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Kinky Boots
Chicago preview promotional poster
Music	Cyndi Lauper
Lyrics	Cyndi Lauper
Book	Harvey Fierstein
Basis	2005 film Kinky Boots
Productions	2012 Chicago 2013 Broadway

Kinky Boots is a musical with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. Based on the true story behind the 2005 film Kinky Boots, the musical tells the story of a struggling shoemaker and his drag queen business partner.

Following its conception in 2008, the Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig-produced original production of Kinky Boots opened at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago in October 2012 with direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell. It made its Broadway debut at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013 following previews that began on March 3, 2013.

Inception

Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 British film of the same name which is about a struggling, family-owned English shoe factory that avoids bankruptcy when its young boss, Charlie, develops a plan to produce custom fetish-type footwear for drag artists rather than the men's dress shoes that his firm is known for. In order to save his workers from losing their source of income, Charlie partners with Lola, a drag queen, to save the business he inherited.

When producer Daryl Roth sent director Jerry Mitchell the DVD of the film, Mitchell was enthusiastic about adapting it for the stage. His first wishes were to get Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein on board. Lauper wrote the music and lyrics while Fierstein wrote the book. Fierstein said that there are some slight differences between the film "about the saving of a factory" and the musical, which includes "drag queens singing as they pass along the assembly line." 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."

Principal roles

Musical numbers

Production history

The original production of the musical was rehearsed at the New 42nd Street Studios in New York September 2012 before beginning its pre-Broadway run at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, from October 2, 2012 until November 4, 2012. The Broadway debut started previews on March 3, 2013 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, with the official opening starting on April 4, 2013. The Broadway cast currently features Billy Porter, Stark Sands and Annaleigh Ashford, as in the Chicago production.

The musical was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell; scenic design was by David Rockwell, costumes by Gregg Barnes and lighting by Kenneth Posner. The creative team had all been critically acclaimed before this production: Mitchell is a Tony-winning choreographer; Fierstein is a Tony-winning actor and writer; Lauper is a Grammy-winning musician; both Roth and Luftig are Tony-winning producers;and Rockwell, Barnes and Posner have multiple Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations and/or wins.

The New York Times noted that in the 2012–13 season most of the new Broadway musicals were "inspired by movies or books".

Critical review

Upon its October 2012 Chicago opening, Chicago Tribune critic Charles Jones described the show as a "warm, likable, brassy, sentimental, big-hearted and modestly scaled" production. However upon its Broadway debut it received mixed reviews with Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty critiquing 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 weren't such a cheesy commercial mess, it might actually be fun". Ben Brantley of The New York Times 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". 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." Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News 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".

Awards and nominations

On April 23, the Off-Broadway and Original Broadway productions were jointly recognized with Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical and with Distinguished Performance Award nominations for both Billy Porter and Stark Sands, and they were awarded the Outstanding Musical Award. On April 22, the production received nine Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, winning three on May 13. The play earned two 58th Drama Desk Award nomination on April 29 with Billy Porter winning for Outstanding Actor in a Musical on May 19. On April 30, the musical received a season-high 13 Tony Awards nominations for the 67th Tony Awards to be held on June 9. On May 7, the musical received 3 nominations for the 31st Annual Fred & Adele Astaire Awards to be presented on June 3.

2013 Joseph Jefferson Awards nominations are pending the conclusion of the August 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013 Chicago theatrical productions season.

Original Broadway production

Notes

1. ^ Jones, Chris (2012-09-27). "Cyndi Lauper working out the kinks in 'Kinky Boots'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
2. ^ Hetrick, Adam (2012-07-11). "Cyndi Lauper Musical Kinky Boots May Stomp Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
3. ^ "'Kinky Boots' Chicago Premiere: Cyndi Lauper, Harvey Fierstein Musical Begins Pre-Broadway Run". The Huffington Post. 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
4. "Hear Cyndi Lauper's new song from the upcoming 'Kinky Boots' musical". Miramax. 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
5. Snetiker, Marc (2012-06-21). "Hear the first song from Cyndi Lauper's new Broadway musical 'Kinky Boots' -- EXCLUSIVE". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
6. Jones, Kenneth (2008-07-08). "Kinky Boots, the Musical, Walking Toward Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
7. "Cyndi Lauper-Harvey Fierstein Musical Kinky Boots Opens in Chicago Oct. 17; Broadway Is Next". playbill.com. Playbill. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
8. "Delightful Kinky Boots Kicks Up Its Heels in Pre-Broadway Engagement". huffingtonpost.com. The Huffington Post. 19 October 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
9. Borcherts, Julia (2012-09-28). "Cyndi Lauper, Harvey Fierstein get 'Kinky Boots'". RedEye. Retrieved 2012-010-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
10. Gordon, David (2012-09-12). "Harvey Fierstein, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter, Stark Sands Preview Kinky Boots". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
11. "Kinky Boots". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
12. Isherwood, Charles (2013-02-21). "Hard Times Come Again, With Song". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
13. Jones, Chris (2012-06-28). "'Kinky Boots' announces full cast". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
14. Healy, Patrick (2012-08-15). "'Kinky Boots' Sets April 4 Broadway Opening". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
15. Jones, Charles (2012-10-17). "'Kinky Boots' kicks up its colorful heels in pre-Broadway premiere". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
16. McNulty, Charles (2013-04-04). "Review: 'Kinky Boots' is unsteady in its Broadway walk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
17. Brantley, Ben (2013-04-04). "High Spirits, Higher Heels: 'Kinky Boots,' the Harvey Fierstein-Cyndi Lauper Musical". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
18. Dziemianowicz, Joe (2013-04-04). "'Kinky Boots': Theater review: Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein's musical about a struggling shoe factory is tuneful and joyful". Daily News. Retrieved 2013-04-29.
19. Gans, Andrew (2013-04-25). "Nominees Announced for 79th Annual Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
20. Gans, Andrew (May 17, 2013). "'Kinky Boots', 'Pippin', 'Vanya and Sonia', 'Virginia 'Woolf? and More Win Drama League Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
21. Gans, Andrew (May 13, 2013). Is Big Winner of 2012-13 Outer Critics Circle Awards "Pippin Is Big Winner of 2012-13 Outer Critics Circle Awards". Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
22. Hetrick, Adam (2013-05-19). "Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, Pippin, Matilda, Vanya and Sonia Win Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
23. "Tony Awards 2013 nominees: Complete list". Los Angeles Times. 2013-04-30. Retrieved 2103-04-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
24. Gardner, Elysa (2013-04-30). "'Kinky Boots' nabs 13 Tony nominations: British import 'Matilda' scored 12 nominations". USA Today. Retrieved 2103-04-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
25. Hetrick, Adam. "Billy Porter, Patina Miller, Rob McClure, Lesli Margherita and More Are Astaire Award Nominees". Playbill. Retrieved 2013-05-07.

External links

• Official website
• Kinky Boots at IBDb
• Kinky Boots at Theater Mania
• Kinky Boots at Playbill Vault
• Kinky Boots at Tony Awards.com

• 2012 musicals
• Broadway musicals
• Musicals based on films
• LGBT-related musicals