Kinky Boots
Book by Harvey Fierstein • Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Clarence Brown Theatre 2024
Directed by and Choreography Replicated by Rusty Mowery
Music Director Terry D. Alford
Scenic Designer Christopher Pickart
Costume Designer Kaelyn Marie
Lighting Designer Todd Wren
Sound Designer Joe Payne
Associate Sound Designer and Mixer Amoirie Perteet
Projections Designer Michaela Lochen
Stage Manager Patrick Lanczki
“Kinky Boots’ heartwarming story is based on the 2005 British film and follows protagonist Charlie Price, London-raised Northerner at a crossroads – he must either take up the reigns at his late father’s ailing shoe factory or leave for London and pursue a career in real estate, which would mean the loss of many local jobs. Forging an unlikely alliance with a drag queen named Lola, Price decides to take an unorthodox approach and create women’s boots for men. Don’t miss your chance to see drag and musical theater collide in a shower of feel good song and dance numbers and up-to-the-knee pleather! “
I’ve been doing musicals for years, but this one had a lot of firsts. It was the loudest musical I have ever designed! Also, surprisingly, the first show I’ve done that used a click track throughout. I wasn’t told there would be a click until maybe a week before tech, when we pivoted to rent a Qlab session with click and extra orchestrations and percussion that filled out the sound. The click meant that the band all wore headphones of course. As a cast of 30, it was the most wireless I’ve done on a show (another surprise). Our little CL5 was maxed out completely. Every channel in and out (that’s a lie. I found one single unused channel). Super fun show, and incredibly challenging. Very proud of this one.
The CBT orchestra pit was well-filled and balanced by music director and conductor Terry D. Alford and his 13-member ensemble, their performance of the score nicely reinforced along with the body-miked cast by sound designer and CBT faculty Joe Payne.
-Alan Sherrod, Arts Knoxville, Article Link
Audio clips of the live mix are not included due to Actor’s Equity restrictions, and live recordings do not accurately represent the theatre space.
Please check with the producing organization if interested in quality of the mix, which I proudly stand behind.
Interesting Paperwork: Speaker Plan, Band Plan, Block Diagram, Console Patch, Actor Mics,
Photos by Ella Marston