It’s Kinky — and a huge hit on stage, to boot!
HARVEY FIERSTEIN, who wrote the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots, went through it line by line to ensure that no Americanisms would slip into a show that’s supposed to be set in a shoe factory in Northampton.
The production, which won the Tony award for best musical, is highkicking its way into the West End. And Fierstein — who based his book for the show on the 2005 film version of Kinky Boots starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joel Edgerton — wanted to make sure it was word-perfect for an English audience.
He liaised with Geoff Deane, who wrote the film with Tim Firth. ‘I sent him the script and Geoff wrote back and said: “We don’t do condos”, so I changed that to converted lofts.
‘You want to be very respectful of your audience. If words are wrong, it puts you right off the show,’ Fierstein told me.
Kinky Boots, directed with brio by Jerry Mitchell, is about two young men — and also about parental expectations.
Charlie is set to inherit the family shoe company, while Lola is a transvestite who sees a niche market in stiletto-heeled ‘kinky boots’ for men. Both had conflicted relationships with their fathers.
Watching the show again at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway, I was struck by the fact that what it really boils down to is accepting someone for who they are. It’s a message presented with pizzazz, thanks to Mitchell’s boundless energy and electricity.
In addition to Mitchell, Fierstein collaborated with Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the music and lyrics.
‘You never know what will work,’ he said, of their combined efforts. ‘You put it in the oven and see what comes out!’
What came out, in this case, was a huge hit.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, with previews starting at the Adelphi Theatre on August 21 and an official first night on september 15.