Uptown Players Presents Tony Award-Winning Musical KINKY BOOTS

Uptown Players continues its season with the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Kinky Boots!

The hit musical tells the story of Charlie Price, a factory owner struggling to save his family business. Having inherited a shoe factory from his late father, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots to continue his father's legacy and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all. Renowned singer and songwriter, Cyndi Lauper, and Tony Award winning theatre legend, Harvey Fierstein, team up as composer and playwright to tell an incredible story that Broadway had never seen before. Kinky Boots reminds us all to embrace our individuality and uniqueness.

Kinky Boots is an inspiring musical for this age as its primary theme focuses on the need for society to change its viewpoint on people it perceives as being different. Kinky Boots is one of the few Broadway musicals that features a gender-nonconforming African American lead (Lola). In the Uptown Players production, the role will be played by out transfeminine artist Lee Walter. Kinky Boots certainly serves an important end goal: to empower not just its central characters, but the entire audience, in the spirit of acceptance. This message of tolerance and understanding is extremely important given the challenges the LGBTQ+ community once again faces in today's society.

Director John de los Santos states "In these uncertain times, finding the energy to cope or a reason to smile can be a challenge. Uptown Players' Kinky Boots, with songs by Cyndi Lauper, a phenomenal cast, explosive dancing, and a universal message of finding strength through friendship is sure to inspire everyone who comes to clap along with us and smile towards a greater tomorrow."

This production will be directed by John de los Santos, with music direction by Vonda K. Bowling and choreography by John de los Santos and Evor Wright.

Cast includes Tim Brawner, Olivia Cartwright, Presley Duyck, Hope Endrenyi, Stephanie Felton, Kyle Fleig, Jason Hallman, Isaiah Christopher-Lord Harris, Domanick Hubbard, Spencer Laboda, Thi Le, Gena Loe, Tony Martin, William Martin, Joshua McLemore, Mark Quach, Ace Rainey, Dre Reed, Rachel Nicole Poole, Allen Porterie, Max J. Swarner, Sammy Swim, Gerald Taylor II, Trey Tolleson and Lee Walter.

Kinky Boots runs July 15 - 31, 2022, with shows at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Performances take place at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd (at Blackburn), Dallas, TX 75219. There will be an ASL interpreted performance on Sunday July 17th at 2pm. Ticket price run from $40 - $60 and can be purchased at uptownplayers.org .

Uptown Players is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, presenting plays and musicals that challenge audiences artistically and create greater positive public awareness and acceptance through the performing arts. The 2022 season will be our twentieth season and our twelfth season at the Kalita Humphreys Theater. Uptown Players is one of the leading regional theaters in the Dallas/Ft. Worth areaand is providing an opportunity for a wide diversity of gender styles to come together and explore life choices through great theatre themes such as relationships, family, prejudice, and values. The response from the community and critics has been remarkable, including over 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League, and over 30 Theater Critics Forum Awards. Uptown Players has also been named the best theatre company numerous times by the Dallas Voice Readers and by the Dallas Observer and has been featured in D Magazine and on WFAA's Daybreak and Good Morning Texas programs.

Uptown Players has presented several world premieres, including A Very Sordid Wedding (2021), A Very Judy Christmas (2018), Gilligan's Fire Island (2015), Redesigning Women (2013), Crazy Just Like Me (2011), and the stage adaptation of The Valley of the Dolls (2007). In addition, Uptown Players has produced the United States premieres of the West End hit musical Soho Cinders (2014), and the Pet Shop Boys Musical Closer to Heaven (2010). Uptown Players was the first regional theater in the United States to present the Tony Award Winner The Boy from Oz and the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical Next to Normal, following the closing of the Broadway productions. Each season, Uptown Players presents several regional premieres. Past premieres include productions of The Cake, The View Upstairs, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; The Legend of Georgia McBride; It Shoulda Been You; End of the Rainbow; The Nance; Catch Me If You Can; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike; and The Producers.

 

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