“Everybody say Yeah!” and celebrate the 2013 Tony Award-winning “Best Musical” Kinky Boots at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway!
Based on the 2005 British film of the same name, the musical adaptation boasts a high-profile creative team which were making headlines even before the first preview. Broadway veterans Jerry Mitchell (as Director/Choreographer) and Harvey Fierstein (as Book Writer) teamed up with Grammy Award-winning recording artist Cyndi Lauper, who agreed to provide music and lyrics for the show. That decision to make her first foray into musical theatre eventually proved to be a very fruitful one, as she made history by becoming the first woman to win a Tony Award for “Best Score” by herself and the cherry on the cake turned out to be her Grammy Award win (for “Best Musical Theater Album”) in 2014.
Kinky Boots became an instant fan favorite, after beginning previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on March 3, 2013, and successfully opening on April 4 to positive reviews. The show-stealing role of drag queen Lola also propelled original cast member Billy Porter into Broadway superstardom, earning him his first Tony Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.” Jerry Mitchell also took home a Tony for “Best Choreography,” with the dance numbers performed by Lola and her gender-bending entourage known as the “angels” impressing the most. And ultimately, the production fought off some tough competition from the likes of Matilda to be crowned “Best Musical” that season.
Kinky Boots’ overriding theme of acceptance has established it as a frontrunner in the LGBTQ community. Its sentiment is perfectly summed up in Lauper’s Act I ballad “Not My Father’s Son”, which also ends by drawing similarities between the two male leads of the musical. Regardless of sexual orientation, we all have a common ground to find - where we all share the trials, tribulations and the joys of being human.
Other musical numbers such as “Land of Lola”, “Sex is in the Heel”, “Raise You Up/Just Be”, and “Everybody Say Yeah” keep the feel-good factor alive with disco-pop influences that keep your toes tapping and your fingers clicking. So, ladies, gentlemen… and those who have yet to make up your minds, why not treat yourselves to the most fabulous adventure on Broadway? Lola is waiting…
(Photos by Matthew Murphy)
This show has now closed. See our list of theatre tickets for shows currently on sale.
16 images Charlie Price is forced to step in and save his family’s shoe factory in Northern England following the sudden death of his father. Help comes from the unlikeliest angel, a fabulous drag performer named Lola. Together, this improbable duo revitalizes the failing business, while stepping out from their fathers' shadows and transforming an entire community through the power of acceptance.
I love tissue paper, so much color that takes up so much eye real estate and yet weighs nothing. With just a little touch of tissue one can masque a myriad of deficiencies. So, naturally, I liked this show. What I l-o-v-e-d, however, was this exuberant cast. These people are marinating in joy, and each performance is devoted to lifting you waaaaay up.
