Review: Kinky Boots

High heels to the ceiling – Lauri Mikkola’s drag queen Lola conquers hearts in this hit musical

Young Charlie Price’s (Petrus Kähkönen) father dies unexpectedly, leaving Charlie with a bankrupt shoe factory. An incredible business idea is found to save the factory, as Charlie meets Simon (Lauri Mikkola), who pretends to be a drag queen named Lola.

Until now, there have been no shoes that are durable, high and sexy enough for Lola and her drag angels, so Charlie’s shoe factory starts making heels for men.

When the duo joins forces, a growth story that requires courage and self-confidence begins from the twilight of the factory hall to the top of the fashion world – to fulfill itself.

The musical Kinky Boots (2013), composed by American pop singer Cyndi Lauper, proclaims difference, friendship and overcoming prejudice. The script was written by actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, whose musical Borrowed Feathers was performed at the Helsinki City Theatre in 2011-2012.

The Finnish version of Kinky Boots is directed by Samuel Harjanne. This autumn, he will direct another successful musical, as the ever-moving Billy Elliot will premiere at the Tampere Workers’ Theatre in October.

“Kinky Boots is a fun, touching, warm and prejudice-breaking thing for the whole family. Accepting someone as they are is really challenging in itself, but try to accept yourself as you are, it’s challenging, and that’s the heart of Kinky Boots,” Harjanne says.

Fear not, Kinky Boots is not kinky at all. If you’re expecting a raunchy drag show or a hit movie like Priscilla – Queen of the Desert musical, you might be disappointed.

Cyndi Lauper has said that she wanted to compose music that makes the audience laugh and makes them happy. A moderate mix of pop, rock, and dance music doesn’t make Kinky Boots immortal.

You might think that the shoe factory won’t create an unforgettable story either, but as if by magic, the pieces fall into place on stage right from the start. Zädäm and bang!

Helsinki City Theatre’s Kinky Boots turns out to be an extraordinarily well-made musical, with Lauri Mikkola as the brightest star. She is charismatic, damn beautiful and sings like an angel.

The handsome-voiced Mikkola conquers hearts with every single song, but the evening’s slow songs Kuin poikansa en ois (Not My Father’s Son) and Jäänhan sydänes (Hold Me in Your Heart) already make you swallow tears.

A star has lit up.