The new musical Kinky Boots just officially opened in Chicago before heading to New York City.
The show tells the story of young Charlie Price, who inherits his father's shoe factory and finds inspiration from entertainer Lola—played by Billy Porter, who comes from a strong Broadway background with shows such as Miss Saigon, Grease and Dreamgirls. His television appearances include The Big C and Law & Order. Porter has even recorded his own album—Untitled, At The Corner of Broadway & Soul—with a song ("Time") that was featured on the reality-competition show So You Think You Can Dance.
Windy City Times went backstage to get to know the man behind the make-up, learning about shaving, drag and who the basis for Lola is.
Windy City Times: Hi, Billy. It was great seeing the show last night.
Billy Porter: Thank you.
WCT: How did you get connected with Kinky Boots in the first place?
Billy Porter: First of all, I have known Jerry Mitchell for over 20 years so I called him on the phone. When they were talking about making this into a musical about four or five years ago, I called him and told him I wanted that part.
WCT: That must be nice to be able to do.
Billy Porter: Well, I had to audition. At the time, many people thought I had retired. I was writing and directing so I was more behind the scenes. I decided I needed to be aggressive, with me not performing anymore. I had to make it known that I wanted to do it.
WCT: So why weren't you performing?
Billy Porter: There was a time eight years ago that I took a step back. I wanted to reassess the trajectory of my career. I discovered that if I was going to change where it was heading that I needed to find out a different way of doing things.
I started writing and directing. I didn't feel there was a lot of material available for people like me that was unoccupied. So that was what I was doing at the time that this musical, this idea for it came around. So that is why I threw my hat in the ring, as it were.
WCT: How does it feel to be performing again?
Billy Porter: Well, they were able to get me to come back to the New York stage with Angels in America; that was about a year and a half ago. This was a reintroduction into it for me. This is everything that I wanted to do. It is the type of work that I have always wanted to be involved in. It is an important message and something that is singular. I feel very honored to be a key player.
WCT: Is Lola modeled after someone in your life?
Billy Porter: Me. I lived it sans the drag. Everything but the drag I have lived with this character, as an African-American gay Christian man in this world. It is very close to me. Spiritually I get her, I just have to put on a wig, a dress and high heels to tell the story, but that is all right. [Laughs]
WCT: Had you done drag before?
Billy Porter: Yeah, but not to this extent. I had dressed up for Halloween. I had done a couple of plays, or scenes from a play but I have never played an actual gender illusionist by trade.
WCT: How long does it take you to get ready, shave and everything?
Billy Porter: I shave in the morning. My face is very sensitive. I shave early to give my pores a chance to close. It probably takes about an hour. I hope to get it down to a half-hour.
WCT: Was the accent hard?
Billy Porter: It is not that difficult. I studied at Carnegie Mellon for dialects class. I have a good ear for sounds. That accent is in my wheelhouse, unlike cockney, which is really hard for me. Luckily, I don't to do that! Australian is very hard for me, also.
WCT: Those are tricky.
Billy Porter: My standard British one is pretty okay.
WCT: "I'm Not My Father's Son" is so emotional. People were crying in the audience.
Billy Porter: They are? Well, that is good to know.
WCT: Several gay fellas in particular told me how they were moved by that number in particular.
Billy Porter: That song is very dear to me. That was the first song that I actually heard from the show and I knew that I had to do Kinky Boots after hearing it. It says everything that I always wanted to say to my father. It is done so beautifully. Cyndi Lauper wrote such an amazing score.
WCT: You have a Whitney Houston moment in the second act. Was that inspired by her?
Billy Porter: I think that Cyndi wrote music that invokes a particular type of feeling. That song is a classic, Whitney Houston-esque power ballad for me. I am not one that has many idols, but if there were ever an idol that I have had in show business it would be Whitney Houston. The fact that we lost her this year and she meant so much to me helped me to decide to go all the way there with that song.
WCT: Are you a RuPaul's Drag Race fan?
Billy Porter: I do watch the show but I try to stay away from reality-television show craze because I find it to be slightly toxic. Too much of it gets on my nerves but I have seen RuPaul's Drag Race.
WCT: What are you doing for Halloween?
Billy Porter: I will be doing a show, then coming out and going to bed! I have to rest my voice.
WCT: How is your voice holding up?
Billy Porter: It is really good. We wanted to make sure that we created this role in a range that felt comfortable for me so that I wouldn't have to reach for anything. I have to do it for eight shows a week and not feel like I am leaving my vocal chords on the stage every night.
I sing the songs through in a key that felt comfortable but then took it down in another step and a half. When we started out everything was uncomfortably low for me and uncharacteristically low for anybody that knows how I used to sing earlier in my career. It has served me well because my body has gotten me used to lower keys; now I can just show up and not have to worry about it. It is in the set-up. You have to know what is required of you. Luckily we are building the show so it is being built on me. I am not going into a place to fill somebody else's shoes. The shoes are mine!
Kinky Boots the Musical is currently running at Bank of America Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., until Nov. 4. Visit www.broadwayinchicago.com for tickets today.
