The Pennsylvania Playhouse is getting "kinky" in the best possible way by bringing the
With a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Grammy and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper, "Kinky Boots" is a funny, frenzied, and altogether fabulous romp. The musical is based on the 2005 British film "Kinky Boots", written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth and mostly inspired by true events.
Set in the working-class town of Northampton, about two hours north of the more metropolitan London, "Kinky Boots" conveys the tale of a failing shoe factory that loses both its owner and its future and is set to be turned into "contemporary flats" unless a miracle comes along.
That "miracle" struts upon the scene in the form of the sequined "Lola" (portrayed in all her six-inch off the ground glory by Andrew Stewart) - a drag queen in London whom Charlie (the factory's unenthusiastic heir portrayed by Joemichael Luciano Zaragoza) stumbles upon (literally) and who then charges Charlie with creating a "stiletto heel that will bear the weight of a full grown man." 
Realizing the opportunity for his failing shoe factory to literally be "raised up" by the creation of high heeled shoes for men, he tasks his staff to begin production of the titular "kinky boots".
However, things are not nearly as straightforward as they seem. Backlash from certain employees, including the brutish and toxically masculine "Don" (played by Andrew Maldonado) threaten to sidetrack the plan and send Charlie back to London with his tail between his legs to his upward climbing fiancee Nicola (Mackenzie Hall) and Lola back to London with both broken heels and dreams.
Thrown into the mix is a hopeless romantic factory worker Lauren, sincere and blue collar but anything but a fading wallflower (Cat McKenna) who finds herself falling for Charlie despite her brain and heart trying to convince her otherwise.
The cast of "Kinky Boots" includes Robert Callan Adams, LaQuann Clark, Asher Cooper, Gabriel Isaac Craig, Jaxson Fortunato, Andrew Galindez, Catina Gordon, Evan Heger, Sean McFarland, Jillian McLuhan, Joseph Mowad, Dylan Penyak, Anthony Oyola-Rodriguez, Nate Rosario, Stephen Simone, Sydney Sniezek, Wyatt Steiner, and Beth Sucro.
Musical direction is by Sebastian Paff, choreography by Jonathan Cruz, with Sofia Barbour as stage manager and Brian McDermott as management consultant.
Costumes are by Todd Burkel and technical/set design is by Brett Oliveira.
"Kinky Boots" runs July 21st through August 6th, 2023. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $15 for students with valid school ID. Masks are not required but are strongly encouraged.*
Tickets may be purchased online at www.paplayhouse.org or by calling (610) 865-6665.
And for the trivia buffs: this was Cyndi Lauper's first attempt at writing a musical and she went on to receive an Outer Critics Circle, Tony Award and Grammy award for her efforts! As Lola would say ¦ "You go, girl!"
*As CDC Guidance changes, we reserve the right to change our COVID precautions as well.