About the work
Kinky Boots is a musical with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, premiered on Broadway in 2013. Based on the 2005 British film, it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical; Lauper was the first woman to win the Tony for Best Score on her own.
Plot
Charlie Price inherits from his father a tradition-rich but bankrupt shoe factory in Northampton, England. A chance encounter with the drag queen Lola gives him a saving idea: the factory will henceforth make sturdy high-heeled boots for drag queens. Together Charlie and Lola overcome the prejudices of the workforce, personal self-doubt, and the legacy of their fathers. In their unlikely friendship, both learn to accept themselves and each other.
Cultural significance
Kinky Boots combines a rousing pop score with a warm-hearted message about tolerance, acceptance, and the right to be oneself—distilled in the anthem Just Be. Cyndi Lauper's success as a composer marked an important moment for women on Broadway. The work became an international audience favourite and is regarded as one of the most uplifting feel-good musicals of the 2010s.