Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper Join TimesTalks Series

Kinky Boots creators Harvey Fierstein (book) and Cyndi Lauper (music & lyrics) will sit down with New York Times theater reporter Patrick Healy as part of a New York Times TimesTalks on Monday, March 18th at 6:30 PM E.T. at TheTimesCenter (242 West 41st Street). The pair will discuss their collaborative experience on the hotly anticipated new musical; the evening will also include a performance by Kinky Boots stars Stark Sands and Billy Porter. For those not in the room, the conversation and performances will be streamed lived on the Web at www.Livestream.com/NYTimes.

Kinky Boots, which brings together four-time Tony Award-winner Fierstein, Grammy Award-winning rock icon Lauper and Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (director and choreographer), begins previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) on Sunday, March 3rd, with an official opening night set for Thursday, April 4, 2013.

In Kinky Boots, Charlie Price has suddenly inherited his father's shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father's legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola. A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who can help Charlie become the man he's meant to be. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible... and discovers that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

The cast of Kinky Boots includes Stark Sands (as Charlie Price) and Billy Porter (as Lola), Annaleigh Ashford, Celina Carvajal, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Marcus Neville, Paul Canaan, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Kyle Taylor Parker, Kyle Post, Charlie Sutton, Joey Taranto, Andy Kelso, Tory Ross, Jennifer Perry, Sebastian Hedges Thomas, Marquise Neal, Adinah Alexander, Eric Anderson, EuGene Barry-Hill, Stephen Berger, Caroline Bowman, Cole Bullock, Sandra DeNise, Jonah Halperin, Eric Leviton, Ellyn Marie Marsh, John Jeffrey Martin, Nathan Peck, Robert Pendilla, Lucia Spina and Timothy Ware.

Inspired by a true story and based on the Miramax motion picture written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, Kinky Boots features a warm and witty book by Mr. Fierstein and a richly diverse musical score from Ms. Lauper, in her stunning theatrical debut. Mr. Mitchell has crafted a production bound to move, inspire and set audience's feet dancing.

The design team for Kinky Boots includes Tony Award nominee David Rockwell (Scenic Design), Tony Award-winner Gregg Barnes (Costume Design), Tony Award-winner Kenneth Posner (Lighting Design), Drama Desk Award nominee John Shivers (Sound Design), Josh Marquette (Hair Design), Randy Houston Mercer (Make-up Design), Telsey + Company (Casting), with Musical Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations by Tony and Grammy Award-winner Stephen Oremus.

Tickets for Kinky Boots range from $57 - $137, and are available for purchase in person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre box office (Monday - Saturday, 10am - 8pm; Sunday, 12pm - 6 pm), online at www.telecharge.com, or by calling Telecharge at 800-432-7250 or 212-239-6200. For information on group sales, contact Group Sales Box Office/Broadway.com at groups@broadway.com or 1-800-BROADWAY, ext 2.

The performance schedule for Kinky Boots is as follows: from March 3 - April 7: Tuesday - Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm, and Sunday at 3pm (Wednesday matinees begin March 20); Beginning April 9: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm and 8pm, Thursday at 7pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Please note that the first preview performance on Sunday, March 3 is 7pm, and opening night is Thursday, April 4 at 6:30pm.

Kinky Boots is produced on Broadway by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Independent Presenters Network, CJ E&M, Jayne Baron Sherman, Just for Laughs Theatricals/Judith Ann Abrams, Yasuhiro Kawana, Jane Bergere, Allan S. Gordon & Adam S. Gordon, Ken Davenport, Hunter Arnold, Lucy and Phil Suarez, Bryan Bantry, Ron Fierstein and Dorsey Regal, Jim Kierstead/Gregory Rae, BB Group/Christina Papagjika, Michael DeSantis/Patrick Baugh, BrIan Smith/Tom and Connie Walsh, Warren Trepp, and Jujamcyn Theaters.

Kinky Boots had its World Premiere at Chicago's Bank of America Theatre (18 West Monroe Street, Chicago, IL), where it opened on October 17, 2012 and quickly became an audience and critics' favorite.