Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 film of the same name and tells the story of a Midlands shoe factory that decides to develop shoes for drag queens. The musical features music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. The original production opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in 2013 and went on to win the Tony Award for Best New Musical. The original production starred Stark Sands and Billy Porter in the lead roles, and the pair were both nominated for a Tony Award for their efforts, with Porter eventually taking home the prize. The show is earmarked to make a West End transfer, opening late 2014 or early 2015.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Harvey Fierstein
Miramax motion picture "Kinky Boots"
Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
Nederlander
Jerry Mitchell
Jerry Mitchell
Kinky Boots - Original Broadway Production
Al Hirschfeld Theatre - Opened 16 Dec 2013, closed 16 Dec 2013
Cast: Billy Porter (Lola), Stark Sands (Charlie Price), Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren), Celina Carvajal (Nicola), Marcus Neville (George), Daniel Stewart Sherman (Don), Adinah Alexander Milan, Eugene Barry-Hill, Stephen Berger.
Kinky Boots Original London production
Adelphi Theatre - Opened 21 Aug 2015, closed 1 Jan 1970
Cast: Killian Donnelly, Matt Henry, Amy Lennox, Jamie Baughan, Amy Ross and Michael Hobbs
What was your favourite production? Add your thoughts in the comments box
The show opens as Charlie Price is being handed his father’s show factory in the Midlands of the UK. As his father has worked hard to build ‘Price and Sons’ into a family business, Charlie has little to no interest in the family trade. He decides to move to London in order to stay with his high maintenance girlfriend Nicola. As Charlie’s father dies unexpectedly, he returns home to see the family business on the edge of bankruptcy. He realises that whilst the factory makes high quality goods, they are not fashionable or appealing to a modern day buyer. Whilst out in London Charlie witnesses a street fight and comes across drag queen ‘Lola’. She explains that high heeled shoes do not successfully support the weight of a man, and that drag queens are always in need of sturdier shoes.
Charlie returns to the factory and pitches his idea to Lauren, a factory worker with a long standing crush on him. They decide that the factory could survive if they play into the niche market. Lola and her ‘angels’ arrive at the factory to talk about the drag shoe, and stay in the Midlands to help produce them. They prepare to unleash their new brand of ‘Kinky Boots’, but Nicola is upset with Charlie for abandoning their dream and not getting married in London.
The second act begins as factory workers become discontent about the changes in their produce. Don is the rudest of them all and doesn’t agree with Lola’s way of life. He challenges Lola to a boxing match to prove how manly he can be. If he loses he will have to be more accepting. Lola ends up being a good boxer, but to save Don the embarrassment he lets him win. Don begins to question his own prejudice.
The workers continue to hate their new product and Lola and Charlie argue over creative decisions. Nicola dumps Charlie and walks out on their life together. Lauren is there to try and comfort Charlie and Don helps win the factory workers over by accepting him. Charlie prepares to go to Milan as Lola discovers that her judgmental father is in a nursing home and has never accepted her way of life. Lola turns up to show her support to Charlie and the new range of ‘Kinky Boots’ and the show ends as Lauren and Charlie kiss.
Act I
Price & Son Theme – Company
The Most Beautiful Thing – Whole Company
Take What You Got – Harry, Charlie & Club Patrons
The Land of Lola – Lola & Angels
The Land of Lola (reprise) – Lola & Angels
Step One – Charlie
Sex is in the Heel – Lola, Pat, George, Angels, Lauren, Charlie & Factory Workers
The History of Wrong Guys – Lauren
I’m Not My Father’s Son – Lola & Charlie
Everybody Say Yeah – Charlie, Lola, Angels & Factory Workers
Act II
Price & Son Theme (reprise) – Company
What a Woman Wants – Lola, Pat, Don, George & the Ladies of the Factory
Charlie’s Soliloquy (reprise) – Charlie
In This Corner – Lola, Don, Pat, Trish, Angels & Factory Workers‡
The Soul of a Man – Charlie
The History of Wrong Guys (reprise) – Lauren‡
Hold Me in Your Heart – Lola
Raise You Up/Just Be – Company
Tony Award: Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Orchestrations, Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical, Best Sound Design of a Musical, Best Choreography