The thing is even called Kinky Boots. And honey, we can’t wait.
Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s new Broadway-bound musical sounds as gay as you’d expect from the writer of Torch Song Trilogy and La Cage Aux Folles, and the fabulous ’80s pop icon. Kinky Boots is about a man who has to save his family’s shoe store with the help of an African-American drag queen named, of all things, Lola. You know this bitch is going to be full of shocking sass, but, since there are so few representations of black gay men in entertainment, please God, give Lola more dignity than Hollywood Montrose from the Mannequin movies.
It’s based on a 2005 British flick, with Fierstein writing the book, and Lauper the music and lyrics. Although we spent our childhood dancing to her beat, the thought of Lauper writing a stage musical gives us pause. Fierstein is a savvy theatrical writer, though, so he should be able to help stage-novice Lauper with the score.
Stark Sands (Die Mommie, Die!) plays the shoe-store owner, while the flaming drag queen is played by the always debonair Billy Porter. Jerry Mitchell directs and choreographs, so you can bet your stiletto heels the dancing will high-kick butt. Mitchell will hopefully suggest Sands do a shirtless scene or two. Boy is fine!
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Performances being in Chicago this October, with Broadway in its sights soon after.
To whet your appetite, here’s a song from the show, “Sex is in the Heel,” sung by Cyndi herself.
Kinky Boots plays at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre Oct. 2 – Nov. 4
Daez
Hasn’t drag been so completely overdone in entertainment, and didn’t Cyndi Lauper’s music stop being relevant in the 80s? Now that I’m against Cyndi Lauper, but if she wasn’t a “friend” to the gays she would be a waitress at some truck stop somewhere by this point because she simply is not relevant. Remember, there are flops on Broadway as well as off.
NormalAdjacent
Chiwetel Ejiofor was so great in the movie. A very filled out character for what could have been a mistral show.
I definitely see this when it opens.
Christopher
The movie is great. . . .should make a good musical (hope it does!)
This song seems inspired from this scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2OFIeg7OwU&feature=player_embedded
Anyone remember the original Avengers on TV? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0mTRiZGvvw
Mike
@Daez:
Wow. Are you “relevant”? Do you even like yourself?
Geoff
@Daez:
Perhaps it’s telling that you typed NOW that I’m against Cyndi Lauper……..You seem to be against everything. Except the Eating Out movies. Because they are absolutely relevant?