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Director’s Notes

The story of Kinky Boots extends far beyond the record breaking Broadway musical that became the 25th longest running show in history. It truly begins with Steve Pateman in Northampton, England, who in his 30’s took over his father’s shoe factory which in the early 2000’s fell on hard times.

He was soon approached by a woman in a nearby town who sold transgender specialized women’s footwear for men, and, in an attempt to shift the direction of his company, Steve took on the task of creating the glamorous shoes. After a shoe show in Germany, his story was picked up by the BBC and documented for television, turning him and his life into an overnight sensation. Eventually, the story was adapted for the screen with the 2005 British film Kinky Boots starring Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

That same year, the movie was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Broadway producer Daryl Roth happened to see it. She was struck by the light hearted yet powerful emotional tale and picked up the rights immediately, eliciting the help of fellow producer Hal Luftig in the task of developing a musical out of it. Eight years later, with the help of Tony winner Jerry Mitchell, 3 time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, and Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper, the show opened on Broadway in 2013 and continued on to win 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical playing 2,507 performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theater in New York City.

Subsequently, the musical has been produced in over 7 countries to date and has won every major Best Musical award. Following the closing of the Broadway production, it continues to entertain and move audiences around the world. All of this is testament to the heart, energy, and uplifting story of Charlie Price, our show’s Steve Pateman, and his unlikely pairing with Lola, a London drag performer.

Nathan Peck, Director/Choreographer