As for KINKY BOOTS...
As I said last night, I really, really, really liked the show.
Cyndi Lauper's music definitely has its roots in pop music, but there's a great theatricality to it too. And the more disco, dance inflected numbers are truly infectious. The book basically follows the original movie, and since a majority of the cast is NOT composed of chorus boys and girls in their early to mid-20s, the choreography is inventive and functional (in a good way).
I really liked the cast, although I could tell they were probably due for a well-deserved day off. The biggest surprise to me was Billy Porter who up until last night never appealed to me on stage. The few times I've seen him on stage, he's come across as too much, too big, too too. But last night, I saw an actor showing and stretching his range, as well as a singer who didn't feel the need to riff and over sing just because he could.
And then there are the shoes... The boots. Oh, The Boots!
