The rush to translate box office success to Broadway success is relentless. There's no need for me to list the musicals that have come this route over the last few years - and some have worked better than others. It was only a matter of time, therefore, that the wonderful film Kinky Boots would make it's way onto the Great White Way. The surprise is that it features music and lyrics by the Grammy winning Rock Icon Cyndi Lauper. And it's not just a jukebox show of her hits - it's a proper musical, with orchestrations by one of my favourite exponents of the skill, Stephen Oremus. So as I'm from the UK, and loved the film, I awaited Broadway Masterwork's release of the cast album with anticipation.

In Kinky Boots, Charlie Price (played here by Tony Award nominee Stark Sands) has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola (Billy Porter). A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he’s meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible.

With a book by multi award winning Harvey Fierstein and direction by Jerry Mitchell, you would think "What could possibly go wrong?" Well...

There is no doubting the show's success - 13 Tony nominations for a start, and winning in 6 of those categories, including best musical and best original score. I'm not sure if I heard something different, or if the cast recording doesn't do it justice, but it's certainly not an award winning score in my eyes.

It starts off very well indeed - the opening number 'The Most Beautiful Thing in the World' sets the scene, and the plot off lovely. It then almost immediately loses its way, with songs that are meaningless (at least in pure audio form) and unmemorable. The booklet is no help - lyrics yes, storyline lacking (almost in total). So, even reading the lyrics, I have no idea how 3/4 of the numbers fit in with the storyline.

The songs are delivered well enough, although it's clearly a cast not at home with its accents. Think Dick Van Dyke here, and downwards. But again, no real standouts for me, although Preston does acquit himself well vocally as drag queen Lola.

The one saving grace are the Oremus's orchestrations - classy, punchy and of equal to his Mormon orchestrations. It's worth listening to if just for these. Unfortunately, not for much else.

3

Ian Gude