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“Kinky Boots” is a hoot, filled with men dolled up as women, life lessons about bias and misconceptions, and division awaiting resolution.
As Diamond Head Theatre’s kickoff for its 2019-20 season, the musical is an immediate hit, thanks to the performance of Kwame Michael Remy in the lead role of Lola, a drag queen destined to save a failing shoe factory that Charlie Price (portrayed by Zachary Linnert) inherits when his father dies.
‘Kinky Boots’
>> Where: Diamond Head Theatre, 520 Makapuu Ave.
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 4 p.m. Sundays; 3 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 13; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2
>> Cost: $15-$50
>> Info: diamond headtheatre.com or 733-0274
It’s a Tony Award-winning show, with book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, based on a 2005 film conceived by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.
The Lola character made Billy Porter an instant star and earned him a Tony Award. It is a character requiring the tough, aggressive manner of a dude plus the glamorous, divine wisdom of a doll. Remy is the complete package and every bit as good as the Porter I saw on Broadway.
Remy owns the stage when he’s front and center, backed by a bevy of belles dubbed The Angels. They are The Supremes to his Diana Ross, enacted with precise dancing and vocal harmonies by Dwayne Sakaguchi as D!vyne, Chev Vaughn as Electra City, Marcus Stanger as Sarah Tonin, Xander van den Berg as Virginia Tea, Sean Maskrey as Ginger Snapp and Kainoa Chorman as Wilma Titzgro. Their number “The Land of Lola” is a showstopper.
As directed and choreographed by homegrown Andrew Sakaguchi, who gained theatrical experience abroad, “Kinky Boots” is the total package of a musical comedy with splendid, visual staging matched by stirring vocal dynamics.
Key characters, like Lola — actually, a dual role, since Remy also portrays his male side, Simon — and Charlie have friction that dissolves into a common goal: the former needs durable boots, the latter needs a new product to keep his business afloat. Compromise is a no-brainer; partnership is the power of personal pride.
The mantra to accept others for what they are repeats throughout the show.
Vanessa Manuel-Mazzullo as Lauren, a dedicated factory worker, discovers she has a crush on her boss. She is a scene-stealer and a delight on her solo “The History of Wrong Guys.”
The show is a head-over-heels knockout on the technical front, too.
Phil Hidalgo delivers a rich, rousing sound from his eight-member orchestra, which captures the range of vocal emotions at stake: frenetic disco, yearning romance, explosive ensemble dynamics.
Willie Sabel’s sets — the factory storefront with red-brick walls plus windows, a factory interior with a platform office and moving shoe shelves, a fashion runway for modeling and dancing — are functional and appealing. A rare second-level stairway to an entry-exit door is unusual and effective, considering the tight quarters.
Dawn Oshima’s lighting embellishes the scenes: bright for the ensemble work and dramatic and focused on the few solo vocal moments.
Karen G. Wolfe’s costumes — notably for Lola and The Angels — are simple yet divine, with uniformity and specificity, some glitter and lots of glamour. The clothes make the men womanly.
Kerri Yoneda’s sound design provides spot-on clarity of the vocals and is properly measured, especially when off-stage choral/background singers are performing.
The finale lineup, with nearly everyone donning boots, finishes the show with a kick.
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