'Kinky Boots' wins Tony Award for best musical

NEW YORK (AP) — The feel-good musical "Kinky Boots," with songs by pop star Cyndi Lauper, won the 2013 Tony Award for best musical.

Matthew Murphy

This theater image released by The O+M Company shows the cast during a performance of the musical "Kinky Boots." The Tony Award musical winner with infectious songs by Cyndi Lauper and a sloppy kiss of a story by Harvey Fierstein is unabashedly sentimental, with a classic message of acceptance. Billy Porter, as the drag queen at its heart, can make tears fall down your cheeks and he's sticking with the show into 2014. (AP Photo/The O+M Company, Matthew Murphy)

APImages.com More photos »

This theater image released by The O+M Company shows the cast during a performance of the musical "Kinky Boots." The Tony Award musical winner with infectious songs by Cyndi Lauper and a sloppy kiss of a story by Harvey Fierstein is unabashedly sentimental, with a classic message of acceptance. Billy Porter, as the drag queen at its heart, can make tears fall down your cheeks and he's sticking with the show into 2014. (AP Photo/The O+M Company, Matthew Murphy)

1 of 1

APImages.com

The musical is based on an obscure 2005 British film about a British shoe factory on the brink of ruin that retrofits itself into a maker of footwear for drag queens.

Lauper, whose hits include "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "True Colors," teamed up with playwright Harvey Fierstein to craft a story about sons and fathers, bonding at work and red patent leather.

Lauper's catchy, pop-rock 15-song soundtrack ranges from the ballad "I'm Not My Father's Son" to the pulsating "The Sex Is in the Heel" and the disco "Raise You Up/Just Be."

"Kinky Boots" beat out musical versions of "Matilda," ''Bring It On" and "A Christmas Story."

©  The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.