Photo by Matthew Murphy

Tony winner Billy Porter was always leaving behind some big shoes (or boots) to fill, when he departed this Broadway musical comedy last year, but Mr Brady has done a fine job of keeping the ferocity alive and making sure that the sex still remains in the heel at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Why not check him out for yourselves?

The success of Kinky Boots has been phenomenal. With the dream team of Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell, Songwriter Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, the show has garnered a total of six Tony Awards and the West End production just recently earned seven Olivier Award nominations, including Best New Musical. So why exactly is the "Land of Lola" so popular? Well, I believe the story's central, universal themes have a lot to do with it...

All of us want to feel acceptance in life, whether that comes from our parents, our partners, our peers or in the workplace. The show's principal characters cover all those bases, so it is more than likely that an audience member will identify with at least one of them. I would wager that a large portion of the musical's fans truly empathise with Lola/Simon's tear-jerking ballad "Not My Father's Son," which tells the history of Simon's upbringing and his struggle of choosing between the man his father wanted him to be and his true self, which would undoubtedly cause a rift in their relationship. This moment in the show alone is reason enough to make sure you witness Kinky Boots in person.

Another reason to buy a ticket is to see a talented bunch of 'ladies' strutting their stuff in six-inch heels to Jerry Mitchell's Tony-winning choreography. These six guys aka Lola's Angels are the unsung heroes of this piece. Every time you feel that the pace is in danger of dropping, snap! Here they come, delivering the wow-factor. My hat also goes off to the fantastic costume design by Gregg Barnes for kitting them out in the most colourful and outlandish gear.

It will be interesting to see whether the West End production will be able to match its Broadway counterpart's Tony success at the 40th Anniversary of the Laurence Olivier Awards on 3 April 2016 at London's Royal Opera House. But until then, check out the "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" star Wayne Brady in his final performances on Broadway!

Click here for tickets to Kinky Boots for performances through to 20 November 2016 at Broadway's Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

- by Tom Millward