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Kinky BootsOpening Date: Aug 21, 2015
Closing Date: Jan 12, 2019 Air date: June 25, 2019 Medium: cinema Where to watch: Amazon (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this link), BroadwayHD, Stage2View, Stage Player Plus |
Stage Production Notes
Based on the 2005 film of the same name, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie, a factory owner struggling to save his family shoe business, and Lola, a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion, and a lot of understanding, the unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen.
In February 1999, BBC program Trouble at The top aired an episode entitled “The Kinky Boot Factory.” The episode told the story of Steve Pateman, who had successfully reversed the fortunes of his family men’s shoe business, WJ Brookes, by making shoe’s traditionally designed for women for men. Pateman branched into the market after receiving a phone call from Sue Sheppard, who owns and runs Lacies, a store specializing in clothing for people who are transgender.
The story was adapted into a film in 2005, Kinky Boots, directed by Julian Jarrold, and starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Patemen has reportedly stated that even though only half the film was accurate to real life, he enjoyed it.
Produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig, Kinky Boots was adapted into a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein, and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Steve Pateman was not invited to be a part of the development of the musical.
Kinky Boots was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, and make-up design by Randy Houston Mercer.
Kinky Boots received its world premiere, and pre-Broadway try-out, in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre on October 2, 2012 starring Stark Sands as Charlie and Billy Porter as Lola.
Although noting the musical needed some improvements, such as fleshing out the character of Charlie and further developing Act 2, Kinky Boots received generally positive reviews. Chicago Tribune reviewer Chris Jones described the musical as “A warm, likable, brassy, sentimental, big-hearted and modestly scaled Broadway musical.” Jones praised Cindy Lauper’s “fresh-and-zesty” score, and the performances of Billy Porter and Annaleigh Ashford were also universally praised.
Kinky Boots transferred to Broadway shortly after and began previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on March 3, 2013. Between the Chicago run and Broadway previews, the character of Charlie was re-written to give him “greater depth”.
The musical officially opened on Broadway on April 4, 2013.
The cast included Stark Sands (Charlie Price), Billy Porter (Lola), Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren), Lena Hall (Nicola), Daniel Stewart Sherman (Don), Marcus Neville (George), Adinah Alexander (Milan Stage Manager), and another 18 ensemble members.
The Broadway production received generally positive reviews. Although several critics stated that Act 2 was weak, and that Harvey Fierstein’s book often verged on being too preachy, most critics praised Cyndi Lauper on her Broadway debut and noted the effectiveness of her pop-infused score. Critics also praised director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell’s work.
Kinky Boots was nominated for a slew of awards, winning the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Score (Cyndi Lauper), and Outstanding New Broadway Musical. It won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus), Best Sound Design of a Musical (John Shivers), Best Original Score (Cyndi Lauper - the first solo female composer to win this category), and Best Musical.
As in Chicago, Billy Porter was widely praised for his performance as Lola and won Outstanding Actor at The Drama Desk Awards, the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Best Actor in a Musical at the Tony Awards.
For a time, Kinky Boots had some of the highest priced Broadway tickets, with premium seats selling for $349 each. The musical cost $13.5 million to stage, and recouped just 7 months after opening on Broadway.
Kinky Boots transferred to the West End where it began previews at the Adelphi Theatre on August 21, 2015 and officially opened on September 15, 2015. Helmed by the Broadway production team, the cast included Killian Donnelly (Charlie), Matt Henry (Lola), Amy Lennox (Lauren), Jamie Baughan (Don),
While some critics described the score as “bland”, and once again noted the preachy quality of the book, they universally praised lead actors Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry, Amy Lennox’s “show-stealing” performance, Jerry Mitchell’s impressive choreography, David Rockwell’s scenic design, and Gregg Barne’s costume design, notably, the shoes.
Ken Billington, writing for The Guardian, summarized “You could make a case against the musical as a piece of preachy uplift about sexual tolerance. But it won me over through the quality of the lead performances, the verve of its staging and its conviction, in its fetishistic worship of thigh-high boots, that there’s no business like shoe business.”
The Stage’s Mark Shenton, who had seen the production both on Broadway and the West End, felt that the musical had been “brought home now to England.”
A U.S. national tour commenced in September 2014, and closed in June 2017.
The West End production closed on January 12, 2019.
The Broadway production played 2505 performances before closing on April 7, 2019.
Kinky Boots has been performed around the world, with productions staged in Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Philippines.
Kinky Boots is expected to be able for limited licensing through Music Theatre International from the fall of 2020.
In April 2022, it was announced that Kinky Boots would return to New York for an off-Broadway run at Stage 42 commencing July 26, 2022.
Based on the 2005 film of the same name, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie, a factory owner struggling to save his family shoe business, and Lola, a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion, and a lot of understanding, the unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen.
In February 1999, BBC program Trouble at The top aired an episode entitled “The Kinky Boot Factory.” The episode told the story of Steve Pateman, who had successfully reversed the fortunes of his family men’s shoe business, WJ Brookes, by making shoe’s traditionally designed for women for men. Pateman branched into the market after receiving a phone call from Sue Sheppard, who owns and runs Lacies, a store specializing in clothing for people who are transgender.
The story was adapted into a film in 2005, Kinky Boots, directed by Julian Jarrold, and starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Patemen has reportedly stated that even though only half the film was accurate to real life, he enjoyed it.
Produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig, Kinky Boots was adapted into a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein, and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. Steve Pateman was not invited to be a part of the development of the musical.
Kinky Boots was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, with scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, and make-up design by Randy Houston Mercer.
Kinky Boots received its world premiere, and pre-Broadway try-out, in Chicago at the Bank of America Theatre on October 2, 2012 starring Stark Sands as Charlie and Billy Porter as Lola.
Although noting the musical needed some improvements, such as fleshing out the character of Charlie and further developing Act 2, Kinky Boots received generally positive reviews. Chicago Tribune reviewer Chris Jones described the musical as “A warm, likable, brassy, sentimental, big-hearted and modestly scaled Broadway musical.” Jones praised Cindy Lauper’s “fresh-and-zesty” score, and the performances of Billy Porter and Annaleigh Ashford were also universally praised.
Kinky Boots transferred to Broadway shortly after and began previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on March 3, 2013. Between the Chicago run and Broadway previews, the character of Charlie was re-written to give him “greater depth”.
The musical officially opened on Broadway on April 4, 2013.
The cast included Stark Sands (Charlie Price), Billy Porter (Lola), Annaleigh Ashford (Lauren), Lena Hall (Nicola), Daniel Stewart Sherman (Don), Marcus Neville (George), Adinah Alexander (Milan Stage Manager), and another 18 ensemble members.
The Broadway production received generally positive reviews. Although several critics stated that Act 2 was weak, and that Harvey Fierstein’s book often verged on being too preachy, most critics praised Cyndi Lauper on her Broadway debut and noted the effectiveness of her pop-infused score. Critics also praised director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell’s work.
Kinky Boots was nominated for a slew of awards, winning the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical, the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Score (Cyndi Lauper), and Outstanding New Broadway Musical. It won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell), Best Orchestrations (Stephen Oremus), Best Sound Design of a Musical (John Shivers), Best Original Score (Cyndi Lauper - the first solo female composer to win this category), and Best Musical.
As in Chicago, Billy Porter was widely praised for his performance as Lola and won Outstanding Actor at The Drama Desk Awards, the Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Best Actor in a Musical at the Tony Awards.
For a time, Kinky Boots had some of the highest priced Broadway tickets, with premium seats selling for $349 each. The musical cost $13.5 million to stage, and recouped just 7 months after opening on Broadway.
Kinky Boots transferred to the West End where it began previews at the Adelphi Theatre on August 21, 2015 and officially opened on September 15, 2015. Helmed by the Broadway production team, the cast included Killian Donnelly (Charlie), Matt Henry (Lola), Amy Lennox (Lauren), Jamie Baughan (Don),
While some critics described the score as “bland”, and once again noted the preachy quality of the book, they universally praised lead actors Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry, Amy Lennox’s “show-stealing” performance, Jerry Mitchell’s impressive choreography, David Rockwell’s scenic design, and Gregg Barne’s costume design, notably, the shoes.
Ken Billington, writing for The Guardian, summarized “You could make a case against the musical as a piece of preachy uplift about sexual tolerance. But it won me over through the quality of the lead performances, the verve of its staging and its conviction, in its fetishistic worship of thigh-high boots, that there’s no business like shoe business.”
The Stage’s Mark Shenton, who had seen the production both on Broadway and the West End, felt that the musical had been “brought home now to England.”
A U.S. national tour commenced in September 2014, and closed in June 2017.
The West End production closed on January 12, 2019.
The Broadway production played 2505 performances before closing on April 7, 2019.
Kinky Boots has been performed around the world, with productions staged in Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Philippines.
Kinky Boots is expected to be able for limited licensing through Music Theatre International from the fall of 2020.
In April 2022, it was announced that Kinky Boots would return to New York for an off-Broadway run at Stage 42 commencing July 26, 2022.
Filmed Production Notes
The West End production of Kinky Boots was filmed live during its run at the Adelphi Theatre by BroadwayHD.
In conjunction with Fathom Events, Kinky Boots was released in cinemas in the United States on June 25 and June 29, 2019.
The musical was made available to stream on BroadwayHD from July 15, 2019.
PBS’ Great Performances aired Kinky Boots on November 29, 2019 as part of its “Broadway Best” series.
Kinky Boots was broadcast in cinemas around the UK in February 2020. Encore cinema screenings were planned further dates into 2020, however were postponed due to the corona virus pandemic.
In a review for TheaterMania, Zachary Stewart, noted the effectiveness of the capture, stating “Watching Kinky Boots on BroadwayHD gets you as close to the live show as you can possibly hope to get without actually stepping into a theater.”
Kinky Boots is currently available to stream on Amazon (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this link), BroadwayHD, Great Performances (US only), Stage2View, and Stage Player Plus.
The West End production of Kinky Boots was filmed live during its run at the Adelphi Theatre by BroadwayHD.
In conjunction with Fathom Events, Kinky Boots was released in cinemas in the United States on June 25 and June 29, 2019.
The musical was made available to stream on BroadwayHD from July 15, 2019.
PBS’ Great Performances aired Kinky Boots on November 29, 2019 as part of its “Broadway Best” series.
Kinky Boots was broadcast in cinemas around the UK in February 2020. Encore cinema screenings were planned further dates into 2020, however were postponed due to the corona virus pandemic.
In a review for TheaterMania, Zachary Stewart, noted the effectiveness of the capture, stating “Watching Kinky Boots on BroadwayHD gets you as close to the live show as you can possibly hope to get without actually stepping into a theater.”
Kinky Boots is currently available to stream on Amazon (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through this link), BroadwayHD, Great Performances (US only), Stage2View, and Stage Player Plus.
Kinky Boots PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Adelphi Theatre, London
Producer: Adam S Gordon, Allan S Gordon, BB Group, Brian Smith, Bryan Bantry, Christina Papagjika, Cj E&M, Connie Walsh, Daryl Roth, Dorsey Regal, Gregory Rae, Hal Luftig, Hunter Arnold, Independent Presenters Network, James L Nederlander, Jane Bergere, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jim Kierstead, Judith Ann Abrams, Jujamcyn Theatres, Just For Laughs Theatricals, Ken Davenport, Lucy, Phil Suarez, Playful Productions, Ron Fierstein, Terry Allen Kramer, Tom, Warren Trepp, Yasuhiro Kawana, BroadwayHD
Book: Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics: Cindy Lauper
Director and Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell
Film Director: Brett Sullivan
Musical Director: Peter White
Orchestrations: Stephen Oremus
Scenic Design: David Rockwell
Costume Design: Gregg Barnes
Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner
Sound Design: John Shivers
Stage Manager: Natalie Wood
Cast:
Killian Donnelly (Charlie Price), Matt Henry (Lola), Natalie McQueen (Lauren), Sean Needham (Don), Cordelia Farnworth (Nicola), Antony Reed (George), Anna Stolli (Trish/Ensemble), Jonathan Carlton (Richard Bailey/Ensemble), Jordan Fox (Harry/Ensemble), Rosie Glossop (Pat/Ensemble), Robert Grose (Simon Senior/Ensemble), Graham Kent (Mr. Price/Ensemble), Emma Odell (Milan Stage Manager/Ensemble), Jak Allen-Anderson (Angel/Ensemble), Jed Berry (Angel/Ensemble), Louis Clarke-Clare (Angel/Ensemble), Daniel Downing (Angel/Ensemble), Jemal Felix (Angel/Ensemble), Jon Reynolds (Angel/Ensemble), Charlie Underhill (Young Charlie), Temba Mliswa (Young Lola), Ensemble: Abbey Addams, David Haydn, Keith Higham, Hannah Price, Tom Scanlon, Olivia Winterflood, Momar Diagne (Swing), Ben Jennings (Swing), Robert Jones (Swing), Suzie McAdam (Swing), Christopher Parkinson (Swing), Ben Larcombe (Kinky Boots Children), Rio Lewis (Kinky Boots Children), Jude Muir (Kinky Boots Children), Kayleb Rene-Gray (Kinky Boots Children), Simon Wakayu (Kinky Boots Children), Fred Wilcox (Kinky Boots Children)
Theatre: Adelphi Theatre, London
Producer: Adam S Gordon, Allan S Gordon, BB Group, Brian Smith, Bryan Bantry, Christina Papagjika, Cj E&M, Connie Walsh, Daryl Roth, Dorsey Regal, Gregory Rae, Hal Luftig, Hunter Arnold, Independent Presenters Network, James L Nederlander, Jane Bergere, Jayne Baron Sherman, Jim Kierstead, Judith Ann Abrams, Jujamcyn Theatres, Just For Laughs Theatricals, Ken Davenport, Lucy, Phil Suarez, Playful Productions, Ron Fierstein, Terry Allen Kramer, Tom, Warren Trepp, Yasuhiro Kawana, BroadwayHD
Book: Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics: Cindy Lauper
Director and Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell
Film Director: Brett Sullivan
Musical Director: Peter White
Orchestrations: Stephen Oremus
Scenic Design: David Rockwell
Costume Design: Gregg Barnes
Lighting Design: Kenneth Posner
Sound Design: John Shivers
Stage Manager: Natalie Wood
Cast:
Killian Donnelly (Charlie Price), Matt Henry (Lola), Natalie McQueen (Lauren), Sean Needham (Don), Cordelia Farnworth (Nicola), Antony Reed (George), Anna Stolli (Trish/Ensemble), Jonathan Carlton (Richard Bailey/Ensemble), Jordan Fox (Harry/Ensemble), Rosie Glossop (Pat/Ensemble), Robert Grose (Simon Senior/Ensemble), Graham Kent (Mr. Price/Ensemble), Emma Odell (Milan Stage Manager/Ensemble), Jak Allen-Anderson (Angel/Ensemble), Jed Berry (Angel/Ensemble), Louis Clarke-Clare (Angel/Ensemble), Daniel Downing (Angel/Ensemble), Jemal Felix (Angel/Ensemble), Jon Reynolds (Angel/Ensemble), Charlie Underhill (Young Charlie), Temba Mliswa (Young Lola), Ensemble: Abbey Addams, David Haydn, Keith Higham, Hannah Price, Tom Scanlon, Olivia Winterflood, Momar Diagne (Swing), Ben Jennings (Swing), Robert Jones (Swing), Suzie McAdam (Swing), Christopher Parkinson (Swing), Ben Larcombe (Kinky Boots Children), Rio Lewis (Kinky Boots Children), Jude Muir (Kinky Boots Children), Kayleb Rene-Gray (Kinky Boots Children), Simon Wakayu (Kinky Boots Children), Fred Wilcox (Kinky Boots Children)
Sources
Articles
Websites
- Sarah Bahr, ‘Kinky Boots’ Sets Summer Return Off Broadway," New York Times (April 7, 2022)
- Michael Billington, “Kinky Boots review – glamorously rebooted musical never drags,” The Guardian (Sept 15, 2015)
- Lawrence Bommer, “Chicago Theater Review: KINKY BOOTS (Bank of America Theatre)” Stage and Cinema (Oct 18, 2012)
- Ben Brantley, “High Spirits, Higher Heels,” New York Times (April 4, 2013)
- Michael Coveney, “Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre),” Whats on Stage (Sept 15, 2015)
- Sean Doherty, “What life is really like as a transgender woman in Kent,” Kent Live (Feb 23, 2019)
- Vincent Dowd, “Kinky Boots inspiration comes out of the shadows,” BBC (June 18, 2013)
- Adam Feldman, “Kinky Boots,” Time Out New York (April 4, 2013)
- Ruthie Fierberg, “Filmed Version of Tony-Winning Musical Kinky Boots Coming to BroadwayHD,” Playbill (July 1, 2019)
- Patrick Healy, “‘Kinky Boots’ the Musical to Get Pre-Broadway Run in Chicago,” New York Times (Feb 22, 2012)
- Patrick Healy, “Helping Glass Slippers and Kinky Boots Shine,” New York Times (May 10, 2013)
- Patrick Healy, “These Boots Are Made for Walking to the Bank: ‘Kinky’ Recoups Its $13.5 Million,” New York Times (Oct 3, 2013)
- Adam Hetrick, “Filmed Version of Kinky Boots Musical to Hit U.S. Theatres in June,” Playbill (May 17, 2019)
- Chris Jones, “REVIEW: "Kinky Boots" at Bank of America Theatre,” The Chicago Tribune (Oct 17, 2012)
- Adrian Lee, “What happened to the kinky boots factory,” Express (Aug 22, 2015)
- Quentin Letts, “Verve and vim by the bootful: QUENTIN LETTS first night review of Kinky Boots,” Daily Mail (Sept 15, 2015)
- Peter Marks, “Lauper's ‘Boots’ were made for Broadway,” The Washington Post (April 4, 2013)
- The Newsroom, “Real story behind Kinky Boots will surprise you, says Northamptonshire inspiration for film and stage show,” Northampton Chronicle & Echo (Sept 11, 2018)
- Carly Roberts, “Northampton's very own musical Kinky Boots to be screened across county,” Northampton Chronicle & Echo (Jan 30, 2020)
- David Rooney, “Kinky Boots: Theater Review,” The Hollywood Reporter (April 4, 2013)
- Mark Shenton, “Kinky Boots,” The Stage (Sept 15, 2015)
- Zachary Stewart, “Does Kinky Boots on BroadwayHD Raise Up the Stage Show?” TheaterMania (March 18, 2020)
- Alexis Soloski, “Kinky Boots – review,” The Guardian (April 5, 2013)
- Terry Teachout, “The Who-Cares Test,” Wall Street Journal (April 4, 2013)
- Kris Vire, “Kinky Boots at Bank of America Theatre | Theater review” TimeOut Chicago (Oct 23, 2012)
Websites
- Internet Movie Database, “Kinky Boots: The Musical (2019),” Accessed via: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10442108/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3
- Internet Broadway Database, “Kinky Boots: Tour,” Accessed via: https://www.ibdb.com/tour-production/kinky-boots-499455
- Kinky Boots The Musical, Accessed via: https://kinkybootsthemusical.com/index.php
- Kinky Boots Cinema, Accessed via: https://www.kinkybootscinema.com/
- Music Theatre International, “Kinky Boots,” Accessed via: https://www.mtishows.com/kinky-boots
- PBS, “Great Performances: Kinky Boots,” Accessed via: https://www.pbs.org/video/kinky-boots-lfy19f/
- Playbill Vault, “Kinky Boots,” Accessed via: https://www.playbill.com/production/kinky-boots-al-hirschfeld-theatre-vault-0000013982
- Whats On Stage, “Kinky Boots,” Accessed via: https://www.whatsonstage.com/shows/west-end-theatre/kinky-boots_55662
Written by Luisa Lyons (June, 2020)