Theater lovers, something wonderful is afoot in Columbia, Maryland: Silhouette Stages’ production of Kinky Boots — this sole-ful romp. Charlie Price, a reluctant shoe factory owner, finds his destiny after a late-night encounter with Lola, a performer who needs boots strong enough for a man but made for a woman.
Kinky Boots, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper, is based on the 2005 Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots, screenplay by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. The film was based on the work of Steve Pateman, his inherited shoe factory, WJ Brookes, and his transformative efforts to save the family business. The movie and Broadway musical smash (six Tony awards, including Best Musical, and a six-year Broadway run) end more happily (or perhaps just earlier) than the actual story.
Silhouette Stages is 100 percent a volunteer organization, and I am always interested to see the effects of a limited budget on increased creativity. Director Jeremy Goldman delivers a respectable reproduction of the Broadway staging, which is admittedly visually engaging.
Choreographer Jeremy A. McShan creates dramatic dance numbers that dazzle and gleam. In this production, there are at least a dozen people making their debut performance with Silhouette in Kinky Boots, but few are inexperienced. All are obviously having an extraordinary amount of fun and meld together nicely as a fully rounded cast.
The crucial Lola/Simon role is played by Joshua Franklin. This chap is flat-out amazing. I’m delighted to watch his towering antics onstage and am surprised I haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy his work before now. “Hold Me in Your Heart” is a powerful ballad, and as moving as that is, as much visual fun as “The Sex is In the Heel” is, my favorite of the Lola numbers is the tango “What a Woman Wants” at the top of Act II. Joshua Franklin is riveting to watch every moment he is onstage. Shoe factory owner Charlie Price is played by multi-hyphenate Xander Conte, a confident and capable performer. As Charlie, he’s awkward and charming, and his Act II anger is completely believable.
Chris Riehl plays the role of the show’s main agitator, factory worker Don. It’s so important to cast Don perfectly. He’s got to be kind of a jerk, but not so much of a jerk that no one will like him at all. It’s imperative that he have a character journey the audience can be invested in, and he does. Christ Riehl deftly manages the delicate balance between annoyingly awful and absolutely unsalvageable.
Lola’s entourage of backup dancers, the Angels, are played by Silhouette regular Seth Fallon (whom I adored as Squidward in The SpongeBob Musical); Leon Nguyen, an experienced drag performer; Thomas Allen, who, amazingly, has never been part of any theatrical cast; and veteran actor/ dancer Julie Mimms. The Angels not only look and sound fabulous 100 percent of the time they’re onstage; they also execute some pretty impressive and acrobatic dance moves.
Erica Miller is brilliantly brittle as Charlie’s ruthlessly ambitious love interest, Nicola. Her height and slenderness add to her “above it all” persona in the context of the show. Cera Baker shares with Maddie Ervin the role of Charlie’s other love interest, Lauren. As she belts out “The History of Wrong Guys,” it’s evident that Baker is the complete package — even more than a triple threat, she’s got added assets of physical comedy and snappy timing.
George, the Price shoe factory floor supervisor, is played with nuance and subtlety by MarQuis Fair. As Young Simon, teen performer McKenley Barnes enacts some engaging opening insights into the development of our central queen. Ensemble members Maddie Ervin, Coby Kay Callahan, Madison Clay, Chris Draghi, Elijah Davis, Alex Gubler, Terin Kelsey, and Zen Tabligan fill out factory floor scenes, also serving as set-moving stagehands, which makes transitions smooth and nonintrusive.
The assorted “British” accents in the cast work fairly well. There are a lot of Britishisms in the script. It will help to know that “fag” is Brit slang for a cigarette, and that “budge up” means “scoot over.” No dialect coach is credited. Music Director Matthew Dohm gets some really good sound out of this enthusiastic cast. All the songs are catchy and fun, as one might expect from Cyndi Lauper. Sound quality is, unfortunately, a bit uneven — amplification is perfect on some of the characters and completely absent on others. The characters I can hear sound excellent.
Set Designer Sammy Jungwirth’s fluid set allows for a lot of movement of the set pieces, and the cast around the set pieces. Lots of bits that roll around and offer multiple-leveled playing space provide ample visual interest. Costuming has a definite ’90s grunge vibe, and there is a lot of plaid. I remind myself that a show set in the ’90s is a period piece. And the wigs…. so many wigs. Most of them behave themselves most of the time, thanks to the skill of Hair and Wig Designer Ryan DeVoe.
Located in the Wilde Lake community of Columbia, Slayton House, home of Silhouette Stages, is tucked into a corner of a mixed-use plaza, The Shoppes at Wilde Lake. Residents will know it as the place where David’s Market used to be. Parking is free and available both near the Columbia Swim Center and the shopping area. Neither feature a pull-up to the entrance of Slayton House for mobility-impaired folk. Seating is general admission, so an early arrival is your best bet for the most choice options. Intermission is billed as 15 minutes, but it takes 20 for everyone to cycle through the restrooms and get their lobby-only snacks and drinks.
Kinky Boots is a story of family, discovery, acceptance, and surprises. It’s also a celebration of counterculture, big dreams, and splendid outfits. The songs run the spectrum from heartfelt ballads to glittering showstoppers. Silhouette Stages brings together a body-positive cast of diverse characters to shake what Mama gave ’em and sing all the oxygen out of the room. Kinky Boots demands a diva performance, divine dance moves, daring dresses, and working-class heart. This production delivers every bit of that and more.
Running Time: Two hours and 25 minutes, including one intermission.
Kinky Boots plays through March 23, 2025 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm), presented by Silhouette Stages performing at Slayton House in the Wilde Lake Village Center, 10400 Cross Fox Lane Columbia, MD. Purchase tickets ($25, adult; $20, senior, student, military, educator; $15, child) online. For additional information, call 410-216-4499 or email info@silhouettestages.com
The Kinky Boots program is online here.
COVID Safety: Masks are highly encouraged but not required.
Final Factoid: despite Kinky Boots being the first musical she’d scored, Cyndi Lauper won a Tony award for Best Score, becoming the first solo woman composer to win in that category.
Kinky Boots
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots
Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Jeremy Goldman
Music Director: Matthew Dohm
Choreographer: Jeremy A. McShan
Stage Manager: Tyler Hart
CAST
Charlie Price: Xander Conte
Lola/Simon: Joshua Franklin
Lauren: Cera Baker (March 7, 8, 21, 22, 23)
Lauren: Maddie Ervin (March 14, 15, 16)
Nicola: Erica Miller
Don: Chris Riehl
Pat: Amy Haynes Rapnicki
Trish: Tricia Anderson
George: MarQuis Fair
Angels: Seth Fallon, Leon Nguyen, Thomas Allen, Julie Mimms
Harry/Richard Bailey: Henry Cyr
Mr. Price: Keith Field
Young Charlie: Will Hertz
Young Lola: McKenley Barnes
Ensemble: Maddie Ervin (Dance Captain), Coby Kay Callahan, Madison Clay, Chris Draghi, Elijah Davis (Simon Sr.), Alex Gubler, Terin Kelsey, Zen Tabligan
Milan Stage Manager: Angie Townsend
Delivery Man: Neal Townsend
