Kinky Boots Review at Marina Bay Sands: High Spirits on Stage!

This mama and her 11-year-old son review the feel-good musical and global smash hit Kinky Boots, playing now through 14 October at MBS!

Kinky Boots hit the Singapore stage last Friday rather like a glittering pink roller coaster whizzing round the tracks! I suggest you get your tickets, jump in, and hold on tight because you are in for a fabulous, crazy ride!

For those that aren’t up to speed, Kinky Boots is the quirky, Tony Award-winning musical based on a book by Harvey Fierstein, with a musical score by (my childhood hero) singer Cindy Lauper and directed by Jerry Mitchell. It’s on a massive world tour and now it’s here for just a little over a week, until 14 October.

A bit like the well-loved British fave Billy Elliot, it tells the story of tough times in a Northern town. Charlie Price (played by Lance Bordelon) inherits his dad’s shoemaking business, which has fallen on hard times. He’s in turmoil, as he needs to turn the business around and make some money quick sharp, so he can set off for London with his high maintenance fiancé Nicola.

With a stroke of luck and a chance encounter he meets Lola the drag queen (played by Jos N. Banks, P.S. stalker alert – he’s well worth a follow on insta!).

She persuades Charlie to transform his dad’s dowdy factory into a bootmakers for his entourage of dazzling drag queens – the angels, and all the other drag queens in the world! The journey’s not easy, and Charlie realises the importance of loyalty and respect whilst also learning that ‘You can change the world if you change your mind’.

It’s a format we’ve seen before in one form or another, but it delivers, with some great music, eccentric costumes and a few life lessons learnt along the way.

Cindy Lauper sure knows how to work a crowd. And, no I’m not harking back to my ra-ra skirt wearing days in the 80’s singing “Time after Time” in my bedroom. This pop icon’s charismatic score had the entire audience gripped – and humming along. We loved Lauren’s heartfelt and hilarious song about ‘Charlie!’ in particular. The musical has a wonderful mix of sincere, sentimental slush (there’s always room for that) which cranks up to a crescendo of campy, glittery dance-in-your-seat songs — ‘Raise you up!’ being the absolute highlight for us. It was a feast for the eyes and ears!

I’d even go so far as to say that this is a family show. My 11-year-old son loved the musical, and learnt a bit, too (no need to worry about any kind of ‘educational’ chats about gender and sexuality thanks to Kinky Boots)! Though there’s music and lots of giggles, there’s also a grittier undercurrent as the characters win over the sceptics and remind the audience that different is great and being true to yourself is the most important gift to hold on to in life.

You won’t be disappointed, mamas, apart from perhaps that you haven’t got a pair of those kinky boots in your own wardrobe!

Kinky Boots is playing now through 14 October at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets from $65 (excluding $4 booking) fee, purchase through Sistic or at MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing. 

Performance times: Tuesday to Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, 1pm and 6pm.

www.kinkybootsthetour.com