Cortney Wolfson as Romy and Stephanie Renee Wall as Michele in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
I could begin this review of the musical Romy and Michele's High School Reunion with the words, "The 5th Avenue Theatre has done it again!" But then I would be repeating myself. The 5th is renowned for the number and quality of its new works. In the past 17 years, the amazing talents there have created 18 new musicals, including this one. Nine of them have gone on to Broadway. Two have won Tony Awards® for Best Musical. Therefore, I will begin instead with the ending—a standing ovation accompanied by as much applause as I have ever heard within the walls of this historic theater. That level is likely to continue every night during its run, which ends on July 2, 2017. Everyone can relate to its messages. This high-energy, colorful, and fun musical, is based on the 1997 film by the same name, which I must confess I have never seen. Regardless of how it might compare with the film, this production dazzled the crowd on opening night.
Stephanie Renee Wall (Romy), Cortney Wolfson (Michele) and the cast of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Photo Credit Mark Kitaoka
Directed by Kristin Hanggi, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion takes a realistic look at the anxiety surrounding any 10th high school reunion. In this case, it's taking place in 1997 for the Class of 1987 from fictitious Sagebrush High in Tucson, Arizona. Devoted best friends, Romy White (Cortney Wolfson) and Michele Weinberger (Stephanie Renee Wall) have been roommates since graduation, now living in Los Angeles. One is employed and one is not. They spend a lot of time in bathrobes, sitting on the couch in their messy apartment, watching TV. Or maybe they dress in the over-the-top fashions they prefer and hit the club scene. When Romy and Michele receive a reminder that their class reunion is happening in two weeks, they debate whether to attend or not. Once they agree to go, they are in a mad dash to come up with facetious ways to impress their classmates and hide the fact that they have next to nothing to show for an entire decade after graduation. They pretend to be business women, each claiming (separately) to have invented Post-it® Notes. The results of how they clumsily execute these falsehoods, along with revelations of their real feelings about and for each other, test their friendship and give the story the tension it needs to be more than a cliché.
Cortney Wolfson (Romy White) and Stephanie Renee Wall (Michele Weinberger) in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Photo Credit Tracy Martin
Romy and Michele's High School Reunion explores the nature of friendship, the viciousness of high school's mini society, the pressure to succeed and to survive harsh judgement, and the self discovery and self acceptance hopefully acquired with maturity. Who doesn't remember a caste system dominated by your own high school's equivalent to this musical's "A-group," clique of snobbish girls? In this case, they are the cheerleaders, a unfair stereotype, to be honest, but one often held up as an example. Their mean-spirited leader is Christie Masters (Tess Soltau) who has claimed and will dominate the school's most popular male heart throb, Billy Christianson (Michael Starr).
Hannah Schuerman (Toby Walters) in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Photo Credit Mark Kitaoka
Sometimes insecurity and immaturity can make "nice" people be cruel. Then there are the not-nice ones who will always be that way. As in real life, elevated social status in high school does not always last. Most of us have seen popular kids end up losers and some of the so-called "losers" end up great successes. To its credit, the musical is honest in showing how even the victims and the heroines themselves were capable of hurting others in turn. Among those carrying wounds from the past are three quintessentially typical characters every class has. They are the rebel "bad girl" smoker Heather Mooney (Jordan Kai Burnett), the cheerful goody-goody, Toby Walters (Hannah Schuerman) who is nice to everyone, even those who laugh at her behind her back, and the nerdy guy whose attentions are always rejected, in this case Sandy Frink (Michael Thomas Grant). Like the two co-stars, all these other cast members, and the ensemble, gave outstanding performances.
Jordan Kai Burnett (Heather Mooney) in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion - Photo Credit Tracy Martin
The show's fine acting and singing, impressive dancing, and, more made for non-stop enjoyment. The music and lyrics, by Gwendolyn Sanford and Brandon Jay, don't hold back. Fabulous choreography by Peggy Hickey and the work of Dance Captain Trina Mills made it hard to even blink your eyes. The dance moves synchronized perfectly with the music. Tim Symons directed, and played in, a great combo of keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums. Amy Clark dressed the cast in the ideal costumes. Another fine aspect was The 5th Avenue's typically versatile, well-functioning, and clever stage sets, this time designed by Donyale Werle.
Although the truths presented in this musical exist in every generation, certain aspects of the show can make the viewer aware of generational differences too. Its flavor, and rightfully so, is definitely of the 1980s and '90s, making those of us who were busy being parents by then feel uncomfortably old. The music stuck me as being a bit too loud, but I think people who did graduate in 1987 probably liked it that way. On the plus side, even with the volume up, I could hear and understand all the lyrics, so kudos to Christopher Walker's excellent sound design and the engineering. Some of the bright lights shining right in my eyes at times bothered me a little, but again, I might be extra sensitive to that. The lighting overall greatly enhanced this musical. It was definitely a visual treat in so many ways. Of course it is silly. Of course some aspects of the plot seem farfetched. But we go to musicals to escape the real world for a couple of hours and be happily entertained. No one fulfills that wish with as much style, class, quality, and pizazz, or true success, as this wonderful venue. Considering all that, I guess I will end up repeating myself. "The 5th Avenue Theatre has done it again!" Treat yourself to the pleasure of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. For your convenience, here's a link to the online box office.
Among the many books I read as a girl, Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic children's book The Secret Garden remains a favorite. I fell in love with it all over again on opening night of the revival of the award-winning 1991 Broadway musical The Secret GardenatThe 5th Avenue Theatre, in Seattle. It runs there until May 6, 2017.The story, originally serialized in 1910, appeared shortly after in book form and remained popular throughout my 1960s childhood, at least. As an adult, I now appreciate this story even more, as moving and meaningful in a most grown-up way. Presented with stunning beauty in all aspects of the sets, lighting, sound, music, costumes, and special effects, it becomes a magical experience.
The 5th Avenue Theater's Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong not only directs this masterpiece but also did the choreography. His exceptional taste and talents maximize the potential of Marsha Norman's book and lyrics, Lucy Simon's music, and the fine cast. The production is the product of a collaboration between The 5th Avenue and the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C. It includes impressive and award-wining actors from our nation's opposite shore as well as the Pacific Northwest. (You can learn more about cast members and read their bios by clicking here.)
Josh Young as Dr. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden- Photo Credit: Tracy Martin
Like all children of rich, indulgent, but indifferent parents, who provide material things in place of genuine love and closeness, the young protagonist, Mary Lennox (Bea Corley) was already a miserable, bossy, unappealing, and lonely child when orphaned in late 19th century India. Her parents, there as part of the British Raj, die in a cholera epidemic. So does the woman who comes closest to being her surrogate mother, the servant Aya (Maya Maniar)Other servants abandon the household out of fear, leaving the child completely alone. After being discovered by British military officers, she is sent back to England to live at the Yorkshire country estate of her appointed guardian, a reclusive and hunchbacked uncle named Archibald Craven, played by Broadway and West End star Tam Mutu.
Daisy Eagan as Martha and Bea Corley as Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden - Photo Credit: Tracy Martin
Meanwhile, the estate's staff tries to be loving and patient with this difficult girl who needs to learn how to get along with others. She has not known parental love and normal family life, or even friendships with peers. Seattle favorite Marianne Owen gives a fine performance as the housekeeper, Mrs. Medlock. So does Daisy Eagan as the warm and charming maid, Martha. Coincidentally, Eagan herself played the role of Mary Lennox in the original Broadway production of The Secret Garden. She became the youngest female actor to win a Tony Award® for Best Musical as a result.
Tam Mutu as Archibald Craven and Lizzie Klemperer as Lily Craven in The Secret Garden - Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
The actual garden in "The Secret Garden" was the special haven of Archibald Craven's young wife, Lily (Lizzie Klemperer). After her death, he sank into a pathetic existence as a mournful recluse who cannot accept or move beyond his loss. Long before Mary's arrival, the gate to this walled garden was locked and the key hidden. Special effects abound in this spectacular production. My favorite was the large artist's portrait of Lily, complete with the rich and glowing colors of a Maxfield Parish painting. From within the frame on the wall, she comes to life and sings, her unforgettable soprano voice filling the theater.
Ignored by her uncle in his vast estate on the Yorkshire moors, Mary's only companions are her nursemaid Martha, Martha's brother Dickon (Charlie Franklin) and the old gardener, Ben Weatherstaff (Seán G. Griffin). From them, this lost and lonely child begins to discover the joys of both nature and friendship, instead of being entirely focused on herself. She also obsesses about the overgrown and neglected garden and wants desperately to get inside.
Bea Corley as Mary Lennox and Lizzie Klemperer as Lily Craven in The Secret Garden - Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
After hearing cries in the night, young Mary discovers another secret. Confined to his room is her equally miserable cousin, Colin Craven (Guthrie Greenwood Bettinger), a boy about her age. He is the son of her Uncle Archibald and late Aunt Lily. After his mother died in childbirth, for all the following years, he was hidden, kept in bed, and sometimes drugged by a physician uncle, Doctor Neville Craven (Josh Young), Archibald's younger brother. The decision was supposedly an attempt to preserve the seemingly fragile life of the tiny infant, and out of fear that he would inherit his father's deformity. This part of the story is the most difficult to fathom, but true to the book. Archibald, because of his unbearable grief, sees his son only when the boy is asleep. The doctor, whose motivations complicate the plot, has convinced the child that he cannot walk and will die. After Mary's intervention, his life will change. The garden will come to symbolize the very idea of spring and rejuvenation, both botanically speaking and within the human heart.
Lizzie Kelmperer as Lily Craven and Coleman Hunter as Colin Craven in The Secret Garden - Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
Mary and Colin, each dealing with challenges and circumstances imposed on them by adults, will finally discover within the walls of the Secret Garden the freedom and joy every childhood should include. Both of these young actors amazed me with singing abilities beyond their years. They sang with confidence, clarity, and volume, worthy to perform with the adult actors around them, whose vocals were consistently excellent, moving, and beautiful. At times, this musical seems more like opera, accompanied by the theater's outstanding orchestra, at its best. In fact, this entire production is The 5th Avenue at its best, in every way.
The Cast of The Secret Garden - Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
If you need to be uplifted by a story about hope and the renewal of the spirit, this is it. And speaking of spirits, this musical is populated with them, eight spirits in all. Illuminated and ever present, they poignantly suggest that past and present may exist simultaneously, with our absent loved ones still near, though unseen. The loved ones surrounding me when I was the little girl who read this book decades ago, seemed close as I sat in the audience. Revisited your own memories of childhood wonder and innocence, in the context of your adult perspective. Make plans now to see The Secret Garden.
I recently had the fun of interviewing Evan Woltz, an actor in Jasper in Deadland, the new pop/rock musical written by Ryan Scott Oliver. The show is creating a sensation at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, where it plays through May 24, 2015. The story’s teenaged protagonist, Jasper (Matt Doyle), must travel through the underworld in search of his beloved friend, and as the theater’s press release says, he meets “both gods and monsters” during this intense and exciting journey. For Woltz, being part of this production is also an exciting journey.
Woltz plays the part of Pluto, ruler of the underworld, as well as other roles. He is thrilled to make debut at The 5th Avenue with this show, as was evident when we spoke prior to its opening. He already has impressive theater credits, including the New York premier of Thankskilling the Musical with the NY Festival of the Offensive, a regional production of Peter Pan with Arizona Broadway Theatre, and numerous Seattle productions, including The Yellow Wood, and A New Brain with Contemporary Classics; Jerry Springer: the Opera, Spring Awakening, and Full Monty with Balagan Theatre; and Bat Boy the Musical, and Gutenberg! The Musical! with Artswest.
Broadway's Matt Doyle will star as Jasper in the new pop/rock musical Jasper in Deadland. Photo Credit: Matt Murphy
Candace Brown for Good Life Northwest: What was it about this musical that attracted you and made you want to audition?
Evan Woltz: What drew me to it, and made me stop and take notice, was who was involved and what the show was. Brandon Ivie, the director, is from the Seattle area, and is very good about getting new works done in Seattle. He works in theatre in both Seattle and New York, and has built a reputation in Seattle for bringing new works and new composers to light. I’ve worked with him on at least four shows now, and he’s always been a director I’ve really liked—very creative, and able to bring a lot of talent into the room and get everyone to do their best work.
The show itself is the other reason. Getting to help create a new show at the 5th on a stage this size, with an audience this size, is so exciting to me. I think that Seattle deserves new work more often, on all levels of stage. Having messages that speak to a younger audience and ultimately bringnew people into the theatre, is all good.
Also, a lot of the artistic production team is from New York, and when we do things like this, I think it shows the East coast that the talent level is definitely here, that Seattle is comparable to the best cities in the country as a resource for theatre talent. Whether it comes to holding auditions or developing new works, Seattle should absolutely be one of the first cities that come to people’s minds.
Brown: What about the story itself, the mythology aspect? Was that part of the attraction?
Woltz: For me personally, I love seeing an old Greek myth reworked through modern storytelling. I didn’t know too much about the show when I came to audition. I knew it was character driven, not necessarily traditional roles, and with lot of very interesting characters. With the exception of the main three—the biggest villain, the hero, and the hero’s love interest—everybody else is playing at least three or four different characters throughout the show, with so many different approaches. That’s very much in the vein of what I enjoy, being able to play several weird and unique characters that people will remember. That’s appealing to me. And it’s a rock musical, and that also is very much in my wheelhouse.
Brown: You are playing Pluto, the king of the underworld, and who else?
Woltz: I’m playing a mad doctor in the underworld, actually a dead doctor named Dr. Esposito. He’s a character who sort of relays the plot. As Jasper wanders through Deadland, if he touches you, you remember flashes of your life, so Jasper becomes kind of a major celebrity in the underworld, connecting people to the lives they left behind. I also play other minor characters, a Russian bouncer and other denizens of Deadland.
Brown: Promotional material for this musical refers to it as “thrilling.” I want to know why you think it’s thrilling.
Woltz: The first thing that comes to mind is the set. It’s moving and it’s beautiful. It’s quite a bit different from anything that’s been on the 5th Avenue stage before in that it’s not that traditional sort of set where things fly in an out and backdrops are dropped in and off from the side, and pieces of furniture come on. It’s more like one gigantic art installation that is constantly morphing to fit the scene. It’s full of color, full of life. It moves and feels organic and alive, kind of like we’re trying to make Deadland be. Every element of it is totally thrilling. It’s very cool.
Brown: What other aspects do you believe would thrill people?
Woltz: I would definitely say the music is very thrilling. All of the characters work. As far as the way it’s being approached, it’s sort of dark, but exciting and electric. Ryan Scott Oliver, who wrote the music for the show, has a bit of a dark side in his writing and it’s neat to see something like that thrown up on the stage. And our fantastic choreographer Lorin Latarro is working relentlessly to give every moment in this show the exciting energy and movement this world deserves. Her eye for detail is amazing. Everything really sets the mood in the show.
For the actors, part of what’s thrilling is that the show is still changing, being written and rewritten, and made more focused. We’re still work shopping it right now and we will be for the first two weeks of performance, sort of crafting it as we go. Things change every day, so it’s really exciting for us. We have a whole team of people working with the creators, Ryan and Hunter Foster, on the script side and the music side, giving us updated pages of script and score, sometimes twice a day.
Brown: What are you enjoying most about this experience of working at The 5th Avenue and with the people there?
Woltz: The group of people they have pulled in for this cast make it a pleasure. Brandon Ivie, the director, told us at the beginning of the production, that the reason he picked everybody he picked—beside the fact that everybody they chose had an awesome audition—is that we are all team players. That has proven to be the case. There are no egos in the room. Fourteen actors on stage and all of them, the folks from New York, the local folks, have been wonderful. They are incredibly talented and committed, with endless amounts of energy. There is a lot of care and respect in the room.
So the level of professionalism, the amount of exciting and interesting ideas from the design team – the ridiculously amazing and provocative costumes by our costume designer Pete Rush and his team – have been top level, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And you can tell how excited all the production team is. I talked about the set, created by our designer Jason Sherwood, and they are very excited about the set. And Robert Aguilar is one of the best lighting designers here in Seattle. When they presented the entire idea for what was going to be on stage—you can’t just have the set designer on stage explaining everything—they were basically taking turns on their PowerPoint presentation, showing everybody every aspect at once, because the lighting, the sound, the set design and the costumes, everything kind of holds hands and works together. Once again, the level of connectedness is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
Brown: It sounds like it’s going to be a sure winner.
Woltz: This is a totally exciting show. Usually, I’m pretty cautious all the way through a production rehearsal, right up until the last minute when I see what the product is going to look like. I’m usually pretty nervous about inviting a bunch of people and telling them it’s going to be a good time, for sure. But this one, absolutely. All the way through, from the beginning until now, I’ve been nothing but excited about getting into this show and showing it to people. It’s been wonderful.
Brown: You’re making me excited to see it.
Woltz: I think new works could happen 150% more and it still wouldn’t be enough. The fact that it’s happening at the 5th Ave is fantastic. Seattle is very lucky. I think every time something like that goes well, it just drives more eyes toward Seattle, which is the most important thing.
Brown: We happened to do this interview on your 34th birthday, and I am thinking of all the exciting years ahead of you. I know you recently made a major decision about your own life’s journey.
Woltz: This is the one year anniversary of me quitting my day job to do art full time. It has been an awesome blessing.
Note: Jasper in Deadland is rated PG-13 because of adult themes and some instances of language and references unsuitable for children. Please read the content guidelines here. Please visit Good Life Northwest on Facebook.
If you have never heard of Jacques Brel (1929-1978), you are not alone, even though this Belgian singer/songwriter became famous in the world of European popular music, a voice expressing the emotions of many in the difficult post-World War II era, and a man who has been compared to Frank Sinatra for his wide appeal. Yet, here in the United States, he was far less well-known. The demand for his deeply felt and passionately performed, sometimes lighthearted, but often introspective or cynical lyrics sung to his compositions played on guitar kept him on tour almost constantly until the mid-1960s and inspired song writers in America and elsewhere.
The company of Jacques Brel is Alive and Wel & Living in Paris, a co-production presented at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
Now through May 17, co-producers ACT—A Contemporary Theatre and The 5th Avenue Theatre bring you the musical revue called Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. This is a fresh new version of the original Off-Broadway production by the same name, which opened in January 1968 at the Village Gate in Greenich Village in New York, toured the world’s major cities, and first appeared in the Pacific Northwest in 1973, at Seattle Rep. By the time of the show’s original New York debut in 1968 Brel, had not performed his music for two years and would be dead of lung cancer a decade later, at the age of 49. I wonder if he ever imagine how his work would live on. With direction and musical staging by The 5th Avenue Theatre's own Artistic Director and Executive Producer David Armstrong, in the intimate setting of ACT's Falls Theatre, it certainly does.
Cayman Ilika (center) with Louis Hobson (left) and Eric Ankrim (right) in Jacques Brel is Alive and Wel & Living in Paris, a co-production presented at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. Photo Credit: Tracy Martin
If you go to see Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, remember that this is a revue, not a play or musical. Expect no dialog, no dancing, no plot, no named “characters” in the usual sense, and costumes are mostly normal clothing accessorized in different ways. Do expect not only great singing, but also great acting from a cast of five, three men and two women who draw from Brel’s songs—and project to the audience—deep emotions, ranging from torment to humor. Cast members are Eric Ankrim, Louis Hobson (from March 7—April 12), Cayman Ilika, Kendra Kasselbaum, Timothy MeCuen Piggee, with Matt Owen taking over for Hobson April 14-May 17. When I took my seat on the night of the press opening, I wondered what to expect. Tom Sturge’s stage design amounts to nothing more than an arrangement of steps and platforms, backed by screens onto which photographic images are projected to create a variety of moods. It turned out to be the ultimate canvas. The spareness of the set, the images, and the lighting effects added up to perfection.
Kendra Kassebaum in Jacques Brel is Alive and Wel & Living in Paris, a co-production presented at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. Photo Credit: Tracy Martin
The evening began with a live band of outstanding musicians behind a screen at the right rear of the stage but visible—Conductor Dwight Beckmeyer on piano, Greg Fulton on guitar, Chris Monroe on percussion, and Dave Pascal on bass. It is easy to be so swept up in the singing and visual aspects of this production, that you forget that a huge portion of the enjoyment you experience is due to this band. Please do not. From the first moment to the last, one moving, comical,dramatic, painfully tragic, or light hearted number after another—14 songs in Act I and 12 in the Act II—captivated the audience and earned enthusiastic applause. Variety kept things interesting and the time seemed to pass too quickly. The entire show progressed without a flaw, leaving me feeling that I had witnessed the finest in local talent and professionalism, as well as the profound benefit of having these two powerhouse theaters cooperate on a production. This is their fifth such annual combined effort, and I have loved every one.
The company of Jacques Brel is Alive and Wel & Living in Paris, a co-production presented at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. Photo Credit: Tracy Martin
I highly recommend this show. Get your tickets, relax, and feel yourself swept along on a sea of music marked by waves of raw emotion and expanses of hypnotic silkiness. Every part of the journey will fill you with greater appreciation for the members of the cast and creative team, our rich local live theater scene, and of course Jacques Brel, still alive and well as long as the world remembers. Who could ask for more?
Louis Hobson in Jacques Brel is Alive and Wel & Living in Paris, a co-production presented at ACT - A Contemporary Theatre. Photo Credit: Mark Kitaoka
Kyle Taylor Parker stars as Lola in the First National Tour of Kinky Boots, at The 5th Avenue Theatre. Credit Matthew Murphy
The old Chinese dragon, coiled around the chandelier on the ceiling of Seattle's historic 5th Avenue Theatre, must have been hanging on for dear life last Thursday night. It was the press opening of Kinky Boots, and by the end, it felt like a party. The orchestra rocked the house—I mean you could feel the beat in its bones—and everyone got on their feet, wildly applauding. Stir together portions of cabaret, poignancy, excellent and plentiful humor, elements of a rock concert and a Fourth of July fireworks show, and you might begin to understand why. The recipe for this success includes top quality ingredients in every category—spectacular music, acting, vocals, choreography, sets, lighting, costumes, sound, and more. Beginning with my first impression of the realistic opening street scene outside an old brick building, and on to a dazzling fashion show cat walk, I could hardly blink for fear of missing something. One of my greatest pleasures at this theater is the set designs, lighting, and music, and all were as good as it gets. Watching the clever scenes change seamlessly before our eyes added to the fascination.
The cast of the First National Tour of Kinky Boots, coming to The 5th Avenue Theatre. Credit Matthew Murphy
I had never seen the movie version of Kinky Boots, and didn't know what to expect. This musical adaptation came about through a collaboration between writer Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper, who did the music and lyrics. This is the show's first national tour since appearing on Broadway. Judging by the audience's reaction, I dare say virtually everyone there considered the ticket price a bargain. This unusual story, apparently based on a true incident and set in England in modern times, brings together the fates of the failing Price and Son shoe factory and a group of male cross-dressers with a need for sturdy, but super sexy, high heeled boots. As I said, I didn't know what to expect, but I know I did not expect to be so thoroughly entertained. Kyle Taylor Parker, a cast member of the original Broadway production, brings his considerable pizzazz to Seattle as the gorgeous, sequined, and in-charge character "Lola," who was formerly a trained boxer named Simon. The beautiful "Angels" surrounding Lola are men too. You might find yourself staring in disbelief. I actually checked the program's "Who's Who" pages to be sure they really had male names because they were so convincing as women.
Lola (Kyle Taylor Parker, left) and Charlie Price (Steven Booth, right) in the First National Tour of Kinky Boots, coming to The 5th Avenue Theatre. Credit Matthew Murphy
While dealing with the demands of a sexy but shallow, social-climbing fiancée, Nicola (Grace Stockdale), Charlie Price (Steven Booth), the reluctant heir of his dead father's shoe business, finds himself questioning everything. Should he give up on his father's legacy, sell the factory to a condo developer, or go against Nicola and try to save it by making a bold move? His employees rebel, the risks seem enormous, and meanwhile, he finds himself unexpectedly developing a friendship (totally platonic) with Lola/Simon, partly based on a commonality—both of them loving and wanting to be loved by fathers who just couldn't see, understand, or accept who they really were. But the friendship is also based on the fact that they just genuinely like each other, which is, in some ways, the point of the whole thing, that is, looking past prejudgements to see the person inside, who might not be so different from ourselves.
A powerful and charismatic presence on the stage, Parker's Lola will charm you, entertain you, and—whether you believe it or not right now—probably convince you that judging less and seeing more of the humanity in every human being makes everyone freer to make friends with people different than themselves and live their best lives. Deep down, we're not all that different. At the same time, the musical doesn't get too pushy about being open-minded. The factory workers, as expected, bring plenty of doubts, distrust, and preconceived notions to the idea of saving the shoe factory by meeting the needs of a niche market, namely drag queens.
The cast of the First National Tour of Kinky Boots, coming to The 5th Avenue Theatre. Credit Matthew Murphy
Although I don't believe most people attend musicals expecting anything truly profound to emerge, and this one is no exception. However, it does relate to all of us, even those who might totally reject the idea of cross-dressers, because of its universal themes and emotions. It is playful and serious at the same time, without taking itself too seriously. Mini plots and layers of relationships keep things interesting. Lindsay Nicole Chambers was a complete delight as Price and Son employee Lauren, smitten with Charlie (Steve Booth), her boss.
Lauren (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) and Charlie Price (Steven Booth) in the First National Tour of Kinky Boots, coming to The 5th Avenue Theatre. Credit Matthew Murphy
Will Charlie choose Nicola or Lauren? Will his innovative but highly risky idea bring success or disaster? Can they beat both the clock and the competition? Will macho employee Don (Joe Coots) or his co-workers cause trouble or foster cohesion? (Will Charlie put his pants back on?) Sure, the answers are pretty predictable, but I still won't tell you. I will tell you to get your tickets now, because this one is a "must see. The amount of talent, the polished performances, and the visual impact, will just astound you. Congratulations to everyone involved! If you enjoy Good Life Northwest, please follow it on Facebook.
