Ten years ago, Cyndi Lauper — that “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” 1980s pop icon with pinkish-purplish hair, dressed in feathers and striped leggings, and with a high-pitched voice with a Bronx accent that could melt the metal off a subway car — visited Southern Oregon. She put on an exceptional show with a great backup band and orchestra.

It was obvious she had taken to the road to promote her new musical “Kinky Boots” which had just opened on Broadway. The show eventually went on to win six Tony awards, including Best Musical. Having written the music and lyrics, she also won Best Score, making her the first woman to win solely in that category. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she partnered with an extraordinary talent in his own right, Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book for the musical. She was also joined by a musical composition team.

Curled up on the stage that evening between songs, Lauper began to share stories with us from “Cindy Lauper: A Memoir.” Stories about what she believes in: unconditional love, songwriting and the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. Stories that carry over to this musical. It was everything one could imagine — intimate, revealing — but the audience, which was more focused on sampling the local wines, catcalling and talking through her songs, just weren’t getting it.

We’ve been given a second chance of sorts, if not to experience Lauper, to experience her joyous, incredibly energetic musical, “Kinky Boots,” now playing at the Oregon Cabaret Theatre through September.

What a gift we have in this simple but celebratory musical, which is upbeat and at times poignant and timely. We can at least savor all the ideas she tried to put forth that evening — working through fear, choosing the right path, self-acceptance. It’s all bundled up in a touching story that reminds us we often have more in common than we think we do.

In this high-heeled, over-the-top musical with a high-kicking, flamboyant, larger than life drag queen — excuse me — Diva named Lola, played by Miss Jaye, we have it all. Struttin’ her stuff with her backup ensemble of performing “angels,” who sing and dance their way into your heart, Miss Jaye is so good, she almost out-drags herself.

But let’s back up for a second — which Miss Jaye, like Ginger Rogers, is also good at doing in heels.

The idea for “Kinky Boots” comes from a 2005 British film of the same name. The film was inspired by a true event where a young man is charged with saving his father’s shoe factory.

In this iteration, the son’s name is Charlie. He has been dreaming of going off to seek his fortune in real estate with his pushy fiancé, Nicola, well-played by Deanna Ott, when his father, (subtly played by August Gabriel) owner of Pierce and Son Shoes, a shoe manufacturing company in Northampton, England, suddenly dies. Charlie is now faced with a classic dilemma — to take on the family business or follow his dreams.

Charlie was played for this performance by Alex Figueroa. Figueroa’s got the voice, the lost boyish look and charm needed to endear us to his dilemma. Two lively songs “The Most Beautiful Thing in the World” and “Take What You’ve Got,” lay out the next moves Charlie decides to make to save the jobs of the people he thinks of as family.

Charlie and Lola the drag queen make the most unlikely of collaborators when they — spurred on by Lauren, an assembly line worker (with a crush on Charlie) played in fine voice by Gracie Jurcyzk — come up with the idea of foot fetish wear for men. It’s a kinky boot that comes in outrageous colors, with a stable heel to hold the weight of a man. They melodically explain, “The Sex is in the Heel,” and before you know it, they’re off to compete in Milan, but not without some challenges along the way.

Lola gets lured into a boxing match where she finds herself facing off with the shoe factory foreman, Don. Actor Alex Boyles makes himself vulnerable and teachable in the role of Don, who learns aggressiveness and showmanship are defensive actions that do not necessarily “make the man.” He also learns all his posturing may not necessarily be “What a Woman Wants.” The choreography for the boxing sequence is a surprise, the outcome, even better. 

Lola, who is really the alter ego of a man named Simon by birth, and Charlie find healing, too, when they realize that in rejecting their fathers’ plans for them, they have become the people they want to be. This is illustrated in the musical’s most touching song, “Not My Father’s Son.”

As is often the case with the Cabaret, the ensemble cast of 16 on-cue performers, including Brianna Gowland as Pat and Austin Robert Miller as Harry, is excellent.

It is always a wonder how a production team — in this case director/choreographer Keenon Hooks, Artistic Director Valerie Rachelle, scenic designer Joe Klug and imaginative costume designer Kristie Mattsson, among many others — can fit so much action onto such a small stage. One is also wondering where the strong musical accompaniment behind the songs is actually coming from, since Musical Director Mike Wilkins and Freeman Sound Studio seem to be the only person and entity mentioned in the program.

As for British accents, there’s sort of a hint there with some of them a bit questionable, but the production gets by simply because the accents aren’t the focus of the story. If it were Dickens, we might have a problem.

On a more serious note, the art of drag, which can be traced back to Harlem over 100 years, is in jeopardy in this country, with proposed legislation in several states, that could make drag performances or children’s witnessing of drag (even at several libraries who have been hosting drag queens for storytelling time) a misdemeanor or even a felony. With rights to artistic and personal gender expression becoming increasingly at risk, future support of presentations such as this is well worth consideration.

As for this production of Kinky Boots — the cast sings it best — “It’s Beautiful Charlie, it’s beautiful.”

The Oregon Cabaret Theatre, 241 Hargadine St., Ashland, will hold performances of “Kinky Boots” through Sept. 3. Tickets are $43, $39 or $29. Student rush tickets are $15 and can be purchased 30 minutes before curtain with valid ID, subject to availability. Group discounts are also available. Tickets and information are available at oregoncabaret.com or by calling 541-488-2902. Reservations are required for pre-show dinner and brunch.