REVIEW: Kinky Boots, Al Hirschfeld Theatre ✭✭✭

The cast of Kinky Boots. Photo: Matthew Murphy Kinky Boots Al Hirschfield Theatre 27 March 2013 3 Stars BOOK NOW

Watching the birth of a new musical is a fraught endeavour: so much can go wrong, but when it is right you would not want to be elsewhere for anything.

Kinky Boots is currently previewing at the Al Hirschfield Theatre on Broadway and judging by the relaxed demeanour of director Jerry Mitchell and his entourage of advisers post-performance, is ready to open.

Trouble is, it is not - and, regrettably, most of the issues lie with Cyndi Lauper's awkward and often dull score. Which is a pity - because, for the most part, the book from Harvey Fierstein and the work of director/choreographer Mitchell is joyous and sincere.

The cast, too, is extremely good - but, alas, the music does not live up to the text and its possibilities. There are great numbers - The History of Wrong Guys, Everybody Say Yeah, Hold Me In Your Heart and Raise You Up/Just Be are exceptionally good musical theatre set pieces. But there is no overall "sound" for the show and many of the numbers are full of big notes but lacking melody or rhythm. This is no Hairspray - but it ought to be better than that show.

The book has its own issues - the sudden turnaround from the lead male, Charlie, in Act Two, when he attacks the transvestite collaborator he has championed is inexplicable and not dealt with at all appropriately; equally, the meeting between the said transvestite and her estranged father is handled stupidly, so as to detract from, rather than enhance, the story of the he/she star, Lola.

Billy Porter is wonderful as the cross-dressing Lola, funny and fragile, but one vaguely wonders whether his voice will last the distance. The performance of the evening comes from Annaleigh Ashford who is perfect in every way as the feisty local gal who gets the Boss.

Stark Sands is very likeable as Charlie, but both the book and the score lumber him with impossible moments - and his winning ease only gets him so far. He, too, is singing at the extreme of his range and needs to take care vocally.

The ensemble are uniformly good and can sing, dance and cross-dress as required. It is funny and charming - but not in the league of La Cage Aux Folles, Hairspray or Priscilla, the other musicals which deal with cross-dressing and acceptance.

It needs reworking - a much cleaner opening number, new songs and amendments to the book so that the story is not so fragmented and untrue to its characters.

But, even so, it's slickly done and never reaches the boredom that so many new musicals do.

With some brave and sensible editing and adjusting, this would be a wonderful new musical. As it stands, it is not too bad at all.

BOOK TICKETS TO KINKY BOOTS ON BROADWAY