When the Al Hirschfeld Theatre opened its doors in March 2013, nobody really knew if a musical about a failing shoe factory in Northampton, England, would actually land. It sounds like a tough sell, honestly. But the original cast of Kinky Boots didn't just land; they stomped. They turned a niche British indie film into a six-time Tony Award-winning juggernaut.
Cyndi Lauper wrote the score, which was a huge deal because it was her first time writing for theater. Harvey Fierstein wrote the book. But the actors? They were the ones who had to make you believe that a drag queen and a straight-laced factory owner had anything in common.
The Lead Duo: Billy Porter and Stark Sands
You can't talk about this show without talking about Billy Porter. Before he was a household name on Pose, he was Lola. He was the soul of the show. Porter didn't just play a drag queen; he played a man, Simon, who used the persona of Lola to survive. His performance of "Hold Me in Your Heart" usually ended with a standing ovation in the middle of the second act. That doesn't happen often. He won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for a reason. He brought a mix of fierce athleticism and deep, bruising vulnerability that is incredibly hard to replicate.
Then there was Stark Sands as Charlie Price. Charlie is a harder role than people think. He’s the "straight man" to Lola’s glitter, but if he’s boring, the show falls apart. Sands played him with this frantic, mid-twenties anxiety that felt very real. He’s the guy trying to live up to his father’s legacy while everything he knows is literally crumbling around him. The chemistry between Sands and Porter was the engine of the production. They weren't just co-stars; they were a study in contrast.
Annaleigh Ashford: The Secret Weapon
If Porter was the soul, Annaleigh Ashford was the funny bone. She played Lauren, a factory worker who ends up falling for Charlie. Her solo number, "The History of Wrong Guys," became an instant Broadway classic. She has this specific kind of comedic timing—physical, weird, and totally endearing—that made her a fan favorite. She wasn't just a love interest; she was the audience's surrogate, watching the madness unfold with a mix of confusion and excitement.
The Factory Floor and the Angels
The ensemble of the original cast of Kinky Boots was split into two very different groups. On one side, you had the "Angels." These were the six drag performers who backed up Lola. They had to be elite dancers because Jerry Mitchell’s choreography involved doing backflips and splits in six-inch heels on moving conveyor belts.
🔗 Read more: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
- Paul Canaaan
- Kevin Smith Kirkwood - Kyle Post
- Charlie Sutton
- Joey Taranto
- Kyle Taylor Parker (who eventually stepped into the role of Lola himself)
On the other side, you had the factory workers. This group provided the grounded, blue-collar grit that made the glitter of the drag world pop. Daniel Stewart Sherman played Don, the hyper-masculine antagonist who eventually learns a lesson in acceptance. His transformation is arguably the most important arc in the show, representing the segment of the audience that might be skeptical of Lola’s world.
Supporting Players Who Held It Together
Lena Hall (then performing as Celina Carvajal) played Nicola, Charlie's fiancé. It’s a bit of a thankless role because Nicola is the person standing in the way of Charlie’s "destiny," but Hall played her with enough nuance that you understood her frustration. She wanted a life in London, not a decaying shoe factory. Hall went on to win a Tony for Hedwig and the Angry Inch shortly after, proving just how much talent was packed into this 2013 roster.
Stephen Berger played Mr. Price, and Marcus Neville was George, the factory manager who knows more about shoemaking than anyone else. These veterans gave the show its "British" feel, maintaining the stakes of the business side of the plot.
Why This Specific Cast Worked
It’s about the "Northampton" of it all. The show is based on a true story (W.J. Brookes Ltd, though renamed Price & Son in the show). If the cast felt too "Broadway shiny," the message of economic struggle wouldn't have landed.
The original cast of Kinky Boots managed to feel like a community. When they sang "Everybody Say Yeah" at the end of Act One, jumping on those conveyor belts, it wasn't just a dance number. it was a celebration of a group of people saving their jobs.
💡 You might also like: Isaiah Washington Movies and Shows: Why the Star Still Matters
Honestly, the rehearsal process was grueling. Jerry Mitchell, the director and choreographer, was notorious for the conveyor belt sequences. Imagine dancing on a treadmill that’s moving at varying speeds while wearing heels that put your center of gravity completely off. The original group spent weeks just learning how to stand in the boots before they could even start the heavy choreography.
The Impact on the Broadway Landscape
When this cast took the stage at the Tonys, they blew the roof off the place. They beat Matilda, which was the heavy favorite that year. People often forget that. Matilda was the critical darling, but Kinky Boots had the heart.
The original cast recording is still the gold standard for this show. You can hear the specific grit in Billy Porter's voice and the slight nasal, "everyman" quality in Stark Sands' vocals. It captured a moment in time where Broadway was shifting back toward big, heartfelt, commercial successes that also had something to say about social acceptance.
Misconceptions About the Original Lineup
Some people think Wayne Brady or Billy Porter were the only Lolas. While Wayne Brady was fantastic later in the run, the role was built on Porter's specific vocal range.
Another common mix-up? The movie vs. the musical. People sometimes think Chiwetel Ejiofor (who played Lola in the film) was in the show. He wasn't. The musical is a different beast entirely, largely thanks to the Cyndi Lauper pop-rock influence that the original cast of Kinky Boots navigated so well.
📖 Related: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
Where Are They Now?
Most of them are still huge. Billy Porter is an icon of stage and screen. Annaleigh Ashford is a consistent Broadway lead and TV star (B Positive, Welcome to Chippendales). Stark Sands has returned to Broadway multiple times, including a stint in & Juliet.
But for many fans, that 2013 group remains the definitive version. They were the ones who had to prove that a show about "kinky boots" could actually be a universal story about fathers and sons.
Next Steps for Theatre Fans:
If you want to experience the magic of the original cast of Kinky Boots, start with the Original Broadway Cast Recording. Pay close attention to the tracks "Not My Father's Son" and "Raise You Up/Just Be."
For a deeper look, find the "Kinky Boots: The Musical" London Filmed Version. While it features a different cast (Matt Henry and Killian Donnelly), it uses the same staging and direction as the original Broadway production, giving you a perfect visual of the "conveyor belt" choreography that the 2013 cast pioneered.
You can also look up the 2013 Tony Awards performance on YouTube. It is one of the few high-definition recordings of the original leads performing together and perfectly captures the energy that won them the Best Musical trophy.