Wayne Brady sets departure date for Kinky Boots
Emmy Award winner Wayne Brady has now set his departure date and will play his final performance in the role of Lola in the 2013 Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots on 27 March 2016. Replacement casting will be announced at a later date.
Prior to his Broadway run, Mr Brady commented:
"I'm thrilled to join the Kinky Boots family and unleash my inner Lola. It's the role of a lifetime! Billy and his prodigious talent have left some pretty big red boots for me to fill. Starring in a Broadway show of this caliber has been my dream since I started performing at age 16. I'm ready to jump in with both feet!"Wayne Brady made his Broadway debut as Billy Flynn in 'Chicago' in 2004. Other stage credits include the role of Collins in the 2010 Neil Patrick Harris-helmed Hollywood Bowl production of 'Rent' and the 2015 Pasadena Playhouse production of 'Kiss Me Kate.' He is best known for his TV shows "Let's Make a Deal," "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and "The Wayne Brady Show." He has won a Primetime Emmy (along with a further two nominations) and a total of three daytime Emmys and six nominations.
The principal cast currently features Wayne Brady (Lola), Andy Kelso (Charlie Price), Jeanna de Waal (Lauren), Cortney Wolfson (Nicola), Daniel Stewart Sherman (Don), and Marcus Neville (George).
Kinky Boots officially opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on 4 April 2013, following previews from 3 March 2013, and is currently booking through to 29 May 2016.
Based on the 2005 British comedy movie of the same name by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, the musical features a book by Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning artist Cyndi Lauper and is directed by Tony winner Jerry Mitchell.
Synopsis: "In Kinky Boots, 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."
The musical, directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, opened to mostly positive 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).
The creative team behind Kinky Boots features scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and sound design by John Shivers.
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).
Kinky Boots is produced on Broadway by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig.
Wayne BradyOriginally published on