Kinky Boots Review (And a New Theater Too!)

I had the chance to go see the National Tour of Kinky Boots this past weekend. For those who live under a musical rock, Kinky Boots is a musical that originated on the West End, and then transferred to Broadway, where it won the 2013 Tony for Best Musical. I won't bore you with a plot synopsis, but you can read one here. Let me give you a few of my thoughts on the show and my experience in the new Eccles theater in downtown Salt Lake.

Cast - 8/10

I had the chance to see both of the understudies for the main characters perform. Ciarán Price played the role of Charlie, and while a good actor, his voice was a bit weak and faltering at points. Joseph Anthony Byrd played Lola and absolutely slayed. He was funny, sexy, and everything you'd want in a diva drag queen.

However, the star performance was certainly Rose Hemingway in the role of Lauren. She had me practically rolling in the aisle from laughter with her interpretation of "The History of Wrong Guys." Not to mention a great set of pipes.

Set - 10/10

I love the set in this show. It manages to embody both the rough conditions of a factory and the fabulousness of a drag queen. The moving conveyor belts made for some fun numbers, but I do feel like they were underutilized. Overall, one of the best sets I've seen in a national tour.

Music - 6/10

I actually think that the music is one of the most lacking aspects of the show. While the music certainly has a lot of energy, a lot of it felt repetitive, boring, and like it didn't really do anything for the plot or the characters. The finale of Act 1, "Everybody Say Yeah" was by far my least favorite song, and ended the act with a yawn instead of with a bang.

That being said, there are several wonderful songs that I really enjoyed. "Sex is in the Heel" is of course amazing, but my favorite song was the beautiful duet, "Not My Father's Son."

Costumes - 10/10

The costumes were amazing! I basically loved everything the angels wore, specifically the final runway costumes. Of course Lola's costumes were also fabulous. But besides the perfection of the drag queens, the rest of the costumes also felt real and relatable.

The Eccles - 10/10

The new theater in downtown Salt Lake is exactly what Utah theater-goers have been craving. While the Capitol Theater is beautiful and functioned, the larger stage at the Eccles, the improved acoustics, and the modern design all make for a heightened experience.

Even better, since the theater is squished into a relatively small space, if you're on the third balcony in the cheap seats (like me) you're still pretty close to the stage. This means that pretty much every seat is a good seat; a huge win for poor college student theater nerds everywhere!

Overall - 9

Kinky Boots is certainly not the greatest musical to ever grab the Tony, but it deserved it nonetheless. The show has a lot of heart, and what it lacks musically it makes up for in spunk and sex. If you didn't get to see it on this pass through Salt Lake, definitely put it on your

#SaltLake #Eccles #KinkyBoots #NationalTour #Broadway #Review