NYTimes.com: “I look like what’s-her-butt, from ‘Sunset Boulevard,’ ” Cyndi Lauper announced in her pipsqueak voice. She checked herself out in the mirror in her foyer, surrounded by framed platinum records. Though she talks with the panache of a 1940s movie moll crossed with a character from “Goodfellas” — all dames and broads and outer-borough curse words — she didn’t resemble even a profane Norma Desmond. In head-to-toe black, save for a leopard-print sweater and a tight cap over her hot pink hair, Ms. Lauper, the singer of enduring hits like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “True Colors,” mostly looked like what she is, a pioneering rocker.
3 comments:
I completely forgot Harvey Fierstein was the writer/initial creator for Kinky Boots and now I REALLY regret not rushing it in New York. He is not only such a great performer, but he is also insanely talented and I would love to have seen what him and Cindy Lauper could create. I think it is really cool that Lauper did not just hand off music to be made into a show, but instead much of the music was created a lot when the characters were formed by the cast members. Customizing the show sounds like a fun process to be involved in as well as making a great show (or so I have heard).
I always think it's interesting when people who have achieved some notoriety in one field attempt to break into another related field. One one hand, it seems to be easier for them, since there's always someone who will pick something up thinking that people will go see it plainly because it was written by a famous actor, even if it's bad. I suppose that's the downside. The upside is that these individuals, knowing what they know about all aspects of their craft, are often very good at the new thing they are trying. Maybe it's something they have always been interested in or maybe it's recent, but much of the work turns out promising. This seems to be the case with Kinky Boots. I haven't seen the show myself (although I hope to), but have heard only positive reviews from those who have. I suppose the lesson to be learned from that is a good team is a good team, even when people step outside of their standard roles.
I think the best thing an artist can do is try something different. Being a singer and then composing a musical is pretty ambitious, especially since the story is already fairly well known. I haven't heard the soundtrack to Kinky Boots yet, but I'm very interested in it after the article described all the different genre's Cindi Lauper has created. I've always loved her style and her voice, and I'm very interested to see if both of those things are visible in the score. I also am not the least bit surprised that She was asked to compose the show because it's such a funky, funny, quirky, and sassy show, all things that have always been associated with Lauper's personality.
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