Love & Acceptance is Spread with Viviana Theatre Company's Kinky Boots at Swarthmore United Methodist

by Angela Robb

On Saturday July 13, 2024 I took a drive to the beautiful town of Swarthmore Pennsylvania for not only my first review with South Jersey Theatre Critics but my first time seeing a show with Viviana Theatre Company! Despite it being my first show with Viviana I am no stranger to the space which is based out of Swarthmore United Methodist Church. I have performed in several shows with Spotlight Theatre over the years which utilizes the downstairs of the building. Viviana uses the upstairs and the actual performance took place in the sanctuary where mass is held. The performance that I saw on Saturday was Kinky Boots which is a show I am quite familiar with. I have seen its Broadway production twice but this is the first time I have seen it on the community theatre level. 

Just by reading the title of the show you, like me, may be surprised to see that a show called Kinky Boots being performed in a church let alone with their alter as a stage. The show follows Charlie Price, a man desperately trying to find what he wants to do in his life. When his father unexpectedly dies he is thrust into the role of inheritor of his father’s struggling shoe factory, a job he never wanted in the first place. In an effort to keep the company in business and maintain the jobs of its employees Charlie changes the brand from men’s shoes to high heeled boots designed for drag queens after inspiration is knocked into him by the head strong drag queen Lola. 

The show started a bit late with a fun preshow announcement by Matt Stickel in character as Don letting everyone know to turn off their cell phones. I thought this was very effective way to engage the audience and get everyone connected to the characters and setting prior to the show even starting. Once the show began it had a rocky start including an actor reading all of his lines for the opening number off of a clipboard and multiple microphones echoing or not being turned up high enough to hear the performers. The microphones levels were reset not long after the opening number concluded which helped me to not only appreciate Harvey Fierstein’s book and the actor’s performances but also Mike Yarabinee’s sound design. He chose great sound effects for the production which flowed seamlessly into the world being created on stage and acted quickly to rectify the sound issues. 

One thing that is becoming rare in community theatre is the use of a live orchestra but Kinky Boots features a small orchestra of nine musicians lead by music director Eileen Fields. The musicians were extremely talented and their presence brought something special to the performance. They played in harmony and on key and I was very impressed that they were able to play Cyndi Lauper’s Tony nominated score with such justice after only joining the production in person a week prior to opening. The downside to the use of live musicians in this case is that the musical instruments drowned out the actors regularly throughout the show resulting in multiple moments where the actors could not be heard. I commend the producers for choosing to use live music for this show and hope they choose to continue in the future. However for future productions in this space the sound designer and the music director should look at the acoustics of the theatre more closely to avoid the instruments over powering the performers. 

Other than the issues with sound and music the rest of the show was very strong. The lighting design was done very well. Different filters were used during the fashion show in the show’s climax which I found fun and engaging. Since the performance was held in the sanctuary of the church the walls were filled with stained glass windows and because I was at the matinee the stained glass provided extra lighting. This was especially apparent during the song “Not My Father’s Son” where Charlie and Lola sing a duet about how neither of them felt like they lived up to their fathers’ expectations. The sentiment of the song combined with the sunlight from the stained glass made the scene even more beautiful and heartfelt. Props and costumes were designed by Andrea McCloskey, Nanci Smith, and Matthew English. Props were simple and effective and costumes were very beautiful and fitting for the characters. All of the factory workers wore sneakers, work boots, jeans, and smocks. Even though Lauren worked in the factory they still managed to make her wardrobe stand out by dressing her in striped shirts. Lola’s outfits were flashy and vibrant and just she is. Her drag queen friends, The Angels, were dressed in different color palates but I wish their all of their make up was done more in the drag queen style with brighter colors. 

The set was designed to look like Price & Son Shoe Factory with piles of shoe boxes in multiple areas of the stage and factory equipment that was pushed on and off stage as needed. Since the bone of the stage was the factory it made it difficult to identify where some scenes were taking place when they were outside the factory. Using flats that could have been rolled onto stage for these scenes would have been helpful to better identify these alternate locations. With that being said, I did like that the factory was still in the foreground of all of the scenes. It really hit home that the factory is the heart of the story and at the forefront of Charlie’s mind even when he was somewhere else. Most of the show used very simple choreography which was very effective. The show didn’t need a lot of heavy musical numbers in order to focus on the acting and the story. However, during the act 1 finale song “Everybody Say Yeah!” two working treadmills were used that multiple actors danced on, including several wearing heels. I was incredibly impressed at the actors for their skill and stamina at pulling off such a difficult stunt. Director/Choreographer Matthew English did a fantastic job incorporating all of these elements cohesively and choosing the best performers for the job in order to bring his vision to fruition.

Nicholas Renna played Charlie Price, the protagonist of the story. Nick brought good humor into the role and frequently had me laughing from his facial expressions or vocal inflections. He had good chemistry with the other actors, particularly with Lola and Lauren. He also brought a lot of vulnerability to the role especially during his voicemail monologue to Lola apologizing for his actions. Nick commanded the stage during “Soul of a Man” is big solo during act 2. Kendal Chaney played Lola, the other protagonist and confident drag queen. Kendal did a great job in the role and portrayed Lola’s confidence while not making her a caricature of a drag queen. Additionally, Kendal showed Lola’s vulnerability and doubt about how she is perceived very well. Lola’s big act 2 solo “Hold Me In Your Heart” was a stand out of the show. Despite it being a song with no choreography and only an actor on stage performing, Kendal was captivating during this moment. Aimee Ferenz played Lauren, a factory worker and Charlie’s eventual love interest. From her first line Aimee showed immediate charisma showing how likeable Lauren is. She brought a lot of humor to the role, especially during her big solo “The History of Wrong Guys”. Not only did Aimee sing it beautifully but she had the audience laughing throughout the song at Lauren’s anxiety and awkwardness around her crush. Grace Albert played Nicola, Charlie’s fiancée who likes the finer things in life. Grace managed to get the audience to see Nicola’s side without making her into a villain. Even though her wants challenge Charlie’s, including wanting to sell the factory, Grace made her sympathetic and I wish I was able to see more of her. 

The ensemble is made up of over 20 actors in various roles. This increased the size of the Broadway ensemble to accommodate the double cast. Some stand outs include Tom McManus as Harry, Charlie’s friend who only has one scene but gets a duet early in the show called “Take What You’ve Got”. This was one of my favorite points in the show due to Tom’s charisma. He really did a lot with a little and even though his role was a small one he really brought a lot of joviality to the character and his song. Matt Stickel played Don, a bigoted factory worker. He was a character you love to hate. Matt brought a lot of personality to the role and even though he started as a bully he made a lot of growth throughout the show and Matt showed the transition well. The Angels, the drag queen ensemble made up of Carrie Awn, Rona Boates, Kit Kat, Auntie Social, Sofie Stacation, Ginja Vitas, and Bebe Yaga, brought a lot of excitement to the show. As I mentioned above some of them had more subtle make up which I found ineffective and I wish their personalities were able to shine through more than they were. My favorite of the Angels was Bec Smith as Baba Yaga. With their make up, costume, and attitude they really stood out among the rest and my eyes definitely looked for them in the Angel numbers. Though this show is double cast and I was only able to see one of them I am sure the other cast is just as talented. No matter which cast you see I am sure you will have a fabulous time with all of the talent held on the stage. 

After reading the summary of the show and its characters you may be even more surprised that a show like this was held in a church. However, The United Methodist Church of Swarthmore not only allowed this but encouraged this. Rather than focusing on its risqué exterior they focused on the message of the show: accepting others for who they are. In fact the church even held sermons about the messages of love and acceptance to connect with the production. This was very inspiring to see and I hope those who received the message either by seeing Kinky Boots or listening to the sermon where able to take this message to heart. Not only is Kinky Boots a fun show but it is heartwarming and inspirational. The show concludes its run on July 21st and regardless of whichever cast you see trust that you will be in for a fun time! Tickets can be purchased here: https://vivtix.ludus.com/index.php