'Kinky Boots' struts back to Windy City
The touring cast and crew of "Kinky Boots" are looking forward to the Broadway musical's three-week return to Chicago starting Tuesday, July 7, at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. That's especially true for two actors who have heightened expectations to be back in the Windy City.
Los Angeles-based actor Joe Coots is happy to be near his Illinois hometowns of Aurora, where he was born, and Winnebago, where he grew up. And Milwaukee native Kyle Taylor Parker, who started with the show here in its 2012 world premiere, hails the Chicago tour as "kind of a homecoming."
"I am thrilled to be returning to Chicago with the show," said Parker, who stars as the inspirational British drag queen Lola.
Parker first appeared in the show's ensemble of drag queens, known as "The Angels," before he became an understudy to Billy Porter, who originated the role of Lola in Chicago before the musical triumphed the following year on Broadway, winning six Tony Awards including Best Musical. Parker assumed the role of Lola for the national tour and on Broadway during a three-month vacation taken by Porter in 2014.
"The moment I read the show, I fell in love with 'Kinky Boots' and the character of Lola," Parker said. "As an actor, you don't see too many roles that are so well-rounded where you can sing, dance, act and also share a really important message."
"Kinky Boots" is based on the 2005 indie film of the same name, which itself was inspired by a real-life tale of a troubled British shoe factory that staved off closure by starting to manufacture quality women's footwear to be worn by a niche market of men. Playwright Harvey Fierstein ("Newsies," "La Cage aux Folles") penned the musical's script, while pop star Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "True Colors") won a Tony Award for composing her first Broadway score.
"There have been a lot of changes," said Parker, emphasizing to Chicago audiences who saw "Kinky Boots" in 2012 that the musical has undergone numerous cuts and song replacements. "Every single person from Harvey to Cyndi to the whole company believed in the changes and that they were going to make the show better - and in this case, they all did."
Coots did not star in the musical's original run. Local audiences might remember him, though, as Dave Bukatinsky in the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire's 2008 production of "The Full Monty." In "Kinky Boots," he's playing the shoe factory worker Don, who has the biggest beef with the arrival of Lola.
"His whole world is very black and white. Anything that's different ... he doesn't understand," said Coots. "The story is not about accepting a drag queen. It's about accepting everybody."
Coots can't wait to be back in Chicago to see Cubs games with family and friends and possibly to catch sight of the Stanley Cup. Coots, who retained his Chicago sports allegiance, admitted that he would sneak glimpses of Blackhawks playoff games in his dressing room in the middle of "Kinky Boots" performances.
Coots is also glad to be touring back to Chicago in a hit show with an international reach. He says Chicagoans should be proud that they helped launch "Kinky Boots," which has since gone on to play in separate productions in South Korea and Canada with England and Australia on the horizon.
"What I've learned from playing the role of Lola is how to be brave, that acceptance begins with yourself," said Parker about one of the main messages in "Kinky Boots." "And that once you've accepted yourself, it's like a well of joy is open to you and the real fun can begin. Everyone is entitled to a life of 'fabulosity.'"
“Kinky Boots”
Location: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000,
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (also July 12), 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday (also Wednesday, July 15 and 22); runs July 7-19
Tickets: $27-$95