Kinky Boots: Stark Sands leaves show on 26 Jan 2014

Original cast member Stark Sands who co-stars as 'Charlie Price' in the Broadway premiere of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Musical Kinky Boots is to leave the show on 26 Jan 2014. Sands co-star Billy Porter, who won a Tony Award for his role as 'Lola,' has extended his contract and will remin with the show at least through to July 2014.

In further casting news, it was also announced that original cast member Annaleigh Ashford will depart the musical in March 2014 to film the next season of the TV show "Masters of Sex."

No replacement for Sands or Ashford has been announced.

Kinky Boots, featuring a book by Tony Award-winner (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy), with music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning Cyndi Lauper, opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 04 Apr 2013, following previews from 03 Mar 2013, where it is currently selling tickets through to 06 Apr 2014.

The musical, directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, opened to mixed, but mostly good reviews: You are smothered in a good time (newyorktheatreguide.com); A shameless emotional button pusher (NY Times); A high time (NY Daily News); Blissfully entertaining (NY1).

In Kinky Boots, Charlie Price (Sands) 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 (Porter). 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.

Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 British comedy movie of the same name, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.

The principal cast currently features Stark Sands (Charlie Price), Billy Porter (Lola), Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren), Lean Hall (Nicola), Daniel Stewart Sherman (Don), Marcus Neville (George), Sebastian Hedges Thomas (Young Charlie) and Marquise Neal (Young Lola).

The production was nominated for a total of 13 Tony Awards, of which it won six: Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Billy Porter), Best Original Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus); and Best Sound Design (John Shivers).

The musical is being produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftigm and features sets by David Rockwell, costumes by Gregg Barnes, lighting by Kenneth Posner and sound by John Shivers (Sound Design).