Broadway Gets Kinky

Following in the fabulous footsteps of Zaza, Victor and the Priscilla gang, Lola will be the next movie drag queen to transfer to the stage as a full-fledged musical. That's right: Kinky Boots is coming to Broadway.

Based on the 2005 British comedy (which itself was based on a true story), Kinky Boots starred Chiwetel Ejiofor (in a Golden Globe nominated performance) as Lola, who does what every good movie drag queen does: help straight people, in this case, a down-on-his-luck shoe maker who needs to revitalize his family business. (You can order some real kinky boots from the real Kinky Boot Factory at their NSFW website.)

The production is very much in its infant stage at this point (so should we call it Kinky Booties? And that's the last time I'll say "kinky" in this post, I swear); no librettist or composer are attached as of yet. Legally Blonde: The Musical's director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell, who knows his drag shows thanks to his Tony Award winning revival of La Cage aux Folles, is currently being wooed for the project.

Speaking of Mitchell, his next confirmed production also has ties to the movies. He is helming the new musical Going Hollywood, itself not based on a movie but Kaufman and Hart's non-musical play Once in a Lifetime. The tuner, set (à la Singin' in the Rain) during the dawn of the talkies, was recently work shopped in New York starring Christine Ebersole, Matthew Morrison and Julie Halston and is expected to have its world premiere at San Diego's Old Globe in January 2010.