As Out Front Theatre Company opens its new season, it does so with one of its most high-profile shows ever — the splashy musical, “Kinky Boots” — and the largest cast in its history. Twenty-five performers make up the ensemble, including actors Dustin Presley and Wendell Scott.
“Kinky Boots” debuted on Broadway in 2013 and won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actor in a Musical for Billy Porter’s portrayal of Lola. It’s been a favorite, especially among the LGBTQ community, since its debut. The musical has a book by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper.
The musical is based on the 2005 film of the same name, with Charlie Price (Presley) inheriting a shoe factory when his father dies. The business is near bankruptcy and makes men’s shoes whose demand is drying up. With the help of an unlikely ally — cabaret performer and drag queen Lola (Scott) — Charlie starts generating a women’s boot that can be worn by a male-bodied person.
Charlie is a character who’s a little bit lost in his life, Presley told Georgia Voice.
“He has not really found his purpose yet and is dealing with a lot of pressure in taking over the family business,” the actor said. “It’s going under, and in an effort to save the factory and provide jobs for all the people he’s known his entire life — well, necessity is the mother of invention. He has to come up with a new plan to save the factory. By meeting Lola by happenstance, he gets the light bulb to make drag queen boots professionally and changes the game.”
Scott sees Lola as a fabulous drag queen who uses drag as an escape from reality.
“She loves everyone and accepts everyone, but she has some problems accepting herself,” Scott said. “When she meets Charlie, she understands how valuable she is just as herself.”
Both performers feel the show has several pertinent themes, one of which is the value of acceptance.
“Acceptance never dies, and that message never gets old,” Scott said. “I think it’s especially important for young actors of color — being this fabulous person right on stage doing these big numbers, but conveying that they can be exactly who they want onstage or off. Being that prime example for young people of color is profound for me.”
For Presley, “Kinky Boots” also deals with forgiveness — forgiving yourself and others when they hurt you or when they don’t do the best by you. For Charlie, specifically, there’s a learning curve because Lola is outside his comfort zone.
“We need to encourage more people to get comfortable and learn to enjoy people who aren’t the same as them and have the same views, because at the end of the day we are all human,” he said. “Sometimes it takes hurting and forgiving for that full-circle closure.
Scott, growing up gay, recalled that the first moment he came out, he was not accepted by his father, but his father eventually came to terms with it.
“I know a lot of people in the cast also resonate with stories like that and of Lola,” he said.
Nick Silvestri is the show’s music director and sound engineer. He calls “Kinky Boots” a classic pop rock-style musical where90 percent of the songs are upbeat, with two or three heartfelt ballads.
“It’s a lot of fun to work on — and it’s a toe-tapper,” he said. “You’ll leave humming a song or two. As for being a queer musical, it’s one of the few shows where it’s not representative of a deeply traumatic queer experience. Of course, both main characters have to have conflict and character growth and something that pushes them, but it’s not a huge traumatic gay thing that other shows center themselves in. It allows more of the audience to connect.”
The show is directed by Paul Conroy, the company’s artistic director, who has led the troupe since its 2016 bow.
“Kinky Boots” runs now through November 5 at Out Front Theatre Company. Purchase tickets and learn more at outfronttheatre.com/event/kinky-boots.