Kinky Boots (musical)
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''Kinky Boots'' is a
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
with music and lyrics by
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
and book by
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in ''Torch Song Trilogy'' and ''Hairspray'' and movie roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', '' Independence Day'', and ...
. Based on the 2005 British film '' Kinky Boots'', written by
Geoff Deane Modern Romance is a British pop music band that found popularity in the early 1980s. Formed in 1980 by previous members of an earlier band, the Leyton Buzzards, the band achieved a string of UK chart hits before the original band broke up in 1 ...
and
Tim Firth Tim Firth (born 13 October 1964) is an English dramatist, screenwriter and songwriter. Life and career Firth was born in Frodsham, England. He spent much of his time at school writing songs and it was only a few weeks before going to Cambrid ...
and mostly inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price. Having inherited a shoe factory from his father, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all. Following the show's conception in 2006, the creative team was assembled by 2010. The original production of ''Kinky Boots'' premiered at the
Bank of America Theatre CIBC Theatre is a performing arts theater located at 18 West Monroe Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. It is operated by Broadway In Chicago, part of the Nederlander Organization. Opened in 1906 as the ''Majestic Theatre'', it currently ...
in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
in October 2012, with both direction and choreography by
Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. Early life and education Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not g ...
, and starring Stark Sands and Billy Porter as Charlie and Lola, respectively. It made its Broadway debut at the
Al Hirschfeld Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish an ...
on April 4, 2013, following previews that began on March 3, 2013. The musical began a US tour in 2014. The Broadway production ended on April 7, 2019. Having initially been less well received by theatre critics and at the box office than another 2013 Broadway production, ''
Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', simply known as ''Matilda'' or ''Matilda the Musical'', is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, based on the 1988 novel ''Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narrative c ...
'', ''Kinky Boots'' entered the 2013 awards season as an underdog. However, less than a month after opening, ''Kinky Boots'' surpassed this rival with audiences in weekly box office gross and later enjoyed a post-Tony boost in advance sales. The production earned a season-high 13 nominations and 6 Tony wins, including Best Musical, Best Actor for Billy Porter and Best Score for Lauper in her first outing as a Broadway songwriter, making her the first woman to win alone in that category. The musical's cast album premiered at number one on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Cast Albums Chart and number fifty-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Making its West End debut in 2015, in 2016, it won three
Laurence Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
, including Best New Musical.


Background and creation

''Kinky Boots'' is based on the 2005 British film of the same name, which was in turn inspired by a 1999 episode of the
BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
documentary television series ''
Trouble at the Top ''Trouble at the Top'' was a business-based BBC television fly on the wall documentary broadcast on BBC2. The series focussed on business failings or disputes between business people. Mainly the series depicted half-hour documentaries on large b ...
''. It followed the true story of Steve Pateman, who was struggling to save his family-run shoe factory from closure and decided to produce fetish footwear for men, under the brand name "Divine Footwear". Daryl Roth, a
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
-winning producer, saw the film at the 2006
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
and fell in love with its "heart and soul". She felt that its themes resonated and thought that the story had potential as source material for a musical. Independently, Hal Luftig saw the film in London and agreed "that its heart and humanity (and bigger-than-life leading 'lady') would translate well to musical theatre." Within a year, Roth secured the rights to adapt the film to the stage and partnered with Luftig, a Tony and
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
-winning producer. By mid-2008, Roth and Luftig were in discussions with a potential director,
Jerry Mitchell Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. Early life and education Born in Paw Paw, Michigan, Mitchell later moved to St. Louis where he pursued his acting, dancing and directing career in theatre. Although he did not g ...
, but they still had not found writers. When Roth sent Mitchell the DVD of the film, he was enthusiastic about it. Roth and Luftig hired Mitchell to direct and
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is best known for his theater work in ''Torch Song Trilogy'' and ''Hairspray'' and movie roles in ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', '' Independence Day'', and ...
to write the book. Mitchell knew that Fierstein and
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
were friends, and he thought they would make a good team to create the musical. Fierstein agreed and eventually approached Lauper to write the songs because he "saw in the adaptation an opportunity to work with someone with a big musical range, 'somebody who could write club music,' ... along with show tunes." Lauper joined the creative team in June 2010. Lauper's last project before ''Kinky Boots'' had been the album ''
Memphis Blues The Memphis blues is a style of blues music created from the 1910s to the 1930s by musicians in the Memphis area, such as Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie. The style was popular in vaudeville and medicine shows a ...
'', while Fierstein was working on '' Newsies'' when he began ''Kinky Boots''. The work marked Lauper's debut as a musical theatre songwriter, although she had some theatrical experience, having performed on Broadway in the 2006
Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabet ...
production of ''
The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...
''. Among Fierstein's prior experiences were works about
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
s: '' La Cage aux Folles'' and ''
Torch Song Trilogy ''Torch Song Trilogy'' is a collection of three plays by Harvey Fierstein rendered in three acts: ''International Stud'', ''Fugue in a Nursery'', and ''Widows and Children First!'' The story centers on Arnold Beckoff, a Jewish homosexual, drag ...
''. Lauper has said that she identifies with drag queens. Fierstein and Lauper had both gained previous critical acclaim and honors in their respective fields. Fierstein had won four Tonys: acting and writing awards for ''Torch Song Trilogy'', an acting Tony for ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...
'', and one for writing the book of ''La Cage''; Lauper is a chart-topping singer-songwriter and actress who had won
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
,
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
and many other awards for her songs and performances. Fierstein noted a change in focus between the film "about the saving of a factory" and the musical, which include "drag queens singing as they pass along the assembly line." He said the main difference is that the musical is, "at its core, about two young men who come from seemingly opposite worlds who figure out that they have a lot in common, beginning with the need to stand up to their dads." Lauper's inspirations ranged from the musicals '' South Pacific'' and ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
'' to
Aaron Copland Aaron Copland (, ; November 14, 1900December 2, 1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later a conductor of his own and other American music. Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as "the Dean of American Com ...
's ''
Appalachian Spring ''Appalachian Spring'' is a musical composition by Aaron Copland that was premiered in 1944 and has achieved widespread and enduring popularity as an orchestral suite. The music, scored for a thirteen-member chamber orchestra, was created upon c ...
'' and pop singer
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
. In a broadcast interview with Patrick Healy of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', Lauper and Fierstein said that, in adapting the film, they stressed themes of community and the universality of the father-son bond as vehicles to explore the issues of tolerance and self-acceptance. ''Kinky Boots'' was given a reading on October 6, 2011. Lauper was actively engaged in refining the material once the cast began readings. In January 2012, Roth announced that the show would be workshopped that month, and that Stark Sands and Billy Porter had been cast in the starring roles. In August 2012, the producers announced the Broadway opening date of April 4, 2013.


Synopsis


Act 1

Charlie Price grows up as the fourth-generation "son" in his family business, Price & Son, a shoe manufacturing company with its factory in
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
. Another young boy, growing up in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, is as fascinated by shoes as Charlie is bored by them. But in this case, it is a pair of red women's heels that have attracted his attention, aggravating his strict father. Years pass. Charlie's father is aging and hopes Charlie will take over the factory. Still, Charlie is eager to move to London with his status-conscious fiancée, Nicola, and pursue a real estate career ("The Most Beautiful Thing"). Charlie has barely made it into his new flat in London when his father dies suddenly. Charlie hurries home for the funeral, where he finds the factory near bankruptcy. The factory makes good quality men's shoes, but they are not stylish and not cheap, and the market for them is drying up. Charlie is determined to save the factory and his father's legacy, though he has no desire to run Price & Sons himself. The workers, many of whom have known Charlie his entire life, do not understand why Charlie moved away in the first place, and many are hostile and skeptical of the new management. Returning to London, Charlie meets his friend and fellow shoe salesman, Harry, in a pub to ask for help. Harry can only offer a temporary solution and advises Charlie not to fight the inevitable ("Take What You Got"). Leaving the pub, Charlie witnesses a woman being accosted by two drunks. He intervenes and is knocked unconscious. He comes to in a seedy nightclub, where the woman he attempted to rescue is revealed to have been the club's
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part o ...
headliner, Lola, who performs with her backup troupe of drag dancers, the "angels" ("Land of Lola"). Recuperating from his ordeal in Lola's dressing room, an uncomfortable Charlie notices the performers' high-heeled boots are not designed to hold a man's weight. Lola explains that the expensive and unreliable footwear is an essential part of any drag act. Charlie returns to the factory and begins reluctantly laying off his workers. Lauren, one of the women on the assembly line, explodes at Charlie when given her notice and stubbornly tells him that other struggling shoe factories have survived by entering an "underserved niche market." This gives Charlie an idea ("Land of Lola" ), and he invites Lola to come to the factory to help him design a women's boot that can be comfortable for a man ("Charlie's Soliloquy"/"Step One"). Lola and the angels arrive at the factory, and she is immediately dissatisfied with Charlie's first design of the boot. Quickly getting the women of the factory on her side, she draws a quick design of a boot, explaining the most important factor is by far the heel ("The Sex is in the Heel"). George, the factory manager, realizes a way to make her design practical. An impressed Charlie begs Lola to stay until a prestigious footwear show in Milan in three weeks to design a new line of "kinky boots" that could save the factory. Lola is reluctant since she is already receiving crass comments from Don, the factory foreman, and some of the other factory workers but is flattered by Charlie's praise and finally agrees. Charlie announces that the factory will be moving ahead with production on the boots. He thanks Lauren for giving him the idea and offers her a promotion. She accepts and is horrified but thrilled to realize she is falling for him ("The History of Wrong Guys"). The next day, Lola shows up in men's clothes and is mocked by Don and his friends. An upset Lola takes refuge in the bathroom, and Charlie attempts to comfort her. Lola explains that her father trained her as a boxer but disowned her when she showed up for a match in drag. The two discover their similarly complex feelings toward their fathers, and Lola introduces herself by her birth name: Simon ("Not My Father's Son"). Nicola and her boss Richard Bailey arrive from London and present Charlie with a plan for the factory that Richard has drawn up: closing it and converting it into condominiums. Charlie refuses but is shocked to discover that his father had agreed to this plan before he died, presumably because Charlie was not there to run it. He refuses to sell, and soon the workers are celebrating as the first pair of "kinky boots" is finished ("Everybody Say Yeah").


Act 2

Some of the factory workers are not enthusiastic about the radical change in their product line. Some of them, especially the intimidating Don, make Lola feel very unwelcome. Lola taunts him back, enlisting the female factory workers' help to prove that Lola is closer to a woman's ideal man than Don ("What a Woman Wants"). Lola presents Don with a unique wager to see who is the better "man": Lola will do anything that Don specifies if Don will do the same thing for her. Don's challenge is for Lola to fight him in a boxing match at the pub. Charlie, remembering Lola's background, is horrified. Lola easily scores against Don in the ring but ultimately lets Don win the match ("In This Corner"). Afterward, Don asks why she let him win, and Lola replies that she could not be so cruel as to humiliate Don in front of his mates. She gives him her part of the challenge: "accept someone for who they are." Charlie is pouring his own money into the factory to ensure it will be ready in time for Milan, and he is getting frantic that the product is not right, angrily forcing his staff to redo what he considers to be shoddy work. Nicola arrives, fed up with Charlie's obsession over the factory, and breaks up with him. Lola has been making some decisions about production and preparations without consulting Charlie. When he discovers that she has decided to have her angels wear the boots on the runway rather than hiring professional models, an overwhelmed Charlie lashes out at her, humiliating her in front of the other workers. Lola storms out, and the factory workers go home. Alone, Charlie struggles with the weight of his father's legacy and what it means to be his own man ("Soul of a Man"). Lauren finds Charlie and tells him to come back to the factory. It is revealed Don has persuaded the workers to return to work and to sacrifice a week's pay to ensure the boots can be finished in time for Milan. Charlie is astonished and grateful and asks if Don has paid up on his wager by accepting Lola. Lauren explains that the person that Don has accepted is Charlie himself. As he heads to the airport for Milan, Charlie leaves a heartfelt apology on Lola's voicemail. Meanwhile, Lola performs her act at a nursing home in her home town. After she leaves the stage, she speaks to her dying father, who uses a wheelchair, and reaches a sense of closure ("Hold Me in Your Heart"). Charlie and Lauren arrive in Milan. But without models, Charlie is forced to walk the runway himself. Lauren is thrilled by his dedication ("The History of Wrong Guys (Reprise)"), but the show threatens to be a disaster. Just as all seems lost, Lola and her angels arrive to save the day. Lauren and Charlie share their first kiss, and the whole company celebrates the success of the "Kinky Boots" ("Raise You Up/Just Be").


Music

In Lauper's first effort at writing for the stage, she found that it required a sustained effort to write songs for the different characters. Lauper joked about the difficulty of writing her first score: "How much of a stretch is it for me to write songs about fashion, funny relationships, people changing their minds and shoes?" The first song that Lauper wrote was the opening number, which included a wide range of voices. Her process was to conceive a song and sing it into her iPhone, and orchestrator Stephen Oremus would write it down. Oremus would then "'blow up' the vocal line into harmonies, create the
incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...
that linked scenes and songs" and orchestrate the material. The songs range in style "from pop to funk to new wave to tango, with highly personal lyrics". ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' critic Melena Ryzik wrote: "Though there are plenty of hooky, rousing numbers, the emotional heart of ''Kinky Boots'' is several ballads about the weight of parental expectations." The musical uses a twelve-piece orchestra consisting of keyboards, percussion, bass, guitars, reeds, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, and trombone. On August 30, 2017, songwriters
Benny Mardones Ruben Armand "Benny" Mardones (November 9, 1946 – June 29, 2020) was an American pop/rock singer and songwriter who was best known for his hit single " Into the Night", which hit the top 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart twice, in 1980 ( ...
and
Robert Tepper Robert Tepper (born May 30, 1950) is an American songwriter, recording artist and singer, best known for his chart-topper, hit song "No Easy Way Out" from the ''Rocky IV'' motion picture Rocky IV (soundtrack), soundtrack. He is also known for co- ...
sued Cyndi Lauper for lifting elements from their song “ Into the Night” for ''Kinky Boots''’ final song “Raise You Up.” The judge referred the case to a mediator, but no settlement was reached.


Musical numbers

;Broadway ; Act I * "Price & Son Theme" – Ensemble * "The Most Beautiful Thing" – Mr. Price, Young Charlie, Nicola, Charlie, Young Lola, Company * "Take What You Got" – Harry, Charlie, Ensemble * "Land of Lola" – Lola, Angels * "Land of Lola (Reprise)" – Lola, Angels‡ * "Charlie's Soliloquy" – Charlie * "Step One" – Charlie * "Sex Is in the Heel" – Lola, Pat, George, Angels, Lauren, Charlie, Ensemble * "The History of Wrong Guys" – Lauren * "Not My Father's Son" – Simon, Charlie * "Everybody Say Yeah" – Charlie, Simon, Company ; Act II * "Entr’acte/Price & Son Theme (Reprise)" – Ensemble‡ * "What a Woman Wants" – Simon, Pat, Trish, Don, Women * "In This Corner" – Simon, Don, Pat, Trish, Ensemble * "Charlie's Soliloquy (Reprise)" – Charlie * "The Soul of a Man" – Charlie * "Hold Me in Your Heart" – Lola * "The History of Wrong Guys (Reprise)" – Lauren‡ * "Raise You Up/Just Be" – Lola, Charlie, Angels, Lauren, Don, Pat, Trish, Nicola, Company : ‡Song not included on original Broadway cast album or West End cast Recording. ;Chicago ; Act I * "Price & Son Theme" – Full Company * "The Most Beautiful Thing" – Full Company * "Take What You Got" – Harry, Charlie, Ensemble * "Land of Lola" – Lola, Angels * "Beware the Black Widow" — Lola, Angels * "I Come to the Rescue" – Charlie * "Sex Is in the Heel" – Lola, Pat, George, Angels, Ensemble * "The History of Wrong Guys" – Lauren * "Not My Father's Son" – Simon, Charlie * "Everybody Say Yeah" – Charlie, Simon, Angels, Ensemble ; Act II * "Entr’acte/Price & Son Theme (Reprise)" – Full Company * "What a Woman Wants" – Simon, Pat, Don, Ensemble * "In This Corner" — Simon, Don, Pat, Trish, Angels, Ensemble * "So Long, Charlie" – Nicola * "The Soul of a Man" – Charlie * "Hold Me in Your Heart" – Lola * "Raise You Up/Just Be" – Full Company


Principal roles and original casts


Broadway replacements

* Charlie Price:
Killian Donnelly Killian Donnelly (born 25 June 1984) is an Irish tenor. He has appeared in musicals and plays, such as ''Les Misérables'', '' The Phantom of the Opera'', '' The Commitments'', '' Memphis'' and '' Kinky Boots''. Background Donnelly is from Ki ...
,
Brendon Urie Brendon Boyd Urie (born April 12, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist of Panic! at the Disco, of which he is the only remaining member. In ...
,
Jake Shears Jake Shears (born October 3, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the male lead singer of pop-rock band Scissor Sisters. Early life Shears was born in Mesa, Arizona, the son of an entrepreneur father and a Baptist moth ...
,
David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' * David Cook (writer) (1940–2015), Briti ...
,
Tyler Glenn Tyler Aaron Glenn (born November 28, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is known as the lead vocalist and keyboardist of the American rock band Neon Trees and as a solo artist. Biography As a teenager, Glenn attended Chap ...
,
Mark Ballas Mark Alexander Ballas Jr. (born May 24, 1986) is an American dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. Ballas is a professional ballroom dancer on the ABC program ''Dancing with the Stars''. He began competing on the show ...
,
Conor Maynard Conor Paul Maynard (born 21 November 1992) is an English singer. Born and raised in Brighton, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2011. Maynard rose to fame in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's ''M ...
*Lola/Simon:
Wayne Brady Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...
,
Todrick Hall Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a huge following on YouTu ...
* Lauren: Taylor Louderman,
Kirstin Maldonado Kirstin Taylor Maldonado (born May 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She is best known as the mezzo-soprano of the a cappella group Pentatonix. With the group, she has released seven studio albums, won three Grammy Awards ...
* Don:
Tiki Barber Atiim Kiambu "Tiki" Barber (; born April 7, 1975) is an American former football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Virginia. B ...


West End replacements

* Charlie Price:
David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...
,
Oliver Tompsett Oliver Tompsett (born 25 August 1981) is a British actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Fiyero in the West End production of the musical ''Wicked'', and for playing the role of Galileo in the West End Smash hit ''We Will Roc ...
* Lauren:
Verity Rushworth Verity Charlotte Rushworth (born 15 August 1985) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Donna Windsor in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1998 to 2009, with a guest appearance in 2014. She has played many theatre rol ...
, Natalie McQueen * Don:
Alan Mehdizadeh Alan Mehdizadeh ( fa, الان مهدیزاده; born 4 September 1982) is a British-Iranian actor, appearing on stage and screen. He has recently played the role of Monk in Graham Moore's '' The Outfit''. He played the role of Don in the West ...


Productions


Chicago

On February 6, 2012, the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' reported that ''Kinky Boots producers were considering taking advantage of an incentive program from the State of Illinois for out-of-town tryouts for Broadway shows. The October 2012 pre-Broadway Chicago tryout was announced on February 22, 2012. On June 28, 2012 the full Chicago cast was announced. The production was rehearsed at the
New 42nd Street The New 42nd Street is a not-for-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York City. In 1990, the New 42nd Street was formed to oversee the redevelopment of seven neglected and historic theatres on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Aven ...
Studios in New York City in September 2012. The show began its pre-Broadway run at the
Bank of America Theatre CIBC Theatre is a performing arts theater located at 18 West Monroe Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. It is operated by Broadway In Chicago, part of the Nederlander Organization. Opened in 1906 as the ''Majestic Theatre'', it currently ...
in Chicago, on October 2, 2012, which continued until November 4, 2012. The show was directed and choreographed by Mitchell; scenic design was by
David Rockwell David Rockwell (born July 25, 1956) is an American architect and designer. He is the founder and president of Rockwell Group, a 250-person cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice based in New York City with satellite offices in Madrid ...
, costumes by
Gregg Barnes Gregg Barnes is an American costume designer for stage and film. Barnes is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical for his work on the Broadway productions of ''The Drowsy Chaperone'' (2006) and ''Follies'' (2011). ...
, lighting by
Kenneth Posner Kenneth Posner is an American lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals ''Wicked'' and ''Hairspray'', two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st centu ...
and sound by John Shivers. The music director and orchestrator was
Stephen Oremus Stephen Oremus (born 1971) is an American musician who has worked on Broadway theatre productions as musical director and as orchestrator. His credits include arranger and orchestrator for the music for ''Avenue Q'', musical director and arranger ...
. The director and design team had gained previous critical acclaim and theatre or music awards. Mitchell had won a Tony Award for choreographing the 2005 revival of ''La Cage aux Folles''; Barnes and Posner had won Tonys; and Rockwell had been nominated for Tonys and other theatre awards. Mitchell and Rockwell had previously collaborated on ''Hairspray'', ''
Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American biographical crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams and James ...
'' and ''Legally Blonde''. Mitchell told ''The New York Times'' that the "Everybody Say Yeah" scene, in which the cast celebrates the creation of the first pair of Kinky Boots with a choreographed celebration on conveyor belts, required repeated innovations and adjustments like the eventual addition of safety rails and actor controls for the apparatus. Designer
Derek McLane Derek McLane (born June 14, 1958, in London, England) is an American set designer for theatre, opera, and television. He graduated with a BA from Harvard College and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Career McLane has designed more than 350 pr ...
commented that it is not uncommon for repeat choreographer/set designer collaborations to result in intriguing innovation like the
conveyor belt A conveyor belt is the carrying medium of a belt conveyor system (often shortened to belt conveyor). A belt conveyor system is one of many types of conveyor systems. A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys (sometimes referred to ...
dance scene in ''Kinky Boots''. McLane was impressed with the "series of conveyor belts that came apart, moved around, and fit the context of the story" in order to accentuate the choreography of "a troupe of men in four-inch heels". With respect to the conveyor belts, he said, "They've never been used as dynamically as this, creating a series of surprises, with the kind of wild athleticism that actually looks dangerous. It's one of the more thrilling combinations of stage design and choreography that I can recall."


Broadway

After the tryout, the team went back to work, adding a new musical number for Charlie and a second song in the drag club, removing another song, and revising the book. The
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut started previews on March 3, 2013 at the
Al Hirschfeld Theatre The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, originally the Martin Beck Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 302 West 45th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1924, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh in a Moorish an ...
, with the official opening on April 4, 2013. Both the Chicago and original Broadway casts starred Billy Porter as Lola, Stark Sands as Charlie and Annaleigh Ashford as Lauren. Porter, in particular, was singled out for critical praise. ''The New York Times'' noted that in the 2012–13 season, most of the new Broadway musicals were "inspired by movies or books". The paper found the show timely for its treatment of problems that paralleled those at the time of its production, including "chronic unemployment, financial distress and the collapse of manufacturing". Prior to the June 9, 2013 Tony Awards, ''Kinky Boots'' had trailed its box office competitor, ''
Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', simply known as ''Matilda'' or ''Matilda the Musical'', is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, based on the 1988 novel ''Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narrative c ...
'', in advance sales. However, less than a month after opening, ''Kinky Boots'' surpassed this rival in weekly box office gross. ''Kinky Boots'' won a season-high six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The next day, the show sold $1.25 million tickets, and its advance ticket sales for future dates became a hot commodity. In the weeks following its Tony wins, the show became so popular that in the beginning of July a special ticket lottery system was created to keep fans from camping outside the theatre. ''Kinky Boots'' set a new box-office record at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, and "recouped its $13.5 million capitalization in a relatively quick 30 weeks of performances", which was "faster than any big budget musical in recent history." In October 2013, ''Kinky Boots'' had the second highest premium-price tickets on Broadway behind only ''
The Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
''. After its six-year run (closing on April 7, 2019), the show had grossed $319 million. Following Christopher Balme’s commodification paradigm, one could suggest ''Kinky Boots''’ unprecedented financial power is a consequence of the musical’s ability to “tap into aspects of a society's ideological make-up”, such as issues regarding financial strife and LGBTI discrimination. The musical's economic clout empowers a shift in the American cultural climate, engendering acceptance of cross-dressing and transgender individuals. For example, on November 28, 2013, members of the cast performed the finale of the show in the nationally televised
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...
. Many viewers commented that, in their opinion, the performance was inappropriate for a family program. By contrast, some spectators applauded the performance for sharing messages of “inclusivity” and “diversity”. This demonstrates how the musical's financial power has played a strong role in “starting a dialogue”, both support and criticism, facilitating the necessary steps to “open peoples’ minds” and hearts towards LGBTI Americans. Fierstein responded that the show's inclusion in the parade reflected decreasing prejudice and increased tolerance for LGBT people in society. The performance of August 26, 2015 marked the 1000th Broadway performance for the production. The Broadway production closed on April 7, 2019 after 34 previews and 2,507 performances.


Toronto

The
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
original cast, led by Alan Mingo Jr as Lola and Graham Scott Fleming as Charlie, began rehearsals with Jerry Mitchell and the Broadway creative team on May 4, 2015. It began previews on June 16, 2015 with its opening night coming on June 28 to critical acclaim. Initially planned to run from June to September 2015 at the
Royal Alexandra Theatre The Royal Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as the Royal Alex, is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located near King and Simcoe Street. Built in 1907, the 1,244-seat Royal Alex is the oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre in Nort ...
, with a mostly Canadian cast, by the beginning of July, the run was extended to November. The run was later extended to January 3, to March 6 and finally to May 15, 2016, as the final show before the theatre closed for a major renovation.


West End

The West End production began previews at the
Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...
in London, on August 21, 2015, with its official opening night on September 15.
Killian Donnelly Killian Donnelly (born 25 June 1984) is an Irish tenor. He has appeared in musicals and plays, such as ''Les Misérables'', '' The Phantom of the Opera'', '' The Commitments'', '' Memphis'' and '' Kinky Boots''. Background Donnelly is from Ki ...
and Matt Henry played Charlie and Lola respectively, with
Amy Lennox Amy Florence Lennox is an actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Shows she has appeared in include '' ''Kinky Boots' and ''Cabaret''. She was also in the main cast of the television show '' Holby City'' for three series. Career She ...
as Lauren, Amy Ross as Nicola, Jamie Baughan as Don and Michael Hobbs as George. Although the show is set in a British town, it took a concerted effort to remove Americanisms from the Broadway production. On July 8, 2017, Matt Henry departed from the role of Lola after 2 years and around 750 performances in the role. ''Kinky Boots'' closed on January 12, 2019, after over 1,400 performances.


Other productions


North American tour

A North American tour began at the
Smith Center for the Performing Arts The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is located in Downtown Las Vegas's 61-acre Symphony Park and is a five-acre performing arts center consisting of three theaters in two buildings; groundbreaking for the $470 million project was May 26, 20 ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
on September 4, 2014. The role of Lola was set to be played by Kyle Taylor Parker. Porter took a week off from the Broadway production to perform with the national tour when it visited his home town of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
from August 4 through August 9, 2015, at the
Benedum Center The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Stanley Theatre) is a theater and concert hall located at 237 7th Street in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman-He ...
. The tour closed at
The Kentucky Center The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, located in Louisville and currently branded as "The Kentucky Center", is a major performing arts center in Kentucky. It is one of three venues owned bKentucky Performing Arts Tenants include Broadway ...
in June 2017.


South Korea

A South Korean production ran from December 2, 2014, to February 22, 2015, at the Chungmu Art Hall in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
.


Japan

The Japanese production ran in the New National Theatre in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
from July 21 to August 6, 2016; the Orix Theater in
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
from August 13 to 22, 2016; and the Tokyu Theatre Orb in
Shibuya Shibuya ( 渋谷 区 ''Shibuya-ku'') is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. As a major commercial and finance center, it houses two of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shinjuku Station (southern half) and Shibuya Station. As of April 1 ...
from August 28 to September 4, 2016. It starred
Teppei Koike is Japanese actor and singer associated with Burning Productions. After appearing in the television drama ''Tentai Kansoku'' in 2002, Koike began appearing in several other films and dramas, notably as Atsushi Otani in ''Love Com''. At the sam ...
as Charlie and
Haruma Miura was a Japanese actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the television drama ''Agri'' (1997) and rose to popularity after starring in the film '' Koizora'' (2007), winning Newcomer of the Year at the 31st Japan Academy Prize. In the foll ...
as Lola. Miura won the Best Actor Award and
Haruko Sugimura was a Japanese stage and film actress, best known for her appearances in the films of Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Biography Sugimura was born in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. After the death of her parents, sh ...
Award at the 24th Yomiuri Theater Awards for his performance, and the play had a second run in 2019 with the cast reprising their roles.


Australia

The Australian production opened on 12 October 2016, at
Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...
in Melbourne. The cast included Callum Francis, from the London production, as Lola, and Toby Francis as Charlie. Joining them were Sophie Wright (Lauren), Daniel Williston (Don), Teagan Wouters (Nicola) and Nathan Carter (George). This production then toured to Sydney's Capitol Theatre and Brisbane's QPAC where it closed on October 22, 2017.


Philippines

A Filipino production, staged by Atlantis Theatrical, ran from June to July 2017, with Nyoy Volante as Lola and Laurence Mossman as Charlie Price. It was revived for a limited run in March 2018.


Poland

On July 7, 2017 a Polish production premiered at Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw, with Krzysztof Szczepaniak as Lola and Mateusz Weber as Charlie.


Germany

The show premiered at the
Operettenhaus Operettenhaus ''(Stage Operettenhaus)'' is a performing arts theatre in Hamburg, owned and operated by Stage Entertainment Stage Entertainment is an international operating live entertainment company, a subsidiary of Advance Publications. The co ...
in Hamburg, Germany, in December 2017, with Gino Emnes and Dominik Hees leading the production as Lola and Charlie Price. It closed on September 30, 2018.


UK and Ireland tour

A UK tour started on September 19, 2018, at the
Royal & Derngate Royal & Derngate is a theatre complex in the Cultural Quarter of Northampton, England, consisting of the Royal Theatre and Derngate Theatre. The Royal was built by theatre architect Charles J. Phipps and opened in 1884. Ninety-nine years late ...
in Northampton, where the show is set, and continued through 2019 before closing at
Hull New Theatre The Hull New Theatre is a theatre in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1939 as a successor to the Hull Repertory Theatre Company. The Hull New Theatre features musicals, opera, ballet, drama, children's shows an ...
on November 23.


Non-Equity US tour

A non-
Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...
US tour was launched in
Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky. The largest city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located at the confluence of the Tennessee and the Ohio rivers, halfway between St. Louis, Missour ...
, on December 29, 2018.


Norwegian Cruise Line

In November 2019, ''Kinky Boots'' premiered as part of the onboard entertainment for
Norwegian Encore ''Norwegian Encore'' is a Breakaway-class cruise ship, ''Breakaway'' Plus-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). She is the fourth ''Breakaway'' Plus-class ship in the fleet, following sister ships ''Norwegian Bliss'', ''Norwe ...
, a cruise ship in the
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6 ...
fleet.


The Muny

In June 2019,
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
was the first city to produce a regional production of ''Kinky Boots'' at
The Muny The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first come, first s ...
(St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre). The original Broadway producers and team oversaw the production and development. The cast featured Graham Scott Fleming as Charlie Price,
J. Harrison Ghee J. Harrison Ghee (born June 16, 1989) is an American actor, singer, and dancer, best known for their work on Broadway. They first received recognition for their performance as Lola in '' Kinky Boots''. In December 2022, they originated the role ...
as Lola, and Taylor Louderman as Lauren.


Argentina

In January 2020 a production of the musical opened in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with Martin Bossi as Lola,
Fernando Dente Fernando Dente (born January 7, 1990 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine actor, singer, dancer, theater director and TV presenter. He is known for winning the reality High School Musical: La Selección and later for his main role in High School Mus ...
as Charlie Price and Sofia Morandi as Lauren. The run was cut short because of the pandemic, yet it re-opened in April 2022, with Martin Bossi and Fernando Dente in the same roles, and
Laura Esquivel Laura Beatriz Esquivel Valdés (born September 30, 1950) is a Mexican novelist, screenwriter and politician, serving in the LXIII Legislature of the Mexican Congress in the Chamber of Deputies for the Morena Party from 2015 to 2018. Her first n ...
as Lauren. Sofia Morandi took over the role again in July of the same year. It closed on August 28, 2022.


Spain

A Spanish production opened on October 5, 2021 at the Espacio Delicias in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, with
Daniel Diges Daniel Diges García (; born 17 January 1981) is a Spanish singer, pianist, composer and actor. Although born in Madrid proper, he has spent all his youth in the neighbouring city of Alcalá de Henares. Life and career Diges began his acting car ...
as Charlie Price, Tiago Barbosa as Lola, and
Angy Fernández Ángela María Fernández González (September 5, 1990 in Palma, Majorca, Spain) better known as Angy Fernández is a Spanish singer, actress, model, radio host and television presenter. She is well known for playing Paula Blasco in the Spanish ...
as Lauren.


Denmark

In February 2022 opened the Danish production at Det Ny Teater with Silas Holst as Lola and Lars Mølsted as Charlie.


Off Broadway

It was announced in April 2022 that a production of Kinky Boots would run
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
at Stage 42, NY for a limited season. Starring Calum Francis as Lola, Christian Douglas as Charlie Price and
Danielle Hope Danielle Hope (born 26 April 1992) is an English actress and singer. She was the winner of the BBC talent contest '' Over The Rainbow'' and as a result played the part of Dorothy in the Andrew Lloyd Webber production of '' The Wizard of Oz'', w ...
as Lauren. The Off-Broadway revival trims the opening scene, doing away with the scenes depicting Charlie and Simon as children. Fierstein also tweaked the show's dialogue and depiction of gender non-conforming identities, including removing all instances of the word "transvestite" and having Lola include the singular they/them pronouns when addressing the audience. The production closed on November 20 2022, After 32 previews and 102 regular performance


Critical reaction

Upon its October 2012 Chicago opening, ''Chicago Tribune'' critic Chris Jones described the show as a "warm, likable, brassy, sentimental, big-hearted and modestly scaled" production. Another reviewer praised the score, book, direction and, particularly, Porter, before suggesting that, before opening on Broadway, it could use a more effective opening number, better pacing in Act 2 and "the budding romance between Charlie and coworker Lauren ... needs more lead-in. In other words, give Ashford, a clear crowd favorite, more to do". The musical's Broadway debut received mixed to positive reviews. The show was awarded a "Critic's Pick" designation by ''The New York Times, Time Out New York'' and ''New York Magazine'', and was included in ''Entertainment Weekly'' magazine's "Must See" list.
Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...
of ''The New York Times'' gave a warm review, calling it "inspired" and comparing the work to other successful recent Broadway musicals: "Like ''
The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film is s ...
'' (choreographed by Mr. Mitchell) and ''
Billy Elliot the Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a coming-of-age stage musical based on the 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall, who wrote the film's screenplay. The plot revolves around Billy, a m ...
'', it is set in a hard-times British factory town, where jobs are in jeopardy and spirits need lifting. Like ''La Cage aux Folles'' and ''
Priscilla Queen of the Desert ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
'', it presents drag queens as the show’s official spirit lifters. And like ''Hairspray'', the musical this production most resembles in tone, ''Kinky Boots'' is about finding your passion, overcoming prejudice and transcending stereotypes." Brantley wrote that Lauper's "love- and heat-seeking score" wowed with her "trademark ... mix of sentimentality and eccentricity", and that the costumes and boots courtesy of Gregg Barnes made for "big red scene stealers". He also praised “Raise You Up/Just Be,” as "one of the best curtain numbers since '
You Can't Stop the Beat "You Can't Stop The Beat" is the finale number in the 2002 musical ''Hairspray''. It is sung by Tracy, Link, Penny, Seaweed, Edna, Motor Mouth, Velma, and Amber with Corny and Wilbur as backing singers. Although the lyrics touch on sizeism and ra ...
' sent ''Hairspray'' audiences dancing out of the theater.” Brantley, however, did not extend his praise to Fierstein's script, writing that his "sticky, sermonizing side" comes through in the second half, where "all the clichés stand naked before you." The theatre critic for '' Time Out New York'' called the show "the very model of a modern major musical." The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
termed it "a big ol’ sweet love story about sons, the families we make and red patent leather. ... Thank goodness for Harvey Fierstein – he spins theatrical magic", but despite criticisms of the script the “perpetual cheer-churning machine” that is ''Kinky Boots'' certainly serves an important end goal; to empower not just its central characters, but the entire audience, in the spirit of acceptance. According to Julie Grossman, ''Kinky Boots'' facilitates the retraining of the eye to gender conventions and “repositions the marginalised figure as central to the spectacle of mass theatre... enacting a shift in the perspective of the viewer”. The finale “Raise You Up/Just Be” epitomises the empowerment of the individual, empowerment to “Just Be” regardless of the “oppressive gender roles directly connected to patriarchal views of legacy and inheritance” under which Charlie and Lola initially suffer. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said "Cyndi Lauper's infectious score is cause for celebration." ''
New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'', ...
'', ''
The New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'', ''The Washington Post'' and ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' all gave mostly favorable reviews. ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' theater critic Charles McNulty criticized Lauper's "novice mistakes" with a score that "never establishes a compositional through line" and saying that while "Fierstein's heart is in the right place ... the show's earnestness sinks it", adding that "if
he show He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
weren't such a cheesy commercial mess, it might actually be fun". Joe Dziemianowicz of the ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' wrote that while the "script has issues like a pair of shoes" that don't quite fit, "Mitchell's production moves lickety-split" and "Porter ... is a force of nature as Lola." But, he added, Lauper's "multicolored, surprising and fun" score outshines the fancy footwear and proves to be the "real star of this show". Writing for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', David Cote noted that the decision to use American actors for an adaptation that maintained the
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
setting resulted in a disconcerting inconsistency in terms of accents. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' gave the show a negative review, calling it "an imitation heart-warming British working-class musical with a gay angle and a maudlin ending. ... ''Kinky Boots'' is its own spoiler alert, the kind of musical in which you recite the dialogue a half-beat ahead of the actors. ... he scoresounds like ... "Cyndi: The Deservedly Forgotten Late-'80s B-Sides." A review in ''
The Bergen Record ''The Record'' (also called ''The North Jersey Record'', ''The Bergen Record'', ''The Sunday Record'' (Sunday edition) and formerly ''The Bergen Evening Record'') is a newspaper in New Jersey, United States. Serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson and P ...
'' said that the show "sorely lacks is a dramatic commitment to what it's doing. Which is why a show that seems to make few false steps is so relentlessly tedious," calling it "dull" and "synthetic". ''Talkin' Broadway'' also gave the show a negative review. The ''
Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the creat ...
'', ''
AM New York ''AM New York Metro'' is a free newspaper, free daily newspaper that is published in New York City by Schneps Media. According to the company, the average Friday circulation in September 2013 was 335,900. When launched on October 10, 2003, ''AM New ...
'', and ''NBC'' turned in lukewarm reviews. In 2014, ''Kinky Boots'' began a United States national tour, which has also garnered mostly positive reviews. ''
Democrat and Chronicle The ''Democrat and Chronicle'' is a daily newspaper serving the greater Rochester, New York, area. At 245 East Main Street in downtown Rochester, the ''Democrat and Chronicle'' operates under the ownership of Gannett. The paper's production fa ...
'' raved, “Flashy, funny and uplifting, ''Kinky Boots'' has appeal — and lots of it — for all ‘ladies, gentleman and those who are yet to make up their mind.’” BroadwayWorld Los Angeles offered “praise to the entire triple threat ensemble!“ The Republic countered, “Despite the fiery showstopper 'Sex Is in the Heel,' however, ''Kinky Boots'' is surprisingly short on sex appeal, and the cheerleaderish troupe of drag queens called Angels don't have any of the transgressive appeal of the Cagelles from Fierstein's earlier hit ''La Cage aux Folles''." CBS Minnesota summed it up as “loud, proud and a tubular sensation.” The London production received mostly raves, with the
London Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...
writing, "The thigh's the limit for this high-kicking London musical," calling it "a glorious high-kicking romp," and adding that "...its energy is infectious."
Time Out London ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition becam ...
called it "dazzling, fabulously sassy and uplifting," explaining "It's not all glitz and high-kicks...there are some grittier moments that give the show an edgier feel." And
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
proclaimed it "hilarious, heartwarming, and a hell of a lot of fun," offering special praise for the show's star: "Matt Henry...truly steals the show...He is utterly commanding in the role, and you instantly root for him." It has been argued that ''Kinky Boots'' has added to the public discourse of gender, and its flexibility and fluidity. The prevalence of drag culture in mainstream media has introduced a step of separation between femininity and being female.


Awards and nominations

''Matilda'' had been the pre-awards season favorite, but as the season progressed, it became clear that ''Kinky Boots'' and the revival of ''
Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life of Pepin the Hunchback * Pippin T ...
'' would provide serious competition. Early in the 2013 awards season, ''Kinky Boots'' did well, receiving
Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...
nominations for Distinguished Production of a Musical and Distinguished Performance, for both Porter and Sands, and winning for Distinguished Production. The show received nine
Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
nominations, winning three, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, Outstanding New Score and Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Porter). The musical received only two
Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
nominations, however, and only one win: Porter for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. ''New York Times'' theatre writer Patrick Healy, however, reported that some Tony voters found ''Matilda'' "dark" and "a bit chilly", and accurately predicted that "while the cleverness of ''Matilda'' may be enough to win best book, the warmth of ''Kinky Boots'' will be enough to score an upset and take the top Tony for best musical." ''Kinky Boots'' received a season-high 13
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nominations. ''Matilda'', which ''The New York Times'' described as the "unalloyed critical hit" of the season, received 12 nominations, 11 of them in the same categories as ''Kinky Boots''. In addition to its critical success, ''Matilda'' had won the Drama Desk Award for outstanding musical and had set a record by winning the most Olivier Awards in history. Nevertheless, ''Kinky Boots'' won a season-high six Tonys, including Best Musical, which the press described as an upset, and Lauper's win for Best Score made her the first woman to win alone in that category. The creative team are Americans, and reviewer David Cote, an American writing in ''The Guardian'', judged that the show's win was a case of "the balance of love going to a homegrown American musical, ''Kinky Boots'', over the British import ''Matilda''." The other Tony wins were for best actor (Porter), sound design (Shivers), choreography (Mitchell) and orchestrations (Oremus). Fierstein, Sands, Ashford, Mitchell (as director) and the three other designers were all nominated but did not win. ''Kinky Boots'' also won the 2013
Artios Award The Casting Society, formerly known as Casting Society of America (CSA), was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 as a professional society of about 1,200 casting directors and associate casting directors for film, television, theatre, and ...
for Outstanding Achievement in Casting in the Broadway musical category. The West End production won the Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best New Musical, which was based on voting by the public at the 2015
Evening Standard Theatre Awards The ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards, established in 1955, are the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom. They are presented annually for outstanding achievements in London Theatre, and are organised by the ''Evening Standa ...
. The show earned seven nominations for the
2016 Laurence Olivier Awards The 2016 Laurence Olivier Awards were held on Sunday 3 April 2016 at the Royal Opera House, London. The 40th anniversary ceremony was hosted by Michael Ball. A highlights show was broadcast on ITV shortly after the live event ended. Eligibili ...
, which was second to a revival of ''
Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
'', which earned eight nominations. ''Kinky Boots'' won three Olivier Awards: Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical and Best Costume Design, trailing only ''Gypsys four awards.


Recordings

A Broadway original cast album, produced by Lauper, Oremus and William Wittman was released on May 28, 2013. It premiered at number one on the
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Cast Albums Chart and number fifty-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, making it the highest charting Broadway cast recording since ''The Book of Mormon''s album was released two years earlier. Before the Chicago tryout, "Sex Is in the Heel" became the first Broadway song to reach the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' club charts in 25 years. "Land of Lola" was released as a dance remix by Wayne G. & LFB in June 2013. The album received a favorable review in ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...
'' from Steven Suskin and won the
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
. A West End Original Cast Recording was recorded live at the Adelphi Theatre and released April 1, 2016. The West End cast recording was nominated for a 2017
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album producer, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more play ...
.Viagas, Robert
" 'Waitress' and 'Bright Star' Cast Albums Among Grammy Award Nominees"
Playbill, December 6, 2016


Collaboration

In summer 2018, a Kinky Boots co-branded pop-up store launched at Mellower Coffee's Tongren Road location in Shanghai. Mellower Coffee has specially made a "Sparkle Dance" drink for this event.


Notes


External links

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archive

''Kinky Boots''
at Theater Mania * {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Kinky Boots'' , list = {{OlivierAward Musical 2001–2025 {{TonyAward Musical 2001–2025 {{TonyAward MusicalScore 2001–2025 2012 musicals Broadway musicals Drag (clothing)-related musicals Musicals based on films Musicals inspired by real-life events Musicals by Harvey Fierstein Cyndi Lauper Rock musicals Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award-winning musicals