Cyndi Lauper News

The 2013 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical Kinky Boots opened at the Providence Performing Arts Center last night, where recent Jeopardy! winner Choyon Manjrekar, a Providence, RI City Planner, caught up with Kinky Boots producer Hal Luftig and cast from the national tour of Kinky Boots. Check out a look back below!

Plays and musicals have, since the very beginning, found ways to get us to face important issues and problems in new and surprising ways. Musicals, esepcailly, can be unexpected in how they bring together a story that, in the end, is wonderfully relatable, human and filled with emotional and important moments, even though it's wrapped in such an unusual package. The Broadway smash hit musical Kinky Boots succeeds exceptionally well at doing just that, creating a big, bright fun musical entertainment that also delivers a timely and important message in a believable way.

BevNap Productions presents the New York premiere of RE-DESIGNING WOMEN by Jamie Morris, the twisted mind behind plays including 'Mommie Queerest,' (LA Weekly Theater Award winner), 'The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode,' 'The Silence of the Clams,' and 'Gilligan's Fire Island'. Directed by Christopher Kenney (The ThreePenny Opera on Broadway), this unauthorized original comedy parody celebrates one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1980s. Performances run tonight, June 10 - 21, Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm, at Baruch Performing Arts Center (55 Lexington Avenue -- entrance on 25th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues).

Tony Bennett, Benny Blanco, Zac Brown, Michael Buble, Carly Rae Jepsen, Dr. John, Ledisi, Ne-Yo, Jennifer Nettles, Mike O'Neill, Richie Sambora, Bernie Taupin and Paul Williams will either present and/or perform at the 46th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 18th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Lead producers Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig and David Mirvish present the Canadian premiere production of Broadway's Kinky Boots, the smash-hit musical that brings together four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (Book) and Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper (Tony Award-winner for Best Score for Kinky Boots). Kinky Boots begins performances at the Royal Alexandra Theatre on Tuesday June 16. Check out rehearsal photos from the show below!

The North Carolina Symphony, led by conductor Stuart Chafetz, will perform some of the greatest hits from the 1980s as part of its 2015 Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre tonight, June 6, at 7:30 p.m. Joining Chafetz will be vocalists Joe Cassidy and Nicole Parker.

Kinky Boots, Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit which previews from 21 August at London's Adelphi Theatre, will become the first West End musical to partner with TodayTix in their UK mobile theatre lotteries.

On Saturday, September 19, 2015, at 7:30 pm, the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center presents the Vermont debut of New York City's Ballets with a Twist in Mint Julep and Other Spirited Dances.

Australian comedy legend Barry Humphries makes his debut as Artistic Director for this year's Festival, promising to capture your heart and soul along with plenty of "beauty, wit and astonishment" in an outstanding program of music, story-telling, comedy and incredible talent.

?Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro, described by Rolling Stone as a music "hero," makes his Auditorium Theatre debut with The City Lights Orchestra, conducted by Rich Daniels, Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m., concluding the Auditorium's inaugural "Made in Chicago" performance series.

The North Carolina Symphony, led by conductor Stuart Chafetz, will perform some of the greatest hits from the 1980s as part of its 2015 Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 6, at 7:30 p.m. Joining Chafetz will be vocalists Joe Cassidy and Nicole Parker.

STARS IN THE ALLEY, presented by United Airlines, was held earlier today, May 27th in Shubert Alley, between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets. Hosted by HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH's Darren Criss, Broadway's best turned out for the annual performance - including Kinky Boots' Mia Gentile, who performed 'The History of Wrong Guys'!

Named after the only children's book acclaimed Southern author Eudora Welty ever wrote, Mississippi based pop/rock band, The Shoe Birds, released their debut record, 'Southern Gothic', this week on WaxSaw Records.

Dedications - Starring John O'Hara will play two shows only as part of Hayes Theatre Co's Cabaret Season on June 9 and 10.

Tom Viola, Executive Director of BC/EFA, recently joined the cast of KINKY BOOTS in presenting Cyndi Lauper with a "big check" representing the $150,000 donated to TRUE COLORS FUND by BC/EFA from over $1.2 million in resources raised by the show since opening in April 2013. Scroll down for photos!

BevNap Productions will present the New York premiere of RE-DESIGNING WOMEN by Jamie Morris, the twisted mind behind campy confections including "Mommie Queerest," (LA Weekly Theater Award winner), "The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode," "The Silence of the Clams," and "Gilligan's Fire Island'. Directed by Christopher Kenney (The ThreePenny Opera on Broadway), this unauthorized original comedy parody celebrates one of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1980s. Performances run June 10 - 21, Wednesday - Saturday at 8pm & Sunday at 3pm at Baruch Performing Arts Center  (55 Lexington Avenue -- entrance on 25th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues). Tickets are $30 at 212-352-3101 or www.baruch.cuny.edu/bpac.

The North Carolina Symphony launches its 2015 Rex Healthcare Summerfest Series at Cary's Booth Amphitheatre today, May 23, at 7:30 p.m., with a concert program that features pianist Timo Andres performing Gershwin's incomparable Rhapsody in Blue, the orchestra's performance of Dvo?ak's New World Symphony, and other works by Copland and Sousa that feature "citizen musicians" as they join the orchestra. 

Raise your glasses Las Vegas! The men are singing, celebrating and toasting 100 years of the American Popular Songbook by showcasing female lyricists and songwriters in Guys Sing Dolls - A Feminine Toast with a Twist of Testosterone for two performances only at Cabaret Jazz at the Smith Center today, May 23, 2015. The unique show will put a twist on some classics and explore many popular genres of music including songs from the movies, Grammy winning pop tunes, Broadway, Country, Jazz & Inspirational standards, performed by some of the best male singers from Broadway to Las Vegas.

Tim Firth and Geoff Deane first picked up the true story of W J Brooks and Co., a fifth generation Northamptonshire shoe factory that survived the 1990's by switching from classic brogues to footwear for drag queens after cheap imports flooded the market. The 2005 film Kinky Boots starred Joel Edgerton as factory owner Charlie Price.

Today we are saluting the two Tony-winning hosts of this year's Tony Awards, Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming!