OFFICIAL SHOW GUIDE - Mtishows

DESIGN x3Greg Barnes, Costume Designer (GB)Josh Marquette, Hair Designer (JM)David Rockwell, Scenic Designer (DR)Join us as we jump into conversation withthree members of our KINKY BOOTS designQ: Can you describe your design concept for KINKYBOOTS the musical?DR: The goal was to create sets that referencethe locations depicted in the film, but in no wayattempt to physically recreate them. At the startof the design process, from the first conversationwith the director and choreographer, JerryMitchell, the idea was to design a single physicalenvironment that could somehow serve theentire play up until the final transformation to theclimactic scene at the International Milan ShoeFair. The result was what could be described asa three-dimensional collage of an aging Britishshoe factory.GB: The concept? It is a big word isn’t it? I’d saythat the design celebrates family in a funny way;the extended family that we all create once weleave home and go out into the word to find ourway. The family of the Factory Workers and thefamily that Lola has created with her “Angels” aredifferent in so many details but, at heart, they havemore in common than it first appears.JM: The design behind KINKY BOOTS showsthe flat, regular working life in a factory versesthe theatrical beauty of drag queens on stage.The time period is contemporary but for the hairdesign, I tried as much as possible to keep thefactory workers a little bit dated; like they havebeen hanging onto a style from their youth. Theygot stuck at their favorite period of life about 20years ago like so many people do.DR: It is a crucial part of the story that the Price &Son factory has been overseen by generations ofthe Price family. Our basic environment becamethe interior of the factory, yet not in any naturalisticway, but only suggesting what it might feel like towork in such a place. It is not until the final sceneof the show that there is any large transformation.The show moves away from the small world ofNorthampton to the larger more exotic world ofthe Milan Shoe Fair – a world that is as alien asthe factory was familiar – and towards which thestory has been moving all along.Q: The juxtaposition between the two lead characters(Lola and Charlie) is extreme. How do the elementsof your design support both of the characters’ worlds?GB: Color is always your most important tool.Next, we shape the little details that aid the actorin telling the story. The factory workers wear a lotof layers and colors that are cool like clothes thatare worn and have little “stories” that are built inbecause of how they are used at the factory. Alittle trick that we have built in with the Factoryladies is that their clothes become a bit brighterand tidier as they spend time with Lola. Sheinspires them to take a bit more care with theirappearance. The men resist Lola and we try tohelp that along as well.DR: To contrast Charles’ and Lola’s lives, wedesigned the factory to be able to transformitself from the staid, solid, iron and brick worldof Charlie’s Northampton, and of Charlie himself,to the flash and dazzle of Lola’s drag club inLondon, and of Lola herself. Our primary methodto create this transformation was based on rivets– a major part of 19th century factory design.There are thousands of rivets in the design ofthe factory on stage. Of course, none of themare real; most are tiny domes made of wood andpainted to appear like iron rivets. But more than1,200 are actually small dome-shaped LED lightsthat when not lit look just like all the other rivets,but when illuminated can dance and flash andchase and change to whatever color is called for.Therefore, when it’s time for Lola’s early scenesJM: Contrary to the world of the factory, thedrag queens are beauty and style – in one wayor another – and some have a trashy style!Again, I worked closely with Gregg to come upwith individual looks for these girls. Billy Porter’s[character of] Lola has to be the opposite ofStark Sands’ [character of] Charlie. Charlieis handsome with hair that is perhaps due fora cut whereas Lola is all glamour inspired bymany of today’s current divas. The ‘ladies’around Lola complement his style with individualcharacteristics of their own. I used the worldaround me to design these looks. I saw whatwomen are wearing on television and in fashionmagazines and on the street.GB: In contrast to the world of the factory andthe workers, the Angels and Lola wear clothesthat are brighter, more fashion conscious, moretheatrical. They are performers and create theillusion of being women. There is a lot of thoughtand care that have gone into getting them“right.” A lot changed in our out of town tryout.costume, make-up, and hair.and I love wherewe have landed.Q: What other factors have influenced your design?DR: The need to create a distinct transformationat the end of the show moving from Northamptonto Milan was a considerable influence. So whileour research for the factory concentrated on thelook and feel of an old and worn out 19th centuryfactory building, in contrast, our research forthe shoe fair focused distinctly on the 21stcentury – on the new, the fashionable, and thecutting edge. The result was sleek, tubular blacksteelwork walls and randomly attached mirrorpanels. The steelwork walls were an echo ofthe older factory ironwork, but their cool blackfinish and the crisp mirror panels were distinctlycontemporary. Behind it all is a “Bubble LightWall,” composed of more than 1,500 lightbulbs attached to another mirrored surface and“.there is a kind of honesty in the design thatpulls people instantly into a story of realpeople and the lessons that are learned aboutthe universality of feelings and the commontraits that we all share.”in London or the later dance numbers with Lolaand her Angels in the factory, the use of theLED lights in conjunction with the costumes andthe shifts in the stage lighting allows an almostinstantaneous shift from Charlie’s world to Lola’sand back again.controlled by 16 circuits, which allow the lightsto appear to chase each round and about aswell as create innumerable flashing patterns. Thedesire was to create a high fashion funhousethat would stand in stark contrast to a far moreserious Price & Son factory.GB: I always look to many sources for inspiration.continued on next page3 CAST & CREATIVES

[Director/Choreographer,] Jerry Mitchell andStark Sands (our leading man) both went andvisited the actual factory where the story is set.Photos from those visits were extremely helpful.I also studied the film which is something that Iusually avoid, but the extras in the backgroundare actual factory workers (not actors) and itgives the film a texture that is honest.JM: I worked very closely with Gregg tocraft a look for each character. Gregg is amaster and very inspirational to watch as hecarefully considers every aspect of a characterand commonly gives actors ways to enhancetheir performances. For Annaleigh Ashford’s[character of] Lauren, we went the opposite ofdated. She is trying to be very hip and perhapsbleached her hair and styled it like someone shesaw in a music magazine. She tries to settleinto factory life but is maybe a little too feisty forit. This idea of a ‘dated’ world is also reflectedin David’s beautifully rugged set and I think alldesign aspects complement each other verywell.DR: The Al Hirschfeld Theatre in New York,where KINKY BOOTS will be playing, is anexceptionally deep theatre for New York witha good fly space above the stage. This madedesigning the large factory space quite a biteasier. The theater in Chicago, where KINKYBOOTS first performed its tryout [fall 2012],was luckily very similar to the Hirschfeld so thatfew changes were required from one theatre tothe other. This is not always the case.the universality of feelings and the commontraits that we all share even though we cometogether from many diverse paths.GB: I also called friends of mine in Londonand they turned me on to “Coronation Street,”which is a long running television series set ina bra factory in the same area of England thatour story is set in. I looked at many episodes ofthat for combinations of color, how things arelayered and the sort of work clothes that arefeatured in that working class setting. For theAngels and Lola that is more of a flight of fancybut I tried to make each one unique and totake advantage of the amazing Billy Porter (ourLola) and the rest of the beautiful cast that hasbeen assembled by studying their personas.I watched the first three seasons of RuPaul’sDrag Race to inspire me as well!DR: Three things in particular were verysatisfying in the final design of KINKYBOOTS. First, the factory space successfullycaptured the sense of that gritty, old industrialwork space, yet at the same time in a curiouslyromantic way was in keeping with the fairytalerhythms of a musical comedy. Second, theoriginal concept of playing all of the scenes –not just the literal factory scenes – within theenvironment of the factory worked as well as itdid. And lastly, the final scene at the Milan ShoeFair was such a complete transformation, butwith a relatively minimum amount of scenery.The stark contrast between the rusting, grimytreadmills of Northampton and the blacklacquered chrome runways of Milan is verysatisfying in the event.Q: In terms of design, what do you find most strikingabout this production?GB: I think we have created a beautiful, simple,cohesive design for the actor’s to work throughthis touching and amusing story. I love how allof the elements support each other and that isa credit to the singular vision of Jerry Mitchell,our director. The story is based on real eventsand there is a kind of honesty in the designthat pulls people instantly into a story of realpeople and the lessons that are learned aboutJM: This is a beautiful production. Every stagepicture not only tells a story but looks richlytextured and interesting as well!Lead producers for KINKY BOOTS are Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig. Daryl Roth holds the singular distinction of producingseven Pulitzer Prize-winning plays including: Clybourne Park (2012 Tony Award); Proof (2001Tony Award); Edward Albee’sThree Tall Women; and Wit. She has produced over 75 award-winning productions including: The Goat or Who is Sylvia; TheNormal Heart (2011 Tony Award); One Man, Two Guvnors; and War Horse (2011 Tony Award). Hal Luftig is the winner ofthree Tony Awards and London’s Olivier Award. He has worked on and Off-Broadway for the past 25 years and producedsuch shows as Evita, Movin’ Out, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde, and numerous others. General Manager forKINKY BOOTS is Foresight Theatrical who oversees and supervises The Phantom of the Opera, Spider-Man Turn Off TheDark, Million Dollar Quartet on tour and numerous other productions.4 CAST & CREATIVES

THEPRINCIPALPLAYERSSTARK SANDS (Charlie Price)Broadway: American Idiot, Journey’s End (Tony Award nomination, Theatre World Award).Off-Broadway: Twelfth Night (Shakespeare in the Park), The Tempest (Classic Stage Company, St. Clair Bayfield Award).Film includes Die, Mommie, Die!; Flags Of Our Fathers; Pretty Persuasion; Shall We Dance; Chasing Liberty; 11:14; CatchThat Kid. Television includes “Generation Kill,” “Nip/Tuck,” “Six Feet Under.” BFA: USC.BILLY PORTER (Lola)Broadway: Miss Saigon, Five Guys., Grease, Smokey Joe’s., Dreamgirls. Off-Broadway/ Regional: Angels In America,Merchant of Venice, Radiant Baby, Birdie Blue, Songs For a New World, Ghetto Superstar (One-Man Show),Topdog/Underdog, King Lear, The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler. Film/ Television: The Broken Hearts Club, Shake Rattle& Roll, Noel, “Law & Order,” “The Big C.” Recording: Untitled, At The Corner Of Broadway & Soul.ANNALEIGH ASHFORD (Lauren)Broadway: Hair (Jeannie), Wicked (Glinda); Legally Blonde - original cast (Margot). Off-Broadway: Dogfight (Marcy),RENT (Maureen). Chicago: Wicked (Glinda) Film: Sex & the City, Rachel Getting Married. TV: “Made In Jersey,” “Mastersof Sex,” “Smash,” “The Big C,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Law & Order,” “Legally Blonde.” Nominated for Drama League & CliveBarnes Awards for RENT. Graduate: Marymount Manhattan College.CELINA CARVAJAL (Nicola)Broadway: Tarzan, Dracula, 42nd Street, Cats. Off-Broadway: The Toxic Avenger, Rooms (New World Stages), RadiantBaby (Public Theater), Empire (Spiegelworld). Other theatre: Prometheus Bound (ART), The Last Goodbye(WTF), Bedbugs!!! (NYMF Outstanding Actor Award). Film and TV credits include: “Sex And The City” and “All MyChildren.” Lead singer of the NY rock band The Deafening. www.celinacarvajal.comDANIEL STEWART SHERMAN (Don)Broadway: Desire Under the Elms, Cyrano De Bergerac, A Touch of the Poet, Henry IV, The Full Monty. Film: Mr.Popper’s Penguins, Boy Wonder, The Taking of Pelham 123, Gigantic, Redacted, Capers, Pretty Bird, Wendigo.TV: “Gun Hill,” “The Good Wife,” “Mercy,” “Justified,” “Rubicon,” “Life on Mars,” “Law & Order.” B.F.A. from N.C.S.A.MARCUS NEVILLE (George)Broadway: originated the role of Harold Nichols in The Full Monty (also London’s West End), Li’l Abner, City of Angels(original company). Off-B’way: 20. Regional: 30. TV/Film: “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order(s),” “Thanks For Sharing, By Clem!”Member Weston Playhouse Theatre Co, Weston, VT. Proud Member AEA.For more info. about KINKY BOOTS go to the show’s official website at: www.kinkybootsthemusical.comConnect with KINKY BOOTS - Like us on Follow us on Watch us on Follow us onKINKY BOOTS on Broadway is playing at The Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West 45th Street, NYC5 CAST & CREATIVES

Who’s Who in Kinky BootsMain CharactersCHARLIE PRICE –A young man in his late 20swho has just recently taken over the family business. Charlie is a bit confused, a bit unfocused; he’s a hero hidingunder a victim’s mantle.LAUREN – A young woman in her 20s. A beautifuland strong working class girl and a possible love interestfor Charlie.LOLA/SIMON – A drag queen in his early 30s withwinning ways. Simon has the physique of a prize fighterdraped in satin.DON – A burly hyper-masculine bear of a factoryworker who acts as Lola’s nemesis.NICOLA– A young woman in her 20s and Charlie’slong-term girlfriend. Her line of work is real estate; she’sdriven and uncompromising.ENSEMBLETHE ANGELS - Drag performers who populate The BluePAT – The officious office manager who will let loose her wildMR. PRICE - Charlie’s father.TRISH – A middle-aged woman who works at the factoryand has a husband and kids to worry over.Angel Nightclub and act as a Greek chorus throughout the musical.SIMON SR. – Lola’s father: an unforgiving tower of anger.GEORGE – A reserved, middle-aged man and the factorymanager who likes to keep up with traditions.HARRY - A contemporary of Charlie’s, but his polaropposite. Harry is self-aware and confident. He is asuccessful discount shoe salesman.RICHARD BAILEY - Nicola’s boss. An overtly attractiveand successful man. A real threat to Charlie.6 Who’s Who in Kinky Bootsside when allowed.FACTORY WORKERS, PUB & CLUBPATRONS, PHOTOGRAPHERS,MILAN STAGE MANAGER, REFEREE,HOOLIGANS, and DELIVERY MAN

LET ME BE MEDon’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes heels!simple rules for being TRUE TO YOU:1. Know Thyself –Then LOVE Thyself!2. “Great Expectations”3. Celebrateis a book title— not your life!YOU!Take the time to figure out what makes you specialand love every second of it. No need to be someoneelse, you’re all the fabulous you need!There is no need to live up to anyone else’s demandsbut your own! As Charlie and Lola sing, “the endlesstorrent of expectations swirling inside my mind woreme down. I came to a realization and I finally turnedaround to see that I could JUST BE ME!”(Charlie/Lola, Act I)Your life is a song to be sung, a dance to be danced—so live it up, darling! And who cares if it’s not whatthe world calls normal—“stop hiding and have anormal life” — however YOU define it!(Charlie/Lola, Act I)“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”POST IT!ACCEPTSOMEONEFOR WHOTHEY A RE.-Lola’s noteto Don7 LET ME BE MEseemedldrowehtt“Bu er six inc hes offbright nd and the airthe grou lighter. I wasseemed and I felt soprofoundud just to.proUD!”OLTUOLIVE, Act I)e/Lola(Charli“CELEBRATE YOUTO ELEVATEYOWhen you st U“ruggle to stand well,take a helping hand!”Charlie& company, ActII)

LET ME BE MEIf you look at all of the influential people in the world, many ofthe most spectacular people were probably also highly uniqueindividuals when they were younger. Could you imagine Lady Gagaat your high school prom or having Mark Zuckerberg sit at yourlunch table? What’s funny is that what is often considered cool inschool actually becomes average in the real world, whereas thosestudents, who don’t quite fit in, may turn out to be shining starswhen they grow-up.“Do I belong hAm I what’s ere?Know what wI rong here?Or a m I a f’mra doing?Do I fit in?ud?Where do I begin?””No matter what you do with your time — looking good for completestrangers, listening to rumors and getting stuck in a negative socialcycle is almost always done to please someone else. It’s time toignore what everyone else thinks and start to live for you! What’sgreat about being YOURSELF and TRUE to YOUR IDENTITY isthat you actually become LOVED and ADMIRED by people wholike you for who you are – not for who you are trying to be.-Charlie inWe’ve all been there: feeling lost and unsure of who we really are.The point is, the only person you have to worry about impressing isYOURSELF!Kinky Bo ot sReboot Box:Time to recharge your thinking!Take the “To thine own self be true” Quiz by checking the box the most applies to you.Do you agree to most of the things that your friends say?RarelyMostlyDo friends consult you for your opinion about important matters?Yes, sometimes they do.Not really, very rarely.Can other people influence your decisions easily?No, I’m the boss.Yes, I don’t want to be odd one out.When you post an update to Facebook / Twitter, you do itbecause:I want people to “like” and approve of what I’m doing.I’m proud of what I’m doing/feeling and want to share myexcitement.If you support a cause which twenty of your friends oppose, you will:Still support it.Change your opinion.If all your friends took a class, which you don’t like, would you stilljoin it?No, I would not join something I don’t like.Yes, if my friends dig it, I’m sure I will too.Do you manage to make an enemy out of someone whodisagrees with you?Yes, their loss for not getting me.No, I’m a lover not a fighter.Will you change yourself if your girlfriend/boyfriend does not likethe way you are?I don’t think that I can make any major changes for someone else.I would totally change myself for the person I love.When it comes to style and clothes, you:Tend to dress like all my buddies.Do my own thing—and rock it out!Now, look at your answers. How many things in your life do you do to please other people or get them to like you? What’s the point if you don’tLOVE YOURSELF?8 LET ME BE ME

LET ME BE MEGEORGEBERNARD SHAW“Life isn’t about findingyourself. Life is aboutcreating yourself.”JASON COLLINSLOLANBA BASKETBALL STARKINKY BOOTS“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’mblack. And I’m gay. I wish I wasn’t thekid in the classroom raising his handand saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had myway, someone else would have alreadydone this. Nobody has, which is why I’mraising my hand.”“I came to a realizationand I finally turnedaround to see that Icould just be me.”Did you KNOW?“Drag” refers to the performance of gender theatrically. There are many kinds of drag artists ranging from professionals who have starred in movies to people whojust try it once. Drag artists also vary by class and culture and can vary within the same city. Although many assume that all drag performers are gay or transgender,there are drag artists of all genders and all sexualities.Generally, drag queens perform femininity theatrically and drag kings perform masculinity theatrically. Being a drag queen or a drag king is not the same as beingtransgender, though people who are transgender may also perform drag sometimes. The word transgender describes a person who lives as a gender other thanwhat is expected based on the sex they were given at birth.9 LET ME BE ME

MEET SOME OF TODAY’S (OR YESTERDAY’S) DRAG SUPERSTARS!Charles Pierce (1926-1999), was among the first to do impersonations of Bette Davis, Mae West, Joan Collins and otherfamous stars brought drag to the forefront of theatre and radio. He described himself as a male actress rather than a dragqueen – the ‘original, over-the-hill, valley girl’Divine (1945-1988), was a character actor who often performed female roles in both cinema and theater. Divine adopteda female drag persona in his musical performances, leading People magazine to describe him as the “Drag Queen of theCentury.”Lypsinka (b. 1955), rose to fame performing long, show length soundtracks featuring edited snippets from old Hollywoodfilms. Her meticulously precise lip syncing amazed audiences across America, landing her slots on The Joan Rivers Show,amongst others.Barry Humphries (b. 1960), Dame Edna Everage is a character created and played by the Australian performer andcomedian. Dame Edna is famous for her lilac-colored hair, trademark cat eye glasses, and boisterous personality. Humphriesdeveloped Edna gradually while on tour as part of the entertainment for his fellow cast mates during commutes betweencountry towns where he perfected his falsetto impersonation of a Melbourne housewife.RuPaul (b. 1960), is the undisputed queen of drag queens. In the 1990s RuPaul was to drag what Naomi Campbell was tomodeling. In other words, RuPaul was the world’s first drag superstar. His career has included a string of dance singles, aduet with Elton John, and a hit televi

the exhilarating new musical kiNky Boots, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry mitchell. Based on a true story, kiNky Boots features a sensational new score, knockout dancing and a spectacularly inspiring story. kiNky Boots is the must-see new musical that prove