Everybody's Talking About Kinky Boots- Page 2

[ohjustjake]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 10:29am

I'm with KathyNYC2 on this - I was unable to understand a majority of the lyrics and dialogue due to the accents and sound. I had to listen to the cast recording once I got home to really understand what the lyrics were.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 10:30am

I saw KINKY BOOTS last night. The audience reaction was unbelievable. it was ecstatic. I haven't seen an audience this pleased by a show in a while.

I thought act 1 was excellent. Some great songs and the book scenes flowed and moved effortlessly. Act 2 couldn't live up to act 1 for me. It came off disjointed and ending felt too abrupt.

I thought the performances were excellent, especially Porter and Sands. Ashford was funny and charming, but a Tony nomination for that?

The score is fun, fun, fun; some really catchy songs. But some of Lauper's lyrics are predictable. I was finishing some lyrics in my head before the actor sang them. Act 1 had better songs than act 2.

The direction, choreography and all of the design elements were truly impressive. I enjoyed myself and it was fun being part of a respectful audience that was completely blown away by a show.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 10:49am

I could see Ashford getting the nomination..she makes a lot of a small part. Winning? Not so much..

The audience was also unreal when I saw KB also..and not just at the end, but throughout the show. I saw a very excited audience at the end of Matilda last night.... but some numbers that I felt might/should have gotten more applause throughout didn't. Bertie got a decent amount of applause at the end of HIS song - but was no where near the reaction that both Billy or even Start got at their big numbers.

"Kinky Boots's score is actually much more sophisticated. It references a range of genres -- R&B, hard core rock, gospel, disco, and ballad. Each one is used as a "voice" that articulates a character, creates their world, and propels the story of their encounter."

I agree that KB's score is being under-valued by some...not in comparison with anyone else but on its own terms.

[Theater'sBestFriend]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 10:54am

I thought Lauper's lyrics in "Land of Lola" and "The History of Wrong Guys," and double-entendres like "Soul of a Man" and "Raise You Up" (about high heels) are quite clever.

Does anyone know if the CD is out yet?

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:02am

I love a good campaign for the TONYS and just like Cinderella, Kinky Boots is rolling out an impressive one.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:04am

CD is out the end of May...very soon.

[BrerBear]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:29am

"Also, the advance perception about Matilda may have contributed to an expectation of "superior" music, but I don't think it actually is. The songs are for the most part melodically straightforward, rhythmically simple and stylistically homogeneous. It doesn't surprise me that several posters described a monotonous effect that left them unengaged or feeling flat."

While I completely respect that someone might not care for the Matilda score, saying it is "stylistically homogenous" and "rhythmically simple" seems disingenuous, at best. Especially considering that you hold the Kinky Boots score in such rapturous regard.

You can honestly say that you think songs like "Bruce", "Loud", and "When I Grow Up" are homogenous? Not passing the smell test.

[wicked4l]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:35am

The CD has been leaked for a few days now! Someone instagrammed that they were listening to it!

[Theater'sBestFriend]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:35am

"You can honestly say that you think songs like "Bruce", "Loud", and "When I Grow Up" are homogenous?"

Thank you for letting me clarify. I very much respect the lyrics. I was speaking compositionally, in terms of melodic cadence (predominance of tonic, dominant, subdominant) and rhythmically. That is my recollection. Please correct me if I am wrong, though.

[Theater'sBestFriend]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:45am

Also, I was responding to the perception that Kinky Boots's score and lyrics aren't as sophisticated as Matilda's. I guess I have a weak spot for the occasional diminished 7th chord.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 11:49am

Cyndi and Harvy are on Theater Talk this week. She's a hoot and totally overwhelming.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 12:10pm

That was fabulous! Will they hand Cyndi a box of kleenexes when she wins?

[Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 12:15pm

I love how Cyndi seems genuinely shocked but incredibly excited at the success of Kinky Boots. I wonder will this open more doors for her as a Broadway composer?

[Up In One]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 12:35pm

Matilda's score is very much of a piece of the whole work but the score when listened to alone only registered to me as involving musically and lyrically a few times. Before seeing the show I had made a short playlist for my iPhone from the OCR which was made up of Naughty, When I Grow Up and Revolting Children. Since seeing the show I added Miracle (although I intend to edit out the whole doctor section which I find painfully generic) School Song, Bruce and Quiet. Those last songs I added because it helps me relive a physical moment not because I think they are any more interesting since the first hearing.

Minchin was known as a comic, satirist with a clever command of language, I was very impressed with his ability to compliment the story and not stand out but his comedy cadence doesn't have the same payoff in the musical as his stand up routines. They seem to ramble on. But they were saved by brilliantly clever staging.

I was lucky to get my hands on a recording of a Kinky Boots workshop and was immediately taken by the score. The two songs that I wasn't crazy about have been cut so the OCR will line up with the playlist I've been enjoying for the past year. My initial criticism of Cyndi's score was that there were a few too many, top 40 like vamps where single lines are repeated. But here too the book action and staging filled in the vamp time. Cyndi recently leaked a few tracks from the OCR and The Sex Is In The Heel was beautifully abbreviated into something close to a hit single. It will be interesting to see if the entire recording is treated that way. It will certainly add to the popularity of the recording. That takes me back to the listen-ability of both scores with Kinky Boots coming away more successful than Matilda's. One you can enjoy as part of watching the production while the other can be enjoyed before, during and after more thoroughly.

[Theater'sBestFriend]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 1:13pm

Up In One's explanation makes complete sense.

I have total respect for Matilda -- I think it's a great show, and stiff competition. I went to it expecting and hoping to love it based on what I'd read. I'm just trying to understand the reason for the special audience love of Kinky Boots that others mentioned. Perhaps there are still other explanations.

[lillebjorn]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 1:19pm

KathyNYC2 and Ohjustjake. I agree with you in that the sound on Matilda is poor and affects the clarity on some songs. I'm very happy that Matilda wasn't nominated for best sound.
The accents aren't part of the problem, though. The consensus amongst professionals that I know - casting, actors, directors, producers... - is that the accents on Matilda are very good. Sorme even said excellent.
On listening to the OCR, the kids are singing loud at the top of their ranges and that, when aggravated by the poor sound design, might be making some songs harder to hear.. Which is a shame because I personally like the score and think it is more varied than KB and has some really interesting lyrics.
Best Score will be one of the more interesting results on June 9th.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 2:09pm

Let me clarify my earlier comments about the accents. What I said about the accents being "uneven"..I didn't mean they were POORLY done. I meant that not everyone is using the same exact accent, some sounded more straight proper English, while some sounded more slang or cockney to me (and believe me I am not trying to sound knowledgeable about the many specific sounds of the English language that appear in Great Britain).

So for the untrained American ear that I have, it was difficult to understand all the words because the various actors I heard were using accents that were different from each other, not that they were not accurate...and that takes a little getting used to. And that's a general statement about accents, not only about accents in Matilda. Add that to the generally poor sound, and I was lost at times.



Updated On: 5/19/13 at 02:09 PM

[once a month]

Posted: 5/19/13 at 8:50pm

Hate to say that I was bored, couldn't wait
for it to end. Loved the drag queens but felt the production to be too formulaic for my tastes. Sorry but I found found La Cage aux Folles, Hairspray and even Priscilla more endearingly fun. Wasn't thrilled with Matilda either, until I saw Kinky Boots.

[Tommy10]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 3:57am

I saw both Kinky Boots and Matilda a couple of weeks back and I left Matilda feeling like I'd been deafened for three hours, but at the same time really struggled to understand the lyrics and dialogue. I'm not sure how much this has to do with accents or the actors' articulation…. I found the British accents quite authentic, just somehow mostly unintelligible.

There were British accents in Kinky Boots too, but every word was audible, even with some pretty intricate lyrics. I guess it's a sound design thing… Kinky Boots was loud and exciting, everything was clear, but it also didn't feel like we were being pinned to our seats by sound the whole time.

I really enjoyed the Kinky Boots score, there are a couple songs that have been stuck in my head since I saw it... bring on the OCR. Some of Matilda's score was good too, I just didn't connect with it in the same way.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 6:26am

BEST MUSICAL on Broadway!

[musicalfool]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:01am

I have to say, I wasn't impressed when I saw Matilda, but I think it was the issue of huge expectations = letdown. I have the ORC and the more I listen to it, the more I like it.

However, I had an absolutely terrific time at Kinky Boots (here it was low expectations = good time!). I think Matilda is the "smarter" show but Kinky was endlessly more entertaining. Hopefully there is room for both kinds of shows on Broadway.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:12am

I am totally glad I attended both.

And if it wasn't so expensive and hard to get tickets, I would like to see some of the other Matilda actresses in the part to see how that might change my experience there. I am sure they are all good but different I am sure.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:20am

Excuse me but the title of this thread is "Everybody's Talking About Kinky Boots" not "Everybody's Talking About the Differences Between Kinky Boots and Other Musicals."

If you wish to discuss other musicals, you can do so in many other threads.

In this thread, everybody's talking about Kinky Boots!

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 12:29pm

Sorry..my apologies. That's what I get for sneaking in a post at work when I should have been working. Didn't pay attention. : (

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:37pm

Apologies accepted.