Star of Moonlight’s ‘Kinky Boots’ says he hopes the upbeat musical open people’s minds, hearts

Lukas Poost, left, and Terry LaVell rehearse for Moonlight Stage Productions' "Kinky Boots."

Moonlight’s season-closing production marks the San Diego regional premiere of the Tony-winning musical

Sept. 9, 2022 5 AM PT

It’s no overstatement to say that Terry LaVell, who plays the drag queen Lola in Moonlight Stage Productions’ upcoming “Kinky Boots,” is an internationally renowned performer.

Just take a look at LaVell’s Instagram page, where he regularly files videos from cities all over the world. For the past seven years — excluding the first year of the pandemic — LaVell has been the star of “Spectra’s Cabaret,” a long-running variety show on Royal Caribbean’s globe-sailing Anthem of the Seas cruise ship. Whenever the ship isn’t at sea, LaVell likes to book a show on land. And this month, that show is “Kinky Boots,” which opens Wednesday at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista.

LaVell is reprising the role of Lola, which he first performed in 2019 at the Gateway Theatre in Long Island, N.Y. That production was directed by Larry Raben and choreographed by Peggy Hickey. Raben and Hickey have re-teamed for Moonlight’s season-closing production of “Kinky Boots” and they have recruited several alumni of the Gateway production, including Lukas Poost, who is reprising the lead role of Charlie Price.

Terry LaVell, center, rehearses with the dance cast of Moonlight Stage Productions' "Kinky Boots."

With a score by pop singer Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein, “Kinky Boots” is based on the 2005 British film of the same name. The musical won six Tony Awards in 2013, including Best Musical and Best Score.

“Kinky Boots” is about an English shoe-making company facing closure as it passes into the hands of its reluctant, 20something heir, Charlie Price. No one wants to buy the century-old company’s sturdy but boring men’s shoes, so Charlie gets a brainstorm to have the factory fill an unserved market niche by making sturdy, high-heeled fetish boots for cross-dressers.

His inspiration is Lola, a drag queen he meets on a London street with an untapped flair for design. That’s the set-up for what’s essentially a roller-coaster friendship story about two unlikely business partners who ride their flashy platform boots to international success in the fashion world.

LaVell said he loves the musical’s positive and inclusive message, and he likes how Lola — whose offstage name is Simon, a heterosexual boxing enthusiast — defies stereotypes.

“There’s a line in the show that’s so profoundly powerful: ‘You can change the world if you change your mind,’” LaVell said. “You come out of our show with an attitude to open your mind to new possibility and not judge people for what you see on the outside. There are so many levels and dynamics to this role. People are going to be so surprised about it. We take you on a love journey of acceptance.”

LaVell’s favorite moment in the show is when Lola/Simon sings the second-act ballad “Hold Me In Your Heart,” a plea to his ailing father to accept him for who he is. LaVell said he delivers that song as a love letter to his own dad, who is a church bishop in LaVell’s native New Orleans. Unlike Simon’s dad, LaVell’s father has always supported this son’s performing career, including flying up to attend LaVell’s Broadway debut in “La Cage aux Folles” at the Longacre Theatre in 2011.

Raised in his father’s church choir, LaVell began performing onstage at age 6 and studied theater and dance at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He spent 18 months performing at theme parks in Orlando before landing his first cruise ship gig with Royal Caribbean as a singer/dancer. Then in 2003 he moved to New York City and later Japan, Los Angeles and Las Vegas for stage work. He also did two national touring shows and, finally, Broadway. Then, seven years ago Royal Caribbean called again and offered LaVell the androgynous title role in “Spectra’s Cabaret,” which has allowed him to the see the world many times over.

“I’ve lived my dreams,” he said. “I’ve been able to work in so many facets of the entertainment industry.”