of the Chicago Theater, dinner at Rosebud Prime (the best steak I’ve ever put in my mouth) and two hours of onstage drag queen glory – all at no expense to me – adds up to a pretty awesome weekend.  We even spotted the director and producer of the show at Rosebud Prime, and I’m pretty sure we saw the cast of a reality show arrive at the hotel Saturday afternoon.  (Anybody watch that crap?  Is there a new series out there involving yet another pack of dark-featured pretty people?)
    
“Kinky Boots,” in the tradition of “Billy Elliot” and “The Full Monty”, is a musical based off a British movie that challenges traditional ideas of masculinity and deals heavily with father-son issues.  We also once again see the lengths Brits will go to when faced with the prospect of losing their jobs.  It was a little slow-going at first (too many white, straight people onstage plodding through the exposition) but once the drag queen characters  and the Glinda-meets-Elle-Woods love interest showed up, it was full-steam ahead.  Luckily, the divafied, sequin-filled numbers are well-interspersed with some strong moments.  The kind that make a full house freeze, including a ballad when the two male leads sing about living up to their fathers’ expectations.  (Not gonna lie, I cried.)  The final number had the whole audience on its feet, clapping in time.  My grandmother said she hadn’t seen an audience reaction like it since she witnessed the premier of “Mamma Mia!” in London 13 years ago.

“Kinky Boots” boasts a much stronger book (jn my opinion) by Harvey Fierstien, plus original music by Cyndi Lauper (who’s apparently here during the run – OMG) so here’s hoping it does half as well as “Mamma Mia”, at least commercially, when it opens in New York in April.  Whether well-received by critics or not, I predict it’ll be a touring hit, so I won’t give away any more of the plot.  You may want to see it if/when it comes to a theater near you.

Let’s just say, I’m glad other people (and not just girls) are as entranced as I am by sparkly red stilettos and sexy high-heeled boots.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Gorge Road" Chapter 3

-
Image
  3. The Gorge & The Boy   Nothing about the drive to the DiAnnon’s house captured my attention – at first. My route led me north along the I-205 loop until it intersected with Interstate 84 going east. R oad signs encouraged me to see the old Historic Columbia River Highway, but a not-small part of me feared getting lost. Angela's directions were to keep to the interstate, until a specific exit.  You could drive out into a low-reception area and render your GPS useless. You might have Angela's instructions jotted down, but those aren't gonna help you orient yourself if you make a wrong turn.  As I continued along 84, the sudden and absolute change in landscape was indeed disorienting. One moment, I had been speeding past typical roadside scenery – the backsides of Wal-Marts, truck stops, billboards, graffitied overpasses.  In the next, it all vanished. On my left, a small bit of foggy marshland slowly dissolved into the cold expanse of the Columbia River. T
Read more

The Evil Lizard Woman from Beacon Hill

-
Image
Setting:  Place: a quaint 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom farmhouse-style home on Beacon Hill, a quiet residential neighborhood in south Seattle. The house is over 100 years old, but has been remodeled and well-cared-for by its wealthy owners; has been retrofitted with all modern comforts. The house sits on an acre of land at the edge of a wooded area, and features flower and vegetable gardens, hardwood floors, free basement storage space, free parking, central air conditioning, and no pet rent – all rare luxuries in the Seattle rental market.  Time: Summer 2021  Characters: Names have been changed. The housemates will be referred to by the following pseudonyms:  The House Matron / Evil Lizard Woman – visual artist, children’s art tutor, nanny and Montessori teacher. Estimated to be between the ages of 50 and 65 years old. Matron and “boss” of the house, though she does not own the house. She was once employed by the owners as nanny to their children. The owners moved away with their childre
Read more

"The Gorge Road" Chapter 10

-
Image
  10. Dark Carriage           I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Richard. “You begin to see why we struggle to entertain in this house,” he said in a breathy voice just over a whisper.  “Mr. DiAnnon!” I choked. I could feel my heart racing. “You startled me.” I stepped away from the door, moving to put more space between us. “Don’t tell me you think the house is haunted, too?” He chuckled very softly. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I just wanted to see how the party was going. Or whatever it is you want to call it. You seem to command a room pretty well.” Where has he been watching us from? “Thank you. It’s going well, I think,” I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I figured inviting some friends to one of Daniel’s sessions would give me a different perspective on his social development. He’s been a little on the quiet side tonight, but I think that’s just him being a good host.” “That’s great to hear,” Richard smiled. He tucked his hands into the pocke
Read more