Chiwetel Ejiofor's 'Kinky Boots' Heading To Broadway
I never saw Kinky Boots actually. I knew about it when it was in release. I was curious, if only because Chiwetel Ejiofor starred in it, and as a drag queen - thankfully not in a fat suit as his fellow thespians, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy and Tyler Perry have done repeatedly - but still in stilettos, makeup, wigs, dresses, etc... Wesley Snipes did the same thing as well in To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, although I didn't see that film either. Wesley Snipes in drag looked scary, just from the trailers I saw of the film. I didn't want to subject myself to 2 hours of eyesores.Although both films (Kinky Boots and To Wond Foo) were nominated for several awards, including Golden Globes, and Ejiofor's performance was widely praised.
And now, Broadway wants a piece of the 'kinky' action. No word on whether the character Ejiofor played in the film will be portrayed also by a black man (since, I don't believe the role was written specifically for a black man). It would be interesting if Ejiofor assumes the role on Broadway as well.
From IMDB:
- British comedy Kinky Boots is heading for Broadway - the 2005 film is to be made into a stage musical. The movie, which stars Talk To Me actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, is about a drag queen who is brought in to help revive a man's shoe company.
The rights for the project, which was not a musical, have been bought by veteran producers Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig and they plan to turn the film into a song and dance affair for their New York audience.
Jerry Mitchell, the director of Broadway's Legally Blonde, is reportedly in talks to take the helm of the Kinky Boots production.
SOURCE: KINKY ON BROADWAY
SOURCE: KINKY ON BROADWAY
Never saw the movie on the big screen, but it's somewhere deep in my rental list (postponing the possible trauma). Apparently, though, he's got rather nice pins!
I know he does theatre/stage (he played Othello earlier this year), but not sure that Chi does the whole singing and dancing thing. But if he does...