‘Kinky Boots’ kicks Uptown into high gear

By Shari Goldstein Stern

Uptown Players’ (UP) current offering, “Kinky Boots,” (KB) is an occasion. An event. It’s not your expected evening of song and dance. It’s an explosion of sensational talent — from John de los Santos’ direction, his and Evor Wright’s brilliant choreography, Suzanne Cranford’s outrageous costume adaptation, Vonda Bowling’s moving, dependable music, and Lee Walter’s and Max Swarner’s triple-threat mega-gifts — it’s a memorable piece of theater at its very best.

Dallas’ Walter Lee is now Lee Walter, and what a celebration that is. He is the epitome of an actor who throws himself into every role, not only with his heart, but he brings his huge soul with him every time. That’s been true in each role he tackles. But the out transfeminine artist is Lola. Her loving, sensitive compassion is generosity on display in “Kinky Boots” at Uptown through July 31.

Lee is always a master of vocals, dance, comedy and the essence of each character. As drag artist Lola, though, he’s just who she’s meant to be. Poised. Her own person. Insightful. Proud. Oh, so funny and with such over-the-top delivery. Yet she can also bring it down with some powerful delivery of serious, poignant material. The actor said after the performance that KB was an adhesive community of fun people enjoying what they do.

Lee is a stalwart member of Dallas’ theater community, having filled a range of challenging roles in, for example, “Pageant,” “When Pigs Fly,” “Angels in America” and “Rent” at area theaters in addition to UP, including Theatre Three, Stage West, Dallas Theater Center, WaterTower, Casa Manana and more.

Theater that engages audiences in seeking tolerance and acceptance, while facing divisiveness head on isn’t new, but Cyndi Lauper’s and Harvey Fierstein’s  inventive approach is genius. 

In taking a charming, true story of a family’s and a working community’s determination, they created a brave, flashy, in-your-face, memorable musical experience with one of the best scores around. 

Charlie Price, played with intensity and focus by Max Swarner, has just learned that his dad, who owns a shoe-making factory outside of London, passed away, leaving Charlie to rescue and resuscitate the long out-of-fashion men’s footwear line into something more contemporary to bring back business. Charlie decides that keeping his family business thriving in its original factory trumps his fiancé’s desire to tear it down and go “big.” When Lola enters Charlie’s life, she presents a niche market he can’t resist and takes it on.

Pay attention to two little boys in the show’s opening, one Black child wearing red high heels over his white knee socks, and the other, a little white child in his private school duds. Can you figure out who they are?

Max Swarner never ceases to amaze with his wide range of gifts and how he shares them with his audiences. From Joseph to Professor Harold Hill; J. Pierrepont Finch to Tony; and Jesus to Charlie Price, he never disappoints. In KB, for example, he is a serious businessperson who finds himself at a crossroads at which he must make critical decisions. 

His transition from the strait-laced pencil-neck to the roll-up-your-sleeves factory boss is so subtle you hardly notice. Then his acceptance of the in-your-face entertainer Lola and her Angels starts him down a blindingly, colorful path. He’s all about getting the job done. 

Watch out for this one: Rachel Nicole Poole is as ideal in her role of Lauren as she was as a swashbuckling Elsie in Nicole Neely’s “Stede Bonnet: a F*cking Pirate Musical” at Theatre Three. As in the earlier role, in UP’s “Kinky Boots,” she is funny and adorable while thoughtful and serious — exactly what the role calls for. Lauren becomes a hero to her coworkers and her new boss, Charlie, when she turns around the verbal clutter, guiding her colleagues on a productive path to the desired goal. 

While looking for Rachel in future roles, also keep an eye out for Trey Tolleson as KB’s Don. 

From the beginning, Don is oh-so predictably redneck. Showing off his womanizing prowess, he lusts after Lola in plain sight of his heckling factory-worker buddies who egg him on. Once Lola sets the homophobe straight on her gender, he shows repulse and dismissal of the entertainer, demonstrating his inner misogynist pig.

As time goes by, Don’s disgust escalates out of hand, until Lola reaches through his rage for a head-dunk at tolerance. Without being sappy, we see a subtle transformation in Don, bringing on some teary-eyed patrons, while also earning some great laughs along the way. 

Undertaking the mind-boggling challenge of bringing the blockbuster “Kinky Boots” to UP is so smart. Rane and Lynch did a nice job.

“Kinky Boots” runs through July 31. 

For more information, call 214-219-2718.