Tag: Cyndi Lauper

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Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays Concert – December 7th

Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund today announced the 3rd annual “Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays” benefit concert on Saturday, December 7th at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre to help raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth homelessness and funds for the organization’s Forty to None Project.

Cyndi Lauper will be joined on stage this year by P!nk, Josh Groban, Susan Sarandon, Nelly Furtado, the Indigo Girls, Rosie O’Donnell, Ingrid Michaelson, The Hives, Matt & Kim, Hunter Valentine, The Cliks, and returning host Carson Kressley. Additional guests will be announced soon.

Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster.com starting Friday, October 25th.

“Home for the Holidays is once again going to be an amazing night of music and comedy in support of a cause close to my heart, homeless gay and transgender youth,” remarked Lauper, co-founder of the True Colors Fund. “I’m proud that we have built a show that not only sells out every year, but has become well-known for bringing together a stellar array of artists to help change the world through an evening of incredible performances. This year’s concert will help us to continue to move our Forty to None Project’s work forward to help these young people live happy, healthy and productive lives.”

For more info go to the True Colors Fund website

Via press release

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“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” (New York Version 2013)

Fun! Everybody say “Yeah!” And get down to see KINKY BOOTS on the Broad-Way!

So many folks in this video: Mika Brzezinski, Katie Couric, the cast of Kinky Boots, Kathie Lee Gifford, Whoopi Goldberg, Samantha Hill, Hoda Kotb, Rosie O’Donnell, Kelly Ripa and many many more.

The video commemorates the 30th anniversary of Lauper’s chart topping hit.

Congrats to Cyndi Lauper for her long, long, fab career AND her big fat Broadway hit, KINKY BOOTS!

Kathie Lee and Hoda from The Today Show

Kelly Ripa

Mika Brzezinski

Whoopi Goldberg

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Broadway: Original Cast recording of KINKY BOOTS coming May 28th

Kinky Boots opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on April 4, 2013 to RAVE reviews, and now the Original Broadway Cast Recording is coming!

In case you’ve missed a beat – USA Today called the show “a sizzling, high-spirited new musical that’s bound to put cheer in your heart!” KINKY BOOTS has also been chosen as the critic’s pick by The New York Times, New York magazine and Time Out New York, as well as Entertainment Weekly’s “Must List.”

In Kinky Boots, Charlie Price (Tony® Award nominee Stark Sands) 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 (Billy Porter). 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.

Inspired by a true story and based on the Miramax motion picture, Kinky Boots features a book by four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage, Torch Song Trilogy, Newsies) and a musical score from Grammy® Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper. The production is directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, La Cage, Broadway Bares), with music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Stephen Oremus (Book of Mormon, Wicked).

bad iPhone pic of me with the fab Billy Porter backstage at KINKY BOOTS on Broadway

I was recently in NYC and had the chance to see what the much-deserved ballyhoo is all about. And all of it is true. Tony® Award nominees Stark Sands and Billy Porter lead a cast of thirty-two that left me breathless and exhilarated. It’s truly “must-see” theatre.

On a personal note, I’ve known Billy Porter (nominated for every award he can be this season) for 20 years, and it’s oh-so-very gratifying to watch his work be oh-so-celebrated at this point of his already fab career.

You can purchase the CD or download at Amazon.

You can download on iTunes by clicking here.

Follow KINKY BOOTS on Facebook here.

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Kinky Boots, Cyndi Lauper & Billy Porter win at 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards

KINKY BOOTS won for Best New Musical, New Score (Cyndi Lauper) and Actor in a Musical (the fab Billy Porter).  Yay!

PIPPIN – which I recently saw and loved – also did very well winning Lead Actress (Patina Miller), Featured Actress (Andrea Martin) and Featured Actor in Musical (Terrence Mann), Best Choreography (Chet Walker) Best Revival, Best Lighting Design and Best Direction (Diane Paulus).

Here is a complete list of nominees and winners (bold) of the 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards

Outstanding New Broadway Play:

  • Grace
  • Lucky Guy
  • The Nance
  • The Testament of Mary
  • Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Outstanding New Broadway Musical:

  • Chaplin: The Musical
  • A Christmas Story, The Musical
  • Hands on a Hardbody
  • Kinky Boots
  • Matilda The Musical

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play:

  • Bad Jews
  • Cock
  • My Name is Asher Lev
  • Really Really
  • The Whale

Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical:

  • February House
  • Dogfight
  • Giant
  • Here Lies Love
  • Murder Ballad

Outstanding Book of Musical:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

  • Cinderella
  • Chaplin: The Musical
  • Dogfight
  • Kinky Boots
  • Matilda the Musical

Outstanding New Score:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

  • Chaplin: The Musical
  • Dogfight
  • Hands on a Hardbody
  • Here Lies Love
  • Kinky Boots

Outstanding Revival of a Play:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

  • Golden Boy
  • Orphans
  • The Piano Lesson
  • The Trip to Bountiful
  • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Outstanding Revival of a Musical:
(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

  • Annie
  • Cinderella
  • The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • Passion
  • Pippin

Outstanding Director of a Play:

  • Pam MacKinnon: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • Nicholas Martin: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Jack O’Brien: The Nance
  • Bartlett Sher: Golden Boy
  • Michael Wilson: The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Director of a Musical:

  • Warren Carlyle: Chaplin: The Musical
  • Scott Ellis: The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • Jerry Mitchell: Kinky Boots
  • Diane Paulus: Pippin
  • Alex Timbers: Here Lies Love

Outstanding Choreography:

  • Warren Carlyle: Chaplin: The Musical
  • Peter Darling: Matilda the Musical
  • Jerry Mitchell: Kinky Boots
  • Josh Rhodes: Cinderella
  • Chet Walker: Pippin

Outstanding Set Design: (Play or Musical)

  • John Lee Beatty: The Nance
  • Rob Howell: Matilda the Musical
  • David Korins: Here Lies Love
  • Scott Pask: Pippin
  • Michael Yeargan: Golden Boy

Outstanding Costume Design: (Play or Musical)

  • Amy Clark & Martin Pakledinaz: Chaplin: The Musical
  • Gregg Barnes: Kinky Boots
  • Dominique Lemieux: Pippin
  • William Ivey Long: Cinderella
  • William Ivey Long: The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Outstanding Lighting Design:
(Play or Musical)

  • Ken Billington: Chaplin: The Musical
  • Paul Gallo: Dogfight
  • Donald Holder: Golden Boy
  • Kenneth Posner: Cinderella
  • Kenneth Posner: Pippin

Outstanding Actor in a Play:

  • Tom Hanks: Lucky Guy
  • Shuler Hensley: The Whale
  • Nathan Lane; The Nance
  • Tracy Letts: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • David Hyde Pierce: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

Outstanding Actress in a Play:

  • Tracee Chimo: Bad Jews
  • Amy Morton: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  • Vanessa Redgrave: The Revisionist
  • Joely Richardson: Ivanov
  • Cicely Tyson: The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Actor in a Musical:

  • Bertie Carvel: Matilda the Musical
  • Santino Fontana: Cinderella
  • Rob McClure: Chaplin: The Musical
  • Billy Porter: Kinky Boots
  • Matthew James Thomas: Pippin

Outstanding Actress in a Musical:

  • Lilla Crawford: Annie
  • Valisia LeKae: Motown: The Musical
  • Lindsay Mendez: Dogfight
  • Patina Miller: Pippin
  • Laura Osnes: Cinderella

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play:

  • Danny Burstein: Golden Boy
  • Richard Kind: The Big Knife
  • Jonny Orsini: The Nance
  • Tony Shalhoub: Golden Boy
  • Tony Shalhoub: Orphans

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

  • Cady Huffman: The Nance
  • Judith Ivey: The Heiress
  • Judith Light: The Assembled Parties
  • Kristine Nielsen: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Vanessa Williams: The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:

  • Will Chase: The Mystery of Edwin Drood
  • Dan Lauria: A Christmas Story, The Musical
  • Raymond Luke: Motown: The Musical
  • Terrence Mann: Pippin
  • Daniel Stewart Sherman: Kinky Boots

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical:

  • Annaleigh Ashford: Kinky Boots
  • Victoria Clark: Cinderella
  • Charlotte d’Amboise: Pippin
  • Andrea Martin: Pippin
  • Keala Settle: Hands on a Hardbody

Outstanding Solo Performance:

  • Bette Midler: I’ll Eat You Last
  • Martin Moran: All the Rage
  • Fiona Shaw: The Testament of Mary
  • Holland Taylor: Ann
  • Michael Urie: Buyer & Cellar

John Gassner Award:
(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

  • Ayad Akhtar: Disgraced
  • Paul Downs Colaizzo: Really Really
  • Joshua Harmon: Bad Jews
  • Samuel D. Hunter: The Whale
  • Aaron Posner: My Name is Asher Lev
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Broadway-bound Kinky Boots opens in Chicago

Kinky Boots, the new musical by Cyndi Lauper & Harvey Fierstein, opened last night at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago.

Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, the show appears to be headed in the right direction as Chicago gives the creators the opportunity to fine tune the piece.

A couple of the reviews from opening night:

Hedy Weiss, Sun-Times: While no one would mistake this new musical, which celebrated its pre-Broadway opening Wednesday night at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre, as groundbreaking in any way, it is an ideally crafted, altogether feel-good show — something of a “La Cage aux Folles” for the recession-plagued, anti-bullying, “it WILL get better” generation. And its solid if predictable storytelling (Harvey Fierstein’s take on the popular little British film comedy of 2005), its accomplished and varied score (an impressive first Broadway effort by Cyndi Lauper, that petite paragon of pop, who has penned several numbers that are sure to become keepers), its conveyor belt-smooth flow (courtesy of director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell), and its strong, winningly genuine cast, all conjoin to make it an engaging entertainment.

Michael Roberts, Showbiz Chicago: Kinky Boots has something unique going for it that will add to its success; that is Billy Porter…I would venture to say that Kinky Boots will do for Mr. Porter what Hello, Dolly did for Carol Channing, Funny Girl for Streisand; Phantom for Michael Crawford and Evita for Patti LuPone. This is will become a show and role that will be forever synonymous with Mr. Porter, and rightfully so…Alongside Mr. Porter is the equally engaging Stark Sands as Charlie Price. Though his character could stand a little more development in the second act, Sands has remarkable stage presence and chemistry with his co-star…The book for Kinky Boots is classic Harvey Fierstein, who always has the innate ability to create an environment where his characters can be bigger than life one minute, then intensely internal the next…The material at hand is perfect fodder for [Jerry] Mitchell to develop the environment to allow his actors to find their truth…A musical would be nothing without the music, and for this, Cyndi Lauper is a revelation…Not since Rent has there been a musical that is poised to have at least three numbers cross over to the pop charts.

The marquee of Kinky Boots in Chicago

Jerry Mitchell, Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein celebrate the opening of Kinky Boots in Chicagp

Pictures via Broadway.com
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Cyndi Lauper rallies celebs to donate fan experiences for True Colors Fund

Via press release:

Long-time civil rights advocate and artist Cyndi Lauper has rallied an impressive list of stars from music and entertainment to help kick off the 2012 True Colors Summer Charity Auction to benefit the True Colors Fund’s work in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Lady Gaga, Anderson Cooper, Jason Mraz, Ricky Martin and many more celebrities have donated incredible experiences for the auction, open now through July 31st at leading online charity auction house Charitybuzz.

Lauper founded the True Colors Fund to inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. The organization also works to raise awareness about and bring an end to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth homelessness.

Check it out on Charitybuzz.

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Cyndi Lauper launches initiative to educate public & help homeless LGBT youth

Cyndi Lauper today launched the Forty to None Project, a national program to educate the public and support homeless LGBT youth. The project’s name comes from the disturbing number of LGBT homeless youth. With up to 1.6 million youth who are homeless each year, 40% identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Lauper wants that number to be “none”.

From a statement by Lauper:

We traveled the country, visiting shelters, drop-in centers, outreach programs and advocacy organizations. We talked to community leaders, service providers, government officials and the kids themselves. We held meetings in 10 cities, from Washington to New York to San Francisco to Minneapolis. We looked for the holes in the system, and we’ve developed a five-year plan to make significant changes happen.

In our first five years, Forty to None will work to drive down the number of gay and transgender youth on the streets through a campaign that includes: education and awareness to raise the visibility of these young people and the direct service providers who work with them; advocacy at the state and federal levels; strengthening the network of services, advocates, community leaders and others working on the issue; training service providers to be more inclusive and understanding of the issues specifically affecting these kids; and empowering homeless gay and transgender youth themselves with valuable resources and information.