Lyric Theatre's OKC production of LGBTQ+ musical 'Kinky Boots' still has a timely kick

With their vivid colors and skyscraper heels, the thigh-high footwear for the musical "Kinky Boots" were made for walking, dancing and strutting — but not without considerable practice and effort.

"I have worn a heel or two at a party once or twice, but never have I ever done a show in heels. So, this was a huge fear of ... can I do it?" said Jamard Richardson, one of the stars of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma's long-awaited production of "Kinky Boots."

"I have a new understanding for women, of what they go through wearing heels daily. It is quite difficult to dance, sing, act, all of that in heels. My calves are burning; the balls of my feet are on fire. But what's really funny is, as I stepped into the heels, it's like the character was birthed."

Recently named "Official Theatre of the State of Oklahoma," Lyric is wrapping up its three-show "Summer at the Civic Center" season with the Tony Award-winning musical. With Executive Producer Ashley Wells directing, the nonprofit Oklahoma City theater will strut its way through "Kinky Boots" July 19-24 at the Civic Center.

Although Lyric Theatre was forced to delay its production for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stars of the show say the story of a beleaguered British businessman who teams with a drag queen to revive his family's flailing shoe factory by manufacturing "Kinky Boots" has an especially timely kick in 2022.

"Ashley, one of the first days when we started rehearsals, sat us down and said that the message of this show is important. It was important in 2013 when it opened on Broadway. But I feel like it's even more important in this moment now with what we're going through," said Richardson, a 2013 University of Oklahoma graduate.

"Accepting someone for who they are and just being true to yourself … that message of it is so big and it's so important. And I'm excited to share it with an Oklahoma audience."

Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein headline 'Kinky Boots' creative team

Based on the 2005 British movie starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joel Edgerton, "Kinky Boots" has quite the swagger on its creative team. Stage and screen star Harvey Fierstein ("Mrs. Doubtfire") penned the book for the show, while pop music icon Cyndi Lauper wrote the music and lyrics.

Inspired by a true story, the musical follows Charlie Price, who has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. A chance encounter with Lola, a fabulous drag entertainer in need of sturdier stilettos, inspires Charlie to make over his family's business in the hopes of saving it.

As he joins forces with Lola (aka Simon) to save the factory, the unlikely pair realize they have more in common than they could have dreamed.

"What is so wonderful about this story is, obviously, we fall in love with Lola, but we can all relate to Charlie," said Jordan Jacobs, who plays Charlie in Lyric's production.

"So, Charlie is our entry point ... and then Lola arrives and teaches Charlie and all of us these amazing lessons about accepting people for who they are. And the way the story is crafted, it lets you go on that journey with Charlie."

In 2013, the Broadway production of "Kinky Boots" won six Tony Awards, including best musical and best score for Lauper. In 2016, the musical's run on London's West End also won best musical at the Olivier Awards. 

A 2017 Oklahoma City University alumnus, Jacobs recalled seeing the show on Broadway and later catching the North American tour in OKC at the Civic Center, where he will be performing for the first time in "Kinky Boots."

"When it came through Oklahoma City when I was in college ... I got tickets and I remember thinking, 'How is the audience going to respond to this?' And I felt kind of nervous. I don't know why I felt nervous sitting there watching the show. The crowd just ate it up. There was not an issue. I don't know what I expected. But I don't think I was giving people enough credit, and I definitely wasn't giving the story enough credit," Jacobs said.

"When the show opened on Broadway ... 'RuPaul's Drag Race' had already taken off and was already a phenomenon. But now in 2022, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' is an enormous phenomenon, an Emmy-winning reality show. ... Drag queens are mainstream."

OKC production of 'Kinky Boots' kicking off during troubling times for LGBTQ+ community

Still, Lyric Theatre's production of "Kinky Boots" is kicking off during a troubling time for the country's LGBTQ+ community. More than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced so far this year, according to the Equality Federation, ranging from “don’t say gay” mandates to youth sports bans on transgender students.

So, not only is playing Lola a dream role for Richardson — whose Broadway credits include "The Book of Mormon" and "Waitress" — but it also is a chance to use the art of theater to bring people together.

"I want people to have a fabulous time watching, enjoying the music and the costumes and all of the work that is presented in front of them. But on a deeper level, I just hope that they ... leave learning to accept people for who they are. ... And accepting someone for who they are doesn't mean that you're always going to agree," said Richardson, who previously appeared in Lyric's productions of Disney's "Tarzan," "The Little Mermaid" and "Xanadu."

"For those weirdos ... who feel like they don't have a place and are hiding, the message for them is just be who you want to be. And never let the world tell you who you should be."

Jacobs said "Kinky Boots" features two groups that current political wisdom says shouldn't be able to find common ground: rural blue-collar workers and urban LGBTQ+ entertainers.

"It’s not a traditional music theater ensemble. … It’s people of all ages; all different types of people work in this factory. And you get to watch all of them soften to these outsiders and learn that they're just people," said Jacobs, who previously appeared in Lyric's 2017 Plaza Theatre production of "James and the Giant Peach."

"It reminds you that you have to give people a little bit more credit, I think, because everything is so polarized. And I'm guilty of this bias myself. I say, 'Oh, you're a Republican?' and my immediate thought is, 'I don't like you.' And that's not fair. ... You have to be willing to give them a chance and see people for who they are. That's the whole thing that Lola challenges these people to do."

Although his character doesn't spend much time wearing them, Jacobs said he's also learning that practically everything is harder in high heels.

"They are like platform, stiletto, thigh-high boots. It's been funny working on the choreography with Hui Cha (Poos) because I'm by no means a dancer. I don't pick things up particularly quickly, and then by the time I finally get it, she reminds us, 'Remember, you're doing this in the heels,'" he said with a chuckle.

"So, the boots are no joke."

LYRIC THEATRE'S 'KINKY BOOTS'

When: July 19-24.

Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.  

Tickets and information: https://lyrictheatreokc.com/shows/carousel.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Lyric brings inclusive message with LGBTQ+ musical 'Kinky Boots'