Kinky Boots is a musical with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein. Based on the 2005 British film "Kinky Boots", written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth 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 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.
Introduction
Kinky Boots (musical)
Kinky Boots (musical) | Introduction
Based on the 2005 British film "Kinky Boots", the musical tells the story of Charlie Price. It tells the story of Charlie Price Charlie Price. Charlie Price and Lola.
who wrote the music and lyrics to the song kinky boots
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Cyndi Lauper
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Cyndi Lauper
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Kinky Boots is a musical with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Fierstein. Based on the 2005 British film "Kinky Boots", written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth 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 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Introduction
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 that linked scenes and songs" and orchestrate the material.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Music
A stage musical adaptation of the same name "Kinky Boots" debuted on Broadway in April 2013, following an out-of-town try-out at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago; Cyndi Lauper, music and lyrics; and Harvey Fierstein, co-wrote book. Director Jerry Mitchell is also the choreographer. The Chicago cast included: Billy Porter and Stark Sands. At the 67th Tony Awards (2013) won six Tony Awards, including Tony Award for Best Original Score (Lauper, first sole female winner), Best Actor (Porter) and Best Musical.
Kinky Boots (film) | Musical adaptation
The songs range in style "from pop to funk to new wave to tango, with highly personal lyrics". "New York Times" 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 and Robert Tepper 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Music
Lauper composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots," with Harvey Fierstein writing the book. The musical was based on the 2006 independent film "Kinky Boots." It opened in Chicago in October 2012 and on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013. In May, Lauper won for best score for "Kinky Boots" at the 63rd annual Outer Critics Circle Awards. The musical led the 2013 Tony Awards, with 13 nominations and six wins including Best Musical and Best Actor. Lauper won the award for Best Original Score. Lauper was the first woman to win solo in this category.
Cyndi Lauper | 2013–2015: "Kinky Boots" and touring
The original production of "Kinky Boots" premiered at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago in October 2012, with both direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, and starring Stark Sands and Billy Porter as Charlie and Lola, respectively. It made its Broadway debut at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013, following previews that began on March 3, 2013. The musical began a US tour in 2014. The musical then ended on April 7, 2019.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Introduction
"Kinky Boots" is a musical that opened on Broadway in 2013, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical and various other awards that season. The show has a book by Harvey Fierstein and songs by Cyndi Lauper. "Kinky Boots" is based on the 2005 British film of the same name, which was, in turn, inspired by a true story. The original production was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell and orchestrated by Stephen Oremus. Scenic design was by David Rockwell, costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by John Shivers. The cast starred Billy Porter as Lola and Stark Sands as Charlie and featured Annaleigh Ashford as Lauren.
List of awards and nominations for the musical Kinky Boots | Introduction
It is revealed that Don has persuaded all 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act II
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", 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 production of "The Threepenny Opera".
Kinky Boots (musical) | Background and creation
In a broadcast interview with Patrick Healy of "The New York Times", 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Background and creation
A Broadway original cast album for the musical "Kinky Boots" was released on May 28, 2013, less than two months after the show opened on Broadway. It was produced by Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the songs, Stephen Oremus, the orchestrator and conductor, and William Wittman. On release it premiered at number one on the Billboard 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 album's release and the show's Chicago tryout beginning in October 2012, the song "Sex Is in the Heel" became the first Broadway song to reach the top 10 of the "Billboard" club charts in 25 years.
Kinky Boots (Broadway cast album) | Introduction
After a six-year run and 2,507 regular shows, "Kinky Boots" ended its Broadway run on April 7, 2019. It is the 25th-longest-running Broadway musical in history. It grossed $297 million on Broadway. In the summer of 2013, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her debut album "She's So Unusual", Lauper embarked on an international tour covering America and Australia. The show consisted of a mix of fan favorites and the entirety of the "She's So Unusual" record. She was a guest on 36 dates of Cher's Dressed to Kill Tour, starting April 23, 2014. A new album was confirmed by Lauper on a website interview.
Cyndi Lauper | 2013–2015: "Kinky Boots" and touring
Another reprise of Charlie's Soliloquy was added for the West End production in between "Not My Father's Son" and "Everybody Say Yeah."
Kinky Boots (musical) | Music
"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 documentary television series "Trouble at the Top". 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-winning producer, saw the film at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Background and creation
A US national tour began at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in 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 from August 4 through August 9, 2015, at the Benedum Center. The tour closed at The Kentucky Center in June 2017.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Equity
Ben Brantley 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" (choreographed by Mr. Mitchell) and "Billy Elliot the Musical", 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", 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 ...
Kinky Boots (musical) | Critical reaction
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 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Recordings
Among Fierstein's prior experiences were works about drag queens: "La Cage aux Folles" and "Torch Song Trilogy". 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", and one for writing the book of "La Cage"; Lauper is a chart-topping singer-songwriter and actress who had won Grammy, Emmy 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" to Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and pop singer Lana Del Rey.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Background and creation
The show premiered at the Operettenhaus 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Hamburg
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 (musical) | Awards and nominations
In June 2019, St. Louis will be the first city to produce a regional production of "Kinky Boots" at The Muny (St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre). The original Broadway producers and team will oversee the production and development. The cast features Graham Scott Fleming as Charlie Price, J. Harrison Ghee as Lola, and Taylor Louderman as Lauren.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Muny Production
Lauper hosted the Grammy Pre-Telecast at the Nokia Theatre, L.A. on Jan 26, where she later accepted a Grammy for "Kinky Boots" (Best Musical Theater Album).
Cyndi Lauper | 2013–2015: "Kinky Boots" and touring
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-winning producer. By mid-2008, Roth and Luftig were in discussions with a potential director, Jerry Mitchell, 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 to write the book. Mitchell knew that Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper were friends, and he thought they would make a good team to create the musical.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Background and creation
On July 7, 2017 a Polish production premiered at Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw, with Krzysztof Szczepaniak as Lola and Mateusz Weber as Charlie.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Poland
In November 2018 it was announced that the musical would be produced as part of the on board entertainment for Norwegian Encore, a cruise ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Cruise Line
The Australian production opened on 12 October 2016, at Her Majesty's Theatre 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. 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Australian Tour
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, He humiliates 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act II
"Kinky Boots" is a 1960s song written by Herbert Kretzmer and David Lee, and recorded by Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman, stars of the television series "The Avengers". The music was commissioned by Ned Sherrin for the satirical television series "That Was the Week That Was" and used in a sequence featuring the titular footwear (then fashionable). Lyrics were later added for a recording by Macnee and Blackman, released by Decca in February 1964. The song was not initially a hit, but one re release of 1990 reached the top ten of the British Singles Chart in December of that year, after the song was promoted by BBC Radio One DJ Simon Mayo.
Kinky Boots (song) | Introduction
In 2013, Cyndi Lauper became the first woman to win the award solo for "Kinky Boots". In 2015, Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori became the first all-woman team to win the award for "Fun Home".
Tony Award for Best Original Score | History
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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Broadway
Designer Derek McLane commented that it is not uncommon for repeat choreographer/set designer collaborations to result in intriguing innovation like the conveyor belt 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."
Kinky Boots (musical) | Chicago
The Japanese production ran in the New National Theatre in Tokyo from July 21 to August 6, 2016; the Orix Theater in Osaka from August 13 to 22, 2016; and the Tokyu Theatre Orb in Shibuya from August 28 to September 4, 2016. It starred Teppei Koike as Charlie and Haruma Miura as Lola. Miura won the Best Actor Award and Haruko Sugimura 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Japanese Production
A UK tour started on September 19, 2018, at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton, where the show is set, and continued through 2019 before closing at Hull New Theatre on November 23.
Kinky Boots (musical) | UK & Ireland Tour
The album received a favorable review in "Playbill" from Steven Suskin and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Kinky Boots (Broadway cast album) | Reception
"Kinky Boots" closed on January 12, 2019 after over 1400 performances.
Kinky Boots (musical) | West End
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 debut started previews on March 3, 2013 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 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".
Kinky Boots (musical) | Broadway
Returning to London, Charlie meets his friend and fellow shoe salesman, Harry, in a pub to ask for help with the factory. 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 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 that the performers' high-heeled boots are not designed to hold a man's weight, but Lola explains that the expensive and unreliable footwear is an essential part of any drag act.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act I
A non-Equity US tour was launched in Paducah, Kentucky, on December 29, 2018. A South Korean production ran from December 2, 2014, to February 22, 2015, at the Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Non-Equity
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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Critical reaction
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, in private, 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act II
The album received a favorable review in "Playbill" from Steven Suskin and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Recordings
Garry Hynes and Julie Taymor had previously won in 1998. "Kinky Boots" had a season best 13 nominations and 6 awards. Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the score for "Kinky Boots", is the first solo female winner for Best Original Score.
67th Tony Awards | Introduction
Kinky Boots is a 2005 British-American comedy-drama film directed by Julian Jarrold and written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Based on a true story, the movie tells of a struggling British shoe factory's young, strait-laced owner, Charlie, who forms an unlikely partnership with Lola, a drag queen, to save the business. Charlie develops a plan to produce custom footwear for drag queens, rather than the men's dress shoes that his firm is known for, alienating many in the process.
Kinky Boots (film) | Introduction
They provided black leather kinky boots to accompany a Mary Quant ensemble in 1963, and a pair of shoes for a John Bates dress in 1965.
Anello &amp; Davide | Company history
The Toronto original cast, led by Alan Mingo Jr as Lola and Graham Scott Fleming as Charlie, began rehearsals with Jerry Mitchel 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, 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Toronto
"Land of Lola" was released as a dance remix by Wayne G. & LFB in June 2013.
Kinky Boots (Broadway cast album) | Introduction
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. 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”.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Broadway
Charlie Price grows up as the fourth-generation "son" in his family business, Price & Son, a shoe manufacturing company with its factory in Northampton. Another young boy, growing up in London, 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 that Charlie will take over the factory, but Charlie is eager to move to London with his status-conscious fiancée, Nicola, and pursue a career in real estate ("The Most Beautiful Thing").
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act I
The music director and orchestrator was Stephen Oremus. 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" 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Chicago
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", 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Broadway
The New York Times reported that on closing night, "[j]ust before the finale, George Olsen's band marched down the aisle and serenaded the company, ending with 'Auld Lang Syne.' "
Kid Boots | Introduction
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 had moved away in the first place, and many are hostile and skeptical of the new management.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act I
The song also featured in the 2005 film "Kinky Boots" (including on its soundtrack album).
In These Shoes? | Background
"Kinky Boots" also won the 2013 Artios Award 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 show earned seven nominations for the 2016 Laurence Olivier Awards, which was second to a revival of "Gypsy", which earned eight nominations. "Kinky Boots" won three Olivier Awards: Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical and Best Costume Design, trailing only "Gypsy"'s four awards.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Awards and nominations
On February 6, 2012, the "Chicago Tribune" 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 Studios in New York City in September 2012. The show began its pre-Broadway run at the Bank of America Theatre 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, costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by John Shivers.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Chicago
In musical theatre, "female songwriters are rare in an industry dominated by males on the creative end. Work by male songwriters is more often produced, and it was only [in 2015] that an all-female writing team made history by winning the Tony Award for Best Score." In 2015, for the first time, an all-female writing team of Lisa Kron (Best Book) and Jeanine Tesori and Kron (Best Original Score) won the Tony Award for Best Score for "Fun Home", although work by male songwriters continues to be produced more often. In 2013, Cyndi Lauper was the "first female composer to win the [Tony for] Best Score without a male collaborator" for writing the music and lyrics for "Kinky Boots".
Women in music | Musical theatre
"Matilda" had been the pre-awards season favorite, but as the season progressed, it became clear that "Kinky Boots" and the revival of "Pippin" would provide serious competition. Early in the 2013 awards season, "Kinky Boots" did well, receiving Drama League Award 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 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 nominations, however, and only one win: Porter for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Awards and nominations
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 help of the female factory workers 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.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Act II
Early in the 2013 awards season, "Kinky Boots" did well, receiving Drama League Award 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 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 nominations, however, and only one win: Porter for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
List of awards and nominations for the musical Kinky Boots | Introduction
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". After its six-year run (closing on April 7, 2019), the show had grossed $319 million.
Kinky Boots (musical) | Broadway
The film is a patchwork of songs and jokes tied to the misadventures of bumbling John Willie, played by Formby. ("John Willie" was a character made famous by Formby's father, George Formby, Sr., in music halls of the early 1900s.) Despite the crude photography and recording, and the minuscule budget of £3,000, "Boots! Boots!" became an enormous hit. It was reissued in 1938, in a shortened 55-minute form, to capitalize on Formby's later fame; for six decades this abridged version was the only one in circulation, until an uncut, 80-minute print was located and restored for DVD release.
Boots! Boots! | Outline
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' 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."
Kinky Boots (musical) | Critical reaction
Ejiofor was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Kinky Boots (film) | Awards
Since 1983, Lauper has released eleven studio albums and participated in many other projects. In 2010, "Memphis Blues" became "Billboard"s most successful blues album of the year, remaining at number one on the "Billboard" Blues Albums chart for 13 consecutive weeks. In 2013, Lauper won the Tony Award for best original score for composing the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots", making her the first woman to win the category by herself. The musical was awarded five other Tonys including Tony Award for Best New Musical. In 2014, Lauper was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for the cast recording.
Cyndi Lauper | Introduction
One of the central plot elements running through the musical is that Eddie Ryan is infatuated with a chubby girl, Becky Bakowski. She becomes his best friend, and he later falls in love with her when she matures into a beautiful young woman. Unfortunately, she has decided to become a nun. Many years later Eddie returns to his old elementary school to inquire about Becky only to find she has left the order and is teaching in a small school in Indiana. At the end of the musical they are reunited. An original cast recording was released by Bay Cities Records.
Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? | Musical
The Kinky Boots: Original Soundtrack was released on April 11, 2006 by Hollywood Records. The following songs are included in the film but are not on the Original Soundtrack:
Kinky Boots (film) | Soundtrack
Soon inebriated, she asks George about the pajamas, and he sends her to the ladies' room. Jackie, Jim, and George sing an extemporaneous piece about "Flubby Dub the Caveman." Lou Ellen meets Aunt Penelope in the ladies' room, and Aunt Penelope tells her about the pajamas. Lou Ellen asks her mother to make George explain who was wearing her pajamas and who Jackie is, since Aunt Penelope is George's aunt. Aunt Penelope spots Briggs and declares that he is a madman who tried to lock her up. Simms jumps at the chance to arrest him and rushes to empty his hands, giving Jackie's handbag to Judge Carter.
Oh, Boy! (musical) | Act Two
In the town of Northampton, in the East Midlands of England, Charlie Price is attempting to save the family shoe factory, which has been floundering since his father died. While on a business trip to London to sell the company's extra stock, Charlie encounters a woman being harassed by drunken hoodlums and intervenes to his detriment. He wakes up backstage, in the dressing room of Lola, a drag queen performer and alter ego of Simon. Charlie is intrigued when he sees that drag queens' high heels snap easily, and wishes to create high heels that can support a greater range of foot sizes and body types.
Kinky Boots (film) | Plot
The tour was announced via Lauper's website on April 8, 2013. Dubbed as a celebration for fans, the shows will pay tribute to the singer's debut album, released October 14, 1983. Along with the tour, it was also reported Lauper's play, "Kinky Boots", released 13 Tony nominations. During an interview with VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live", the singer stated she never saw herself doing an "oldies tour" reliving the glory days. However, she felt compelled to thank her fans for supporting her career for 30 years. She went to say the show was "more for them than me". She also revealed she will perform every track from the album, along with her other hits.
She's So Unusual: 30th Anniversary Tour | Background
The West End production began previews at the Adelphi Theatre in London, on August 21, 2015, with its official opening night on September 15. Tickets went on sale on March 2. Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry played Charlie and Lola respectively, with other cast members including Amy Lennox as Lauren, Amy Ross as Nicola, Jamie Baughan as Don and Michael Hobbs as George. The West End production became London's first paperless and mobile ticketing operation. 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 (musical) | West End
"That's a lie!" said the Princess; "my father never did any such thing in all his born days!"
Boots Who Made the Princess Say, &quot;That's a Story&quot; | Synopsis
Barber made his Broadway debut as Don in "Kinky Boots" January 21, 2019, and played a limited run until March 3. Barber said in a statement, "I was very fortunate to be part of the New York Giants for ten years and feel incredibly lucky to be joining another New York institution: Broadway."
Tiki Barber | Theater
2018 - "Frozen" - Conductor, Music Supervisor, Arrangements 2012 - "Kinky Boots" - Arrangements, Orchestrations, Vocal Supervision 2011 - "The Book of Mormon" - Co-Orchestrator, Vocal Arrangements, Music Director, Conductor, Keyboards
Stephen Oremus | Broadway credits
Act I Act II Also interpolated into the show:
Kid Boots | Songs
Silk Stockings is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story "Ninotchka" and the 1939 film adaptation it inspired. It ran on Broadway in 1955. This was the last musical that Porter wrote for the stage.
Silk Stockings | Introduction
Don turns over a new leaf after Lola had graciously allowed him to win an arm wrestling match, and rallies the factory workers to make the boots in time for Charlie and Lauren to get to Milan. When Charlie catches Nicola with another man, he angrily takes out his frustrations on Lola, causing Lola to quit. After arriving in Milan with no one to model the boots, Charlie is forced to go onstage and model the boots himself. After tripping and ultimately falling flat on his face, Lola and her posse of drag queens arrive, put on a spectacular runway show, and save the day.
Kinky Boots (film) | Plot
The Red Shoes is a musical with a book by Marsha Norman, lyrics by Norman and Bob Merrill (credited as Paul Stryker) and music by Jule Styne. Based on Powell and Pressburger's 1948 film, it tells the tale of a young ballerina who performs in an adaptation of the 1845 Hans Christian Andersen story.
The Red Shoes (musical) | Introduction
Kid Boots is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire and Otto Harbach, music by Harry Tierney, and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. The show was staged by Edward Royce. Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, the Broadway production, opened on December 31, 1923 at the Earl Carroll Theatre and then moved to the Selwyn Theatre, where it ended on February 21, 1925, for a total of 489 performances. The cast starred Eddie Cantor and Mary Eaton, with George Olsen and his orchestra. The show was billed as “A Musical Comedy of Palm Beach and Golf” and was set at the Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Kid Boots | Introduction
In January 2016, Lauper announced she would release a new album on May 6, 2016. This composed of her interpretations of early country classics entitled "Detour". The announcement was supported by a release of her version of Harlan Howard's "Heartaches by the Number" and a performance on Skyville Live with Kelsea Ballerini and Ingrid Michaelson. On February 17, 2016 she released her version of Wanda Jackson's "Funnel of Love". In February 2016, Lauper was nominated for an Olivier Award for her contribution to the UK production of "Kinky Boots" along with Stephen Oremus, the man responsible for the arrangements. In January 2017, this production's album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Cyndi Lauper | 2016–present: "Detour" and more
Loukas. The original production closed on February 3, 2013.
Bare: The Musical | Introduction
"Alabamy Bound" was the first collaboration between lyricist Buddy DeSylva and composer Ray Henderson, a partnership that would last until 1930 (with lyricist Lew Brown instead of Bud Green). DeSylva gave the song to singer Al Jolson, who liked it and began performing it on every occasion, including special appearances, nightclubs and restaurants. The song became associated with him and a hit before it was even recorded. Sheet music sales exceeded one million. Given the popularity of the song, it was interpolated into the Broadway show "Kid Boots", featuring Eddie Cantor, which reportedly prevented the show from closing for some time.
Alabamy Bound | Song history
Returning in thigh-high red leather boots and an oversized black shawl, Twain closes out the main portion of the show with the one-two punch of "That Don't Impress Me Much" and "(If You're Not in It for Love) I'm Outta Here!". She returns in a half-body catsuit for the fiery, firework filled finale of "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!".
Rock This Country Tour | Concert synopsis
The 1988 Broadway musical "Always... Patsy Cline" takes place in the bar. Produced by Ted Swindley in 1988, the story was taken and expanded from a section of the Cline biography, "Honky Tonk Angel", written by Ellis Nassour. "Always... Patsy Cline" chronicles the real-life story of her encounter in 1961 with Louise Seger, a fan and Mississippi native who arrived early at The Esquire Ballroom in Houston for Cline's performance. In a chance encounter before the show, the two met and formed a lasting friendship.
Neon Boots Dancehall &amp; Saloon | In theatre
Billy Porter (born September 21, 1969) is an American actor and singer. He attended the Musical Theater program at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School's School of Drama, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, and achieved fame performing on Broadway before starting a solo career as a singer and actor. Porter won the 2013 Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Lola in "Kinky Boots" at the 67th Tony Awards. He credits the part for "cracking open" his feminine side to confront toxic masculinity. For the role, Porter also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.
Billy Porter (entertainer) | Introduction
Scene 1 Katy, already old, visits the theater where she used to perform in her heyday and learned that it will be closed down, suddenly memories of her past flashed back ("Ang Entablado ay Mundo"). Scene 2
Katy! the Musical | Act 1
Hot Feet is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, a book by Heru Ptah and was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Maurice Hines. The musical opened on Broadway at the Foxwoods Theatre (then the Hilton Theatre) on April 30, 2006 and closed on July 23, 2006. "Hot Feet" is about a beautiful young dancer whose dream is to dance on Broadway. When she puts on a pair of magical red shoes, they begin to take control of her fate. This story is a modern retelling of "The Red Shoes", an 1845 fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Hot Feet | Introduction
The fourteen note and tune lyric – 'when you know the notes to sing...' – were provided by Rodgers and Hammerstein; the rest, apparently, came from Rittmann. Howard: 'Rodgers allowed her to do whatever she liked. When we started doing the staging of it, Joe took over. He asked Trude for certain parts to be repeated, certain embellishments.' In the stage version, Maria sings this song in the living room of Captain von Trapp's house, shortly after she introduces herself to the children. However, when Ernest Lehman adapted the stage script into a screenplay for the 1965 film adaptation, he moved the song to later on in the story.
Do-Re-Mi | Introduction
The song was used by Stanley Kubrick for a scene in his 1987 film "Full Metal Jacket", where a Vietnamese woman in a miniskirt propositions a couple of American GIs. The song was included in the 1995 film "Now and Then". However, the song did not appear on the film's soundtrack. The song was included in the 1997 film "".
These Boots Are Made for Walkin' | In popular culture
The tribute songs – straight and never mawkish – are to Gene Vincent and to Dury's father, and equally honest are the demented, stream of consciousness tirades."
New Boots and Panties!! | Critical reception
The U.S. national tour opened in the summer of 1949, after the Broadway closing, with Joey Faye as Harrison Floy and Jack Whiting as Papa Longstreet. It played at least 16 cities in the Midwest and Great Plains, including Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis, and closed December 31, 1949, in Kansas City. A London production opened at the Hippodrome December 22, 1948, and ran for 291 performances. Two unknowns, Audrey Hepburn and Alma Cogan, were among the chorus girls.
High Button Shoes | Productions
The other characters think, correctly, that Laurey (Joan Roberts) and Curly (Alfred Drake) are in love. In this song they warn each other not to behave indiscreetly, lest people misinterpret their intentions. Neither wants to admit to the other - or themselves - his or her true feelings. Towards the end of the musical the characters reprise the number after becoming engaged, saying "Let people say we're in love."
People Will Say We're in Love | Plot context
"Ka-Boom!" opens with its characters on their knees, singing in prayer. We quickly discover that they are the five sole survivors of a nuclear war that has destroyed all of humanity. They are: Tony, a showy Las Vegas lounge singer who was performing at the Sands Hotel when the blast hit; Jasmine, a cynical writer whose resume included jobs at "The New Yorker" and "The Village Voice"; Hattie, a stripper who was dancing at her burlesque club, The Ka-Boom Room, when the world ended; June, a perky musical-comedy performer who'd just wrapped up her 17th national tour of "Oklahoma!"; and Matthew, a confused drama student struggling with his identity.
Ka-Boom! (off-Broadway musical) | Plot
The story told through the three verses of the song is as follows: (1) the young lady is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; (2) she has made it to the beach but sits on the sand wrapped in a blanket; and (3) she has finally gone into the ocean, but is too afraid to come out, and stays immersed in the water – despite the fact that she's "turning blue" – to hide herself from view. Trudy Packer recited the phrases "...two, three, four / Tell the people what she wore", heard at the end of each verse before the chorus; and "Stick around, we'll tell you more", heard after the first chorus and before the start of the second verse.
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini | History and lyrics
Miss Segal presides over the sordid affairs of an astringent tale with humor, reserve, and charm. It would be hard to improve upon Harold Lang's performance as the heel. In reviewing the 1995 "Encores!" concert, Vincent Canby noted:
Pal Joey (musical) | Original and subsequent productions
In "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll: The Life of Ian Dury" Eric describes being invited round to Dury's flat that day, only to interrupt Dury and Jankel working on a new song. When Eric asked what the song was called, Dury replied that it was named "Sweet Gene Vincent".
New Boots and Panties!! | Background
"Kinky Boots"
So Fine (film) | See also
"Billboard" praised Twain's "velvety vocals" and the "neat production twists".
Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under? | Critical reception
His musicals include Kink! a musical about 1950's pin-up icon Bettie Page,The Adventures of Wanda & Jack, an alt-country meditation on life on the road, written with partner Michele Brown, and Songs for a Dark Lady, re-assembling the words of William Shakespeare into a one-man musical about Shakespeare's tortured relationship with his muse, the Dark Lady of the Sonnets.
Paul Morgan Donald | Introduction
The production was produced by Jackie Anderson and directed by Margot Bordelon. The show featured Joey Steakley as Carrie and Ed Jones as Margaret. The production also featured Trista Smith as Miss Collins, Veronica Sheaffer as Sue, Robyn Senchak as Chris, Ryan Lanning as Tommy and Tim Howard as Billy. The shows creative team included Bobbie Bagby as the choreographer, Matthew Kollar as the set designer, Bill Morey as the costumes designer and Doug MacDonald as the lighting designer with Robert Steel as the sound designer and John E. Buranosky on props.
Scarrie! The Musical | Production history
The album debuted in ITunes Top Ten Pop Album Chart after its release in late June 2016. The "Straight Outta Oz Tour" was interrupted by Hall's casting in the Broadway musical "Kinky Boots". They offered the lead in "Kinky Boots" "without even auditioning, because they felt my story was so similar to that of Lola's", a drag queen cabaret performer. Hall's performance was well received by critics. He performed 155 shows from November 1, 2016, to March 1, 2017.
Todrick Hall | 2016–2017: "Straight Outta Oz", "Kinky Boots", and "RuPaul's Drag Race"