Shoes can protect a man’s journey but only his heart can choose the path. And your heart will take you on the path to Silhouette Stages and their impressive production of Kinky Boots! Directed by Jeremy Goldman with Musical Direction by Matthew Dohm and Choreography by Jeremy A. McShan, this much-needed story of accepting people for who they are is chock-a-block with talent, packed full of energy, enthusiasm, and will have you lit like a live wire by evening’s end. It’s a really solid show— much like those stunning ‘kinky boots’ that Price & Sons are now manufacturing!
Set, Lighting, and Projections Designer Sammy Jungwirth transforms the ordinary stage of Slayton House into a cavernous warehouse-factory by building ‘floor-to-ceiling’ (not fully but the scaled structures create the illusion that the racks extend all the way up to the imagined ceiling) shelving units. There are work tables, even an overhanging factory fan, and a wheel-slide platform that serves as auxiliary staging spaces for ‘Mr. Price’s Office’ and other locations that aren’t immediately within the confines of the factory floor. (And while this particular piece of roll-on, pull-off scenery works wonders for transitions, it needs to be pulled a little bit more fully into the wings so that whatever stage-hand is changing the furnishings on top of it between scenes cannot be seen with their backside facing the audience while doing so.) Jungwirth pairs his lighting expertise to match both set and song list, giving each of the more amped-up numbers an appropriate series of illuminations, generating a party and celebratory atmosphere when the moment calls for it.
Generally if one is calling attention to the Sound Designer, it’s to call out an issue, but other than a missed mic or two in the second act, Nick Smith’s sound design is incredibly well balanced for this production. The tracks are balanced against the singers, the mics are operating when and as they should, and there was never an instance of feedback during the opening night performance, which is an impressive feat in and of itself. Keeping that delicate balance between soloists and ensemble mics, Smith really keeps the audio engineering for this production at a professional level and the production is exceptionally well served because of it.
When one sees the fabulous talent that this cast is bringing to the stage, one expects brilliance from the couture being outfitted to the performers. And Costume Designers Jeremy Goldman, Ande Kolp, and Debbie Mobley are delivering that level of brilliance, though it should be noted that The Angels (Thomas Allen, Seth Fallon, Julie Mimms, Leon Nguyen) are credited with the sensational outfits featured on both themselves and Lola. And boy ever do they SLAY. The various degrees of vivacious dresses seen on Lola are as good as you’re going to get when it comes to matching the robust and lively personality blasting out of that performer. And you get rhinestone-glitter-shimmer tights for miles when it comes to the Angels (and of course Lola.) Goldman, Kolp, and Mobley do their due diligence as well; the factory workers have this wonderful balance of plaid, working-class, simplicity about them, which helps create the drastic contrast between the larger-than-life sensations that are Lola and the Angels. If there’s one note to be given, it’s the Ryan DeVoe (credited wig designer) could take a little more time, effort, and care in sculpting, placing, and designing those wigs, particularly the ones featured on Lola in the second act. That performer is far too fierce and giving too impressive of a production not to have wigs that are styled to perfection. And even though the performer handled the fiddly, ill-set wig with style, grace, and fabulousness, it’s an unnecessary complication for any actor putting that much into a role to have to contend with.
Jeremy A. McShan’s choreography is a blend of organic movement and truly choreographed numbers, which works well for the type of musical this show is. You do get more natural occurring dance-style moments during numbers like “Everybody Say Yeah!” where the whole factory floor comes to life with the workers bouncing around in celebration. This makes for a nice juxtaposition for the more rigidly choreographed numbers, like the Angels storming through “The Land of Lola” and “The Sex is in The Heel” and the way Lola dances it out with various women of the factory in “What A Woman Wants.” McShan’s choreography just fits the overall vibe of the show and its polished. The equilibrium that McShan creates is one that threads its way seamlessly from number to number.
Musically the cast takes those lyrics to heart; musical director Matthew Dohm makes sure that they ‘light you up like a live wire.’ You get robust harmonies and full-blends whenever the ensemble is singing. This is particularly true at the end of the first act during “Everybody Say Yeah!” where the sound is loud and proud and full of genuine enthusiasm. There’s a roaring ‘fight’ energy that percolates its way through “In This Corner” and you get some really lovely individual sounds coached from Dohm for various solo performance numbers throughout the piece as well.
And you can’t have Kinky Boots without the titular props readily on display. Massive shoutout goes to Properties Designer Jessie Krupkin for some of those stunning and stellar boots that the audience gets to see during the showcase at Milan. A personal favorite is the interpretive representation of the Union Jack boots featured on one of the angels during the Milan fashion show. Krupkin deserves rounds of applause all round for the various stages of “boots in progress” that the audience gets to see all throughout the production. And Lola’s sketches look like real art-renderings of designer sketches too!
Director Jeremy Goldman does an extraordinary job of keeping the show moving. Scenes flow seamlessly one into the next, without pause or hesitation, making for an exceptionally smooth transition of the plot from the opening moment— which begins cleverly as ‘pre-show entertainment’— through to the final curtain. And the enthusiasm across the board is stunning. Goldman cultivates several striking moments— particularly that lingering moment of unspoken regret with Simon Sr. (played by Elijah Davis) at the conclusion of “Hold Me In Your Heart.” Goldman also makes use of the rolling work benches that Sammy Jungwirth has factored in as a part of the factory floor, particularly during “Charlie’s Soliloquy/Step One” where Charlie is striding across them as they wheel around to create a seemingly endless parade of surfaces for him to pace across.
If there’s an uncertain choice in Goldman’s overall directorial efforts its his choice to have one of the Angels played by a woman (using female pronouns and presenting as a cis-gendered female.) And this isn’t to say that the performer in question isn’t doing her best to stay in step with the other three angels (she holds her own from a dancing and stage-presence perspective.) In a time when messages of support, acceptance, and inclusion are so important, it seems out of line with the rest of the show’s overall theme, and certainly out of line with Silhouette Stages’ general approach to acceptance and inclusivity, particularly in the LGBT+ community, which has always been one of support, to assign that role (as stated on the MTI website— gender: male, drag performer) to someone not fitting the criteria. Whatever statement Goldman is making or attempting to make with this choice is unclear and just feels counter-intuitive to both the show and Silhouette Stages as a whole. (It also looks extremely awkward to have the only non-male Angel being the character that reaches up under her costume at the end of the Angels’ initial encounter appearing to ‘adjust herself’ as if she were the Angel having difficulties trying to ‘tuck.’ That feels unnecessary given the circumstances.) This casting decision feels like an odd choice to make, especially when the show and in general, Silhouette Stages, are so positive and accepting of drag performers.
Curious casting choice among the Angels aside, Goldman’s ensemble is filled with extraordinary performers who are bringing the energy, enthusiasm, and love all across the board. Featuring Tricia Aderson, Maddie Ervin, Coby Kay Callahan, Madison Clay, Chris Draghi, Elijah Davis, Alex Gubler, Terin Kelsey, Amy Haynes Rapnicki, Chris Riehl, and Zen Tabligan, the factory floor is full of frenetic inertia that just glues the whole experience together. You get stellar standout performances from Amy Haynes Rapnicki, playing Pat and Tricia Anderson, playing Trish, both of whom are featured as vocalists and dancers during “What A Woman Wants” and “In This Corner”, providing personality pops that really reach the audience on an authentic level. Coby Kay Callahan is also a featured vocalist for the “What A Woman Wants” parade and her voice is fierce. The ensemble as a whole channels this community of togetherness, no matter what the on-stage emotion is, whether it’s the fury and frustration during the ‘walkout’ scene or the joy and jubilation during “Raise You up/Just Be” and “Everybody Say Yeah!”
Accents across the board in this production are impressive (there’s no credited dialect coach so one puts the praises to director Jeremy Goldman and the cast) but especially so with frosty Nicola (Erica Miller) and London Harry (Henry Cyr.) While Miller’s character isn’t really given a chance to showcase her vocal prowess (the libretto simply doesn’t afford Nicola a song of her own, though she does get to sing a few featured lines in “The Most Beautiful Thing in the World”) her acting skills are on par for the production, sliding from cheeky-sweet girlfriend to entitled socialite as the show progresses. Cyr, who does get to showcase his vocal skillset (as well as his live-time guitar-playing capabilities) during “Take What You Got” really drives the tempo of that number and engages the audience with that song, helping to lay the path of indecision that Charlie has to toe all the rest of the performance.
While Mr. Price (Keith Field) and Young Charlie (Will Hertz) are featured about as much as Young Simon (McKenley Barnes), the moments where these characters appear are very precious. You even get that moment in the ‘pre-show’ where Hertz rides a scooter into the factory and Field gently tells him off about it, helping to establish the dynamic of their relationship, which makes it more believable. Both Hertz and Barnes, as the young protagonist counterparts, have lovely voices that get displayed during “The Most Beautiful Thing in the World” and the polar opposites of wonder and joy, seen on Barnes’ Young Simon verses the utter boredom and apathy featured on Hertz’ Young Charlie pair perfectly in that number. Other cameo standouts include MarQuis Fair as George, the yes-man-style-assistant to Mr. Price and later Charlie, Neal Townsend as the rather fussy delivery man, and Angie Townsend as the Milan Stage Manager, with Angie Towsend’s over-the-top Italian accent really setting the mood for Milan.
Chris Riehl makes it easy to despise his characterization of Don. And his accent is one of the most impressive in the production. Growling and gruff, and truly exuding that grody and disgusting breed of toxic masculinity, you find yourself ready to take a whack at him every time he opens his trap. Riehl is just fun to watch in his rather revolting role and yet he finds that wondrous moment of transitional growth, allowing Don to truly transform in a way that we all wish the rest of the world could when it comes to being open-minded and accepting. Riehl’s voice blends beautifully into various numbers and he holds his own during that extraordinary slow-motion boxing event in “In This Corner.”
Campy, kitschy, and a little over the top but in such a fun way that you can’t help but laugh at all of her awkward antics, Cera Baker is making Lauren that ‘everygirl’ we can all relate to when it comes to having the ‘crush-vibes’ on that one person we like. Baker has a powerhouse belt that doesn’t even need a mic and when she’s belting her face off at various point during “The History of Wrong Guys” you can probably hear her all the way down at the mall. She’s passionate, filled with emotional explosions, which are often executed with high-octane comedic shenanigans. She’s a regular torpedo of awkward hilarity but she doesn’t make it too over-the-top; there is a balance. It’s just the right level of sincere silliness so that you believe she really is that awkward. Her interactions with Charlie (Xander Conte) feel genuine, particularly when she’s on the bench trying to pull him out of his pity-party moment.
Xander Conte as Charlie Price deserves a great deal of credit for being an adaptable performer, particularly when (as is the nature of live theatre) one of the set pieces decided to have a breakdown just before the act one finale. Conte stays the course atop the rolling seat-piece and stays actively engaged with that number, while remaining safe, in a way that doesn’t detract from the effect Goldman and McShan were trying to create. Conte has strong vocals, though at multiple points throughout the evening was having trouble staying consistent in his pitch. His accent is clear and helps ground the character of Charlie in Northampton. Watching him physically fumble and fall over himself in those boots near the end of the performance is a stellar showcase of his body expressions; it takes an immense amount of control to look that out of control, whilst still being safely in control. And he brings a level of enthusiasm to the table during “Everybody Say Yeah!” that helps fan the flames the Lola The Angels are bringing to the table.
The Angels (Thomas Allen, Seth Fallon, Julie Mimms, Leon Nguyen) are strutting their stuff every step of the way. Credited with their and Lola’s costume design as well as the show’s makeup design, these fabulous performers are really putting on a razzle-dazzle show. Fallon in particular is serving up such wildly animated facial expressions and puts on a superb falsetto sound during “In This Corner.” The dance routines from The Angels during “The Sex is in The Heel” and “The Land of Lola” are just stunning; the way some of these Angels strut— and the gymnastics they drop? Astonishing! They strut with confidence and rock those kinky boots!
It seems impossible that Joshua Franklin has never before dabbled into the mystical and magical world of musical theatre. So natural, so flawless, so fierce and so full of talent, panache, and extraordinary stage presence, it’s utterly mind-blowing that this is Franklin’s first foray into musical theatre. Franklin embraces and embodies Lola like a second skin. Unquestionably the most powerful voice in the cast (though Cera Baker is a close second), Franklin is a radiant gem that is just about outshining the sun with his performance. When he slinks his way into “What a Woman Wants”, the whole dang audience has that moment of jaw hitting the floor, desperate to eat out of Lola’s perfectly manicured hand. Franklin’s versatility as an actor knows no bounds; sassy and ferocious in those comedic moments, deeply sincere and slightly insecure as ‘Simon’ turning up in pants, full of pluck and gumption when embracing the fact that Lola could be a designer; it’s a perfect amalgamation of character work, singing, dancing, and existing in the moment— a true quadruple threat. The heart and soul that Franklin pours into “Hold Me In Your Heart” and also “Not My Father’s Son” brings tears readily to the eyes. And Franklin’s vocal control is true perfection; pitch perfect on every note with sustains that could melt the world twice over. There’s a dynamism to the way Franklin presents Lola and that juxtaposes perfectly with the insecurities of Simon. What’s truly remarkable about Franklin’s performance is that moment just before “Soul of a Man” when Charlie shouts out some truly despicable things and never once does Franklin waver. He stands tall, stands proud, hears it, takes it in, rejects it, and strides out of that scene with an unabashed confidence, an unbroken heart, and an unwavering sense of dignity. It’s truly an evocative and powerful moment. Joshua Franklin SLAYS in this role, earnestly and truly, laying down the performance of the season as Lola.
Life will always look a little better six inches off the ground, and you can see it looking glamours and good with Silhouette Stages’ production of Kinky Boots this March. Don’t delay— tickets are going to move quickly on this one.
Runing Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
Kinky Boots plays through March 23rd 2025 with Silhouette Stages at Slayton House Theatre in the Village of Wilde Lake Columbia— 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia, MD. For tickets please call the box office at (410) 216-4499 or purchase them in advance online.
