CMU School of Drama


Monday, September 19, 2016

Cranberry native kicks up heels in Kinky Boots

TribLIVE: When a musical is titled “Kinky Boots,” footwear plays an important role.

Based on a true story and the 2005 movie of the same name, the 2013 Tony Award winner for best musical focuses on a nearly bankrupt English shoe factory that reinvents itself by creating and building thigh-high boots that are not just sturdy and comfortable but also gloriously flamboyant for drag artists to wear.

1 comment:

Jake Poser said...

It is so nice to hear someone speak so positively about such a truly difficult process. Though the article gently touches on it, I'd like to seriously highlight the 18 MONTH period that it took for this kid to land a role. One role. Though it is a great gig, and 18 months of "no's" before one "yes" is difficult. Though I am not a performer, I am also worried for the day I am responsible for finding jobs to support myself.
On a separate note, Kinky Boots is such a FUN musical. I also think the story is quite important. It touches on love, acceptance, and finding true success in happiness. Not to mention the technical elements are fantastic. Typical of Gregg Barnes, the costumes are fantastic, they obviously spared no expense! Until now, I never really thought about the boots (of which are incredible) holding up for 8 shows a week. The technical specs for the shoes must be just as incredible as the look of them.
The idea of being a part of a touring company sounds exciting as well. More so for the performer though. To be honest it seems like a lot of work for little reward, but does afford you the opportunity to travel for basically free. I hope to try it some day.