GOOD MORNING BROADWAY FANS?!! Are you ready for The 74th Annual Tony Awards just 19 DAYS AWAY?!! We at New York Broadway Tours are continuing our celebration of Live Theater’s return with our TOP 50 TONY AWARDS COUNTDOWN. We got so many showstopping performances coming your way from previous telecasts. Get ready to BELT IT OUT!!!
At # 19 on our countdown, we pay a visit to a shoe factory in England on the verge of trouble. However, it is saved when the factory owner’s son and a cabaret drag queen form a unique partnership. Time to purchase a pair of…… Kinky Boots!!! Based on the 2005 film of the same name (and inspired by a true story), the show features a score by Tony and Grammy Award winner Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein.
From the 2013 telecast, Tony nominee Stark Sands as “Charlie Price” along with Tony winners Billy Porter as “Lola”, Annaleigh Ashford as “Lauren”, and members of the original Broadway cast strut their stuff and make the shoes of their dreams a reality with a performance of the show’s ACT 1 finale anthem where all you gotta do…… EVERYBODY SAY YEAH!!!
Kinky Boots The Musical was first conceived by Tony winning Broadway producer Daryl Roth. She first saw the original 2005 film before sharing it with producer Hal Luftig which they both fell in love with the “heart and soul” of the story. Within a year, the rights were secured to adapt the film into a stage musical. Roth and Luftig teamed up with Tony winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell along with Tony winning book writer and actor Harvey Fierstein. For creating the score, Mitchell knew of the perfect person that Fierstein was longtime friends with…. Acclaimed Grammy winning singing sensation Cyndi Lauper (which marked her debut as a Musical Theater songwriter). From there, the show began a full 2 ½ year journey of numerous readings and workshops.
Following a successful out of town tryout in Chicago in 2012, KINKY BOOTS officially arrived at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre. It waas a smash hit running for an incredible 5 1/2 year run of 34 previews and 2,507 regular performances. Under the direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, the cast consisted of…
Tony nominee Stark Sands (later Andy Kelso, Aaron C. Finley, Killian Donnelly, Brendon Urie, Jake Shears, David Cook, Tyler Glenn, and Mark Ballas) as “Charlie Price”,
Tony winner Billy Porter (later Wayne Brady, Kyle Taylor Parker, Alan Mingo Jr, J Harrison Ghee, and Callum Francis) as “Lola”,
Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford (later Jeanna de Waal, Haven Burton, Tony nominee Taylor Louderman, DeLaney Westfall, Kirstin Maldonado, and Carrie St. Louis) as “Lauren”,
Tony winner Lena Hall (later Cortney Wolfson, Shannon O’Boyle, and Caroline Bowman) as “Nicola”,
and more.
KINKY BOOTS was nominated for 13 Tony Awards in 2013 winning 6 including BEST MUSICAL. It also won the Grammy for BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM.
Along with its success on Broadway, KINKY BOOTS went on to wow audiences in London’s West End (winning the Olivier Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL), several North American National Tours, Australia, and launching various International companies.
During the show’s London run, KINKY BOOTS was captured on a film. It was released in Theaters before later appearing on BroadwayHD, PBS Award winning Great Performances, and now on DVD today. From the stage of the Adelphi Theatre and featuring its original creative team, that filmed cast was led by….
Killian Donnelly as “Charlie Price”,
Matt Henry as “Lola”,
Natalie McQueen as “Lauren”,
Cordelia Farnworth as “Nicola”,
and more.
Today, KINKY BOOTS is available for Licensing by Music Theatre International. It has been performed both in schools, community, and regional theaters everywhere.
Doesn’t this show make you want to strut?
