Album Review: KINKY BOOTS

I thought I was going to hate this album. Granted, I know next to nothing about the show, but so many factors made it seem like it wouldn't be my thing. Sure, Kinky Boots has been receiving rave reviews on Broadway and has the most nominations of any show at this year's Tony Awards... but I don't usually go for the big, flashy commercial shows (Which Kinky Boots totally is). Also, I was, admittedly ignorantly, turned off by the fact that Cyndi Lauper wrote the score. I've never been a fan of Lauper's work, and rock artists don't generally have a good track record of producing great scores for the theatre. So really, everything was in place for me to hate this cast recording.

I don't think I've ever been so wrong.

Kinky Boots is the brainchild of Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the show's score, and librettist Harvey Fierstein, based on the movie of the same name. It revolves around a struggling shoe factory, handed down to a young heir (played by Stark Sands of American Idiot fame), that eventually brings itself to fame by making shoes and boots specifically marketed to drag queens, all with the help of drag queen Lola (the amazing Billy Porter). Ms. Lauper's music forms one of the most wholly crowd-pleasing pop rock scores I've heard since Hairspray. It's almost unfairly catchy... even with my determination to hate this music, I found myself tapping my foot within minutes of playing the album.

The use of style is also quite an inspired choice... not only are the songs character-driven, but in terms of genre, they fit said characters as well. For instance, Stark Sands' songs sit more in the rock genre, while Billy Porter's are more under the techno and funk categories. Yes, Kinky Boots is commercial fluff... but I'll be damned if it isn't incredibly enjoyable. Stark Sands has a pleasing rock singing voice, and Annaleigh Ashford makes for a terrific love interest, but this show belongs to the great Billy Porter. This role might as well have been written for him, and the music is perfectly suited to his famous high-belting tenor voice. He sings the upbeat songs with typical style and flair, and does beautiful work on the show's gentle, moving ballads. Standout songs include the instantly catchy Take What You've Got, the rousing Everybody Say Yeah, and the techno-infused Sex is in the Heel. The closing number, Raise You Up, is the new Dancing Queen or You Can't Stop the Beat.

With a score so reliant on synth and techno-ish music, I should dislike Kinky Boots... but I just can't. It's too darn fun, catchy, and full of heart. I hope this isn't Cyndi Lauper's last foray into musical theatre, because her first attempt is an undisputable success. The cast album is a wonderful preservation of this show, and I hope I get a chance to see it in some form or another. Damn you, commercial fluffy show. You've won me over.