Today brought bad news for one gay icon, but incredible news for another. When the nominations for the 2013 Tony Awards were announced this morning Bette Midler learned her acclaimed return to the Broadway stage in the one-woman show I’ll Eat You Last didn’t make the cut, but Cyndi Lauper’s first-ever musical Kinky Boots scored 13 nominations, the most of any show this year.
Longtime LGBT ally Lauper teamed with out actor/playwright Harvey Fierstein to adapt the 2005 British comedy Kinky Boots, about a drag queen who comes to the aid of a failing show factory and their collaboration was a resounding success, garnering 13 nods. Among them is a nomination for best musical, one for Lauper for best score, and for out actor Billy Porter. Porter, who portrays the helpful cross dresser in the show, will go mano a mano with another drag performance —Bertie Carvel as the sadistic headmistress Miss Trunchbull in Mathilda.
Other nominees of queer-interest include the latest production of the venerable Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by out playwright Edward Albee. Always a slam-dunk with Tony voters, this latest revival received five nominations. Out actor Nathan Lane will compete for best actor in a play for his performance in the comedy The Nance opposite fellow gay actor David Hyde Piece for out playwright Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Bring it On, another adaptation of a popular comedy, and which features a queer character named La Cienega, is also up for best musical.
The dragalicious 67th annual Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS June 9. Read a full list of nominees here.
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.
B Damion
Yes..yes..y’all..serve them boots. serrrvvve child!
Yiannis
I enjoyed the film on which the musical is based on and I have great respect for both Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein. My best wishes to them!