Kinky Boots Synthesis Essay

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When my parents told me that they had bought tickets to see a Broadway show, I expected some family friendly entertainment with some cheery songs thrown in for a feel good effect. Instead, when I went to see Kinky Boots at Miller Auditorium, I got a show that somehow managed to combine a failing shoe factory, a group of seven dancing transvestites in heels, and a compelling plot about living up to a father’s aspirations into an entertaining show that held my attention in a vice-grip for the entire two hour run time. This show is an excellent experience to improve cultural literacy because it’s a prime example of a modern show that highlights the problems faced by a stigmatized group in society while also providing enough plot, humor, and song to maintain a lighthearted sentiment. Kinky Boots was written by award winning writer Harvey Fierstein and scored by pop star Cyndi Lauper, and it originally debuted on Broadway in October of 2013 (Hetrick). In the same year, it went on to win a Tony award for best musical, and it has been widely referred to as the successor to “Hairspray” in both plot and music (Brantley). Compared to musicals I’ve seen in the past, this show is definitely in a league of its …show more content…

One of the main characters named Lola, who is played by a buff black man in six inch heels, delves into his struggle to live up to his father’s aspirations while also dealing with his drag queen personality. Lola’s father wanted Lola to become a championship boxer to fulfill a failed life dream, however he is unable to accept Lola once the cross-dressing became public. These struggles lead Lola to challenge those around him to provide a definition of what truly makes a man. By the end of the show, Lola provides his own definition, specifically, a man is someone who’s strong enough to accept someone for who they really

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