Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper's Kinky Boots is now available for worldwide licensing from Music Theatre International. The theatrical licensor signed on to handle the work's licensing rights in 2014, and productions have been licensed to such theatres as Pennsylvania's Fulton Theatre and The Muny, but now the work will be available to amateur companies, schools, and community theatres.
Based on the film of the same name, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price, the reluctant inheritor of his father's struggling shoe factory and his fight to keep it afloat by reaching a startlingly new customer demographic: drag queens. Billy Porter won a Tony Award playing Lola in the original Broadway cast, one of six Tony wins for the production, including Best Musical, Best Original Score for Cyndi Lauper, and Best Choreography for Jerry Mitchell.
Speaking of Tony-winning choreography, Mitchell's original staging will be available to optionally license through MTI's partnership with The Original Production (TOP). Created by Mitchell and Kinky Boots original cast member Paul Canaan, TOP licenses original choreography with digital videos that offer 3-4 hours of step-by-step instruction, often with the choreographer demonstrating both the steps and the intended motivation and nuances behind them. The videos also include tips for adapting the choreography to the unique needs of individual productions.
“A high-energy musical with fantastic songs and an inspiring message of acceptance is just what we need in these challenging times,” says MTI Worldwide President and CEO Drew Cohen. “The release of Kinky Boots comes just as theatres are resuming performances with in-person audiences, and there is tremendous interest and excitement about the show from organizations everywhere. Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein have created something very special, and we can’t wait to see Kinky Boots on stages across the world.”
An audience favorite on Broadway, in London's West End, and on international tours, Kinky Boots was recently announced to play California's Hollywood Bowl, with Mitchell again directing and choreographing.
For more information, visit MTIShows.com.
