Borrobil wrote:I don’t hold any such expectations on a show resorting to Union Jack Flaunting and Yeoman Warder insulting steriotypes.
Well, the musical version of Kinky Boots (adapted from a British movie of the same name) originated on the West End, not on Broadway. The numbers in the medley originated in the British show, and I assume the costuming did as well. Again, perhaps someone who saw it during its London run can enlighten us.
I have seen the movie, but I must add that I have not had an opportunity to see the musical. From what I know from the movie, the premise of the boots in the story is that the drag queens, being men, are having a very difficult time finding high heels and boots to wear in their shows because women's shoes/boots do not come in sizes they can use. The new owner of a failing men's shoe factory known for very conservative styles (who has inherited the business from his father), seizes an opportunity to keep his factory open and his staff from losing their jobs by working with the main character, "Lola," to create footwear to meet his and his fellow performers' needs. It turns out to be a win/win for both sides, since the factory stays open, the performers get their footwear, and people's minds are broadened in the process. So as far as I know, the story itself is not actually about fetishism, although the wikipedia article refers to the footwear as "fetish-style" footwear, hence the word "Kinky" as part of the brand name and the title of the show.