Kinky Boots OBCR -- EW First Listen- Page 3

[binau]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 11:11pm

I really hope Matilda takes the Tony for best score. I can't see any moments in Kinky Boots that can match "Naughty", "Quiet" or "When I Grow Up". If Kinky is the better production overall then so be it - take the award for Best Musical - but I don't think it's the better score. At least, based on the recordings.

[John Adams]

Posted: 6/3/13 at 9:20am

^^
I feel the same.
"Best Musical" is such a subjective category. More and more, it's become a choice made for financial/political reasons rather than artistic merit, or technical criteria. If "it made me feel good-er than Matilda" keeps the show open longer, and sells more tickets on Broadway and on tour, I'm happy for its success.

[GilmoreGirlO2]

Posted: 6/3/13 at 10:45am

Gave this a listen this weekend. The production quality is muddy, but, aside from that, I was reminded again how mediocre these songs are. I would find myself enjoying a bit of music and wanting the song to continue to build, but, unfortunately, it would remain the same melody over and over again (“Take What You Got,” in particular – I really enjoy the melody line, but the song just plateaus and I find myself having a hard time listening through the end). I now remember why all of these songs ran together in my head after I saw the show – these songs don’t make enough of an impact to stand on their own. Many of these songs remind me of back in the 90s when many pop songs would fade out at the end and, at some point, you would switch to the next song because the chorus just kept playing over and over until it fully faded out. But, with these songs, there is no fade so you are forced to listen to the repetition over and over.

I also found that the songs I was able to enjoy while listening were the ones I was able to picture the choreography to (such as “Everybody Say Yeah”), not the music itself. (“History of Wrong Guys” also shows that what makes the song so entertaining and funny is Annaleigh’s interpretation, as opposed to the song itself.)

I, unfortunately, have a feeling Lauper will win for Best Score – everyone seems so excited that she was able to write songs that work okay for a musical, that she is getting extra praise for her work.

My biggest complaint with this score is that it is so generic it does not forward the plot much or give us much insight to the characters. Between this, the lyrics, and the musicality, the “Kinky” score cannot stand up next to the “Matilda” score. If “Kinky” wins, I feel it is more an award for Lauper’s efforts than for the actual score.