Broadway's Tony-winning hit parades into Boston with a high-spirited good time.
Based on a true story and movie of the same name, it is comforting to see that a friendship between a straight dude and a drag queen is becoming mainstream. This is due to the well-structured book and impressive set design, most notably in the fight sequence. The costumes and choreography are as bright and fun as a summer afternoon.
Lola is played with effortless confidence by Kyle Taylor Parker, and the handsome Steven Booth brings a sincere vulnerability to his character finding his own self-awareness.
Lindsay Nicole Chambers is the delightfully insecure Lauren who practically stops the show with her rendition of "The History of Wrong Guys."
Then we have the Tony- and Grammy-Award winning score by Cyndi Lauper, whose songs are refreshingly conservative but exuberant, balancing the show's effervescence. She can convey her messages effectively in one song rather than five of them and four reprises. Plus, she offers each character their own voice to their numbers. Charlie's songs cannot be sung by Lola, and his can not be sung by Lauren, and so on. Cyndi can raise the roof with "Sex Is In The Heel" but portray the pain behind the pumps in "Hold Me In Your Heart." The acoustic-driven "Take What You Got" is properly balanced by the piano-flavored "Not My Father's Son." She also has the ability to slip in some wordplay that almost goes unnoticed, such as "First Step" and "Soul of a Man." It is intended as a compliment to note that this is not a collection of Cyndi Lauper songs on stage. Cyndi has created an original Broadway Score.
The self-accepting message of the piece is clear but never feels redundant. It just is.
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