KINKY BOOTS at the National Arts Club

reporter: Miguel Dominguez

Last November 25, costume designer Gregg Barnes, who designed the wardrobe for the 2012 revival of the Zeigfeld Follies, earning a Tony Award for his efforts, and who with a budget of over 2 million Dollars also did the costumes for the upcoming production of Disney's Aladin on Broadway, was invited by the Fashion and Theatre Arts Committees of the National Arts Club, to talk about his experiences in designing the costumes for Kinky Boots, which earned him his fifth Tony nomination, and also about his experiences in designing for the theatre. Throughout the discussion songs from the Cyndi Lauper score were performed by members of the Broadway cast: Tony Award® nominee Annaleigh Ashford and Tory Ross, with Will Van Dyke accompanying at the piano.

Gregg Barnes' Broadway credits include Follies (2012 Tony Award), Elf, Legally Blonde (2007 Tony nomination), The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony Award), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Flower Drum Song, (2003 Tony nomination), Side Show, Bye, Bye, Birdie and To Be Or Not To Be. Other New York credits: Sinatra, The Wizard of Oz, Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, Pageant, The Kathy and Mo Show, Eliot Feld’s Behold the Man, and the Encores productions of Anyone Can Whistle, No No Nanette, Du Barry Was a Lady, Follies and Sweet Adeline. He is also the recipient of the Theatre Development Fund’s Irene Sharaff Young Master Award, and served on the faculty of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts from 1982-2002.

Gregg Barnes makes an entrance

Winner of six Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price who 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. 

Linda Selman, Co-Chair of the National Arts Club Theatre Arts Committee, and
Ramona Bechtos, Chief Financial Officer, flank Marguerite Yaghijian, Committee Chair

Fashion stylist, author and Chair of the Fashion Committtee at
the National Arts Club, David Zyla was a masterful Master
of Ceremonies and interviewer

Will Van Dyke at the Piano with Kinky Boots Stars Annaleigh Ashford and Tory Ross
entertain a delighted audience with songs from the musical

Sally Leifer and artist Toni Silber-Delerive

The show, playing at the Hirschfeld Theatre, features Stark Sands as Charlie Price, Billy Porter as Lola, Annaleigh Ashford plays Lauren, Lena Hall is Nicola, Daniel Stewart Sherman as Don, and Marcus Neville as George playing the main roles. Jerry Mitchell is the Director/Choreographer. Twenty three years ago, Jerry conceived and created Broadway Bares, a comedy burlesque show performed annually for the charity Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He continues to serve as Executive Producer of Broadway Bares. The songs and lyrics were composed by Cyndi Lauper. With her first album, She's So Unusual, Lauper won a Grammy award for Best New Artist and became the first female in history to have four top-10 singles from a debut album. Lauper made her Broadway debut in Three Penny Opera alongside Alan Cumming in 2006. Harvey Fierstein, who wrote the book for the musical, is the author of the current smash hit Newsies as well as Torch Song Trilogy (Tony and Drama Desk and OBIE Awards), La Cage aux Folles (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), The Sissy Duckling (Humanitas Award), A Catered Affair (12 Drama Desk nominations), Safe Sex (Ace Award),Legs Diamond, Spookhouse, Flatbush Tosca, Common Ground and more.                      

Will, Annaleigh, and Tory