[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, IF YOU COME TO NEW YORK
CITY, YOU CANNOT GO TWO FEET
WITHOUT SEEING A POSTER FOR OR
HEARING SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT
"KINKY BOOTS" THE MULTITONY
AWARD WINNING MUSICAL, NOW
CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS ON
BROADWAY.
OVER THE YEARS, THE SHOW HAS
TAKEN HOME SEVERAL AWARDS,
INCLUDING SIX TONY AWARDS, LIKE
BEST MUSICAL.
LATER, WE'RE GOING TO GET A
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE RIGHT HERE.
BUT FIRST, HELP ME WELCOME THE
INCREDIBLE TEAM BEHIND THE
PRODUCTION, WHO YOU KNOW WELL.
TONY, EMMY AND GRAMMY WINNER
CYNDI LAUPER AND THE TALENTED
FOUR-TIME TONY AWARD WINNING
HARVEY FIERSTEIN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THERE SHE IS.
WELCOME.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
IT IS SO EXCITING TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
I HAD NO IDEA YOU PUT THIS
TOGETHER.
I HAD HEARD OF "KINKY BOOTS."
BUT THIS TEAM IS SOMETHING TO BE
RECKONED WITH.
CAN I ASK HOW THE PARTNERSHIP
BEGAN ON THIS PROJECT?
>> TELL 'EM, BECAUSE WE BOTH
HAVE SUCH LOVELY VOICES.
>> I WAS WASHING THE DISHES
AFTER DINNER.
AND WE WERE LIVING IN
CONNECTICUT AT THAT TIME.
HARVEY CALLED ME UP.
I HAD JUST DONE ONE OF THOSE
TOURS IN EUROPE, ON A
DOUBLE-DECKER BUS BECAUSE YOU'RE
THE STAR, YOU'RE IN THE BACK,
WHICH MEANS ON A DOUBLE-BECKER
BUS, YOU'RE IN THE WASHER/DRYER
CYCLE.
HE CALLED ME AND SAID, I'M NOT
DOING ONE OF THOSE AGAIN.
HE SAID, YOU WANT TO WRITE FOR
ME?
I SAID, ABSOLUTELY.
AND HE SAID, YOU BETTER SEE THE
MOVIE FIRST.
THEN, THE SHOES ALONE.
>> IT'S BASED ON A TRUE STORY
THAT BECAME A MOVIE BEFORE IT
WAS A PLAY.
>> YES.
>> YOU DID THE BOOK, THE WORDS.
>> JERRY MITCHELL, WHO DIRECTED
AND CHOREOGRAPHED HE CALLED ME
AND SAID, DO YOU WANT TO DO
THIS?
I SAID YES.
AND I CALLED CYNDI.
>> IT'S VERY FUNNY.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
>> IT'S REALLY ABOUT YOU GROW UP
AND YOU HAVE YOUR PARENTS, THEIR
VOICES IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD,
SAYING YOU SHOULD HAVE TURNED
OUT TO BE THIS.
AND YOU HAVE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE.
AT SOME POINT, YOU HAVE TO COME
TO TERMS WITH, I'M AN ADULT,
THIS IS WHO I TURNED OUT TO BE.
MY PARENTS -- I HAVE TO FORGIVE
MYSELF FOR NOT BEING WHAT MY
PARENTS WANTED ME TO BE.
>> THESE TWO YOUNG BOYS, THAT
GROW INTO MEN.
>> ONE IS A SHOE FACTORY -- THEY
MANUFACTURE SHOES.
AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO MAKE
SHOES.
>> BOING SHOES.
>> BORING SHOES.
AND THE OTHER GUY, HIS FATHER IS
A BOXER AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO
BE A BOXER.
HE WANTS HIM TO BOX BECAUSE HE
REALIZES HE IS A TRANSVESTITE
AND HE MIGHT NEED TO TAKE CARE
OF HIMSELF.
IT'S OUT OF LOVE.
>> IT'S INCREDIBLE.
HOW HARD WAS THE PROCESS OF
WRITING THIS, AS OPPOSED TO
WRITING REGULAR SONGS THAT YOU
WOULD RELEASE ON AN LP?
>> BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW
ANYTHING, I TOOK THE JOB.
AND THESE ARE MY FRIENDS.
AND I WANTED TO WORK WITH
FRIENDS.
SOMETIMES YOU WORK WITH FRIENDS
AND IT'S A BIG NIGHTMARE.
THIS WAS VERY -- IT WAS A
PRECIOUS TIME FOR ME.
I USED TO FEEL LIKE DOROTHY AND
"THE WIZARD OF OZ" BECAUSE I WAS
BEING WALKED THROUGH BY THE
LION, THE SCARECROW AND THE
TINMAN.
>> WHAT DID I ACTUALLY CALL YOU?
>> WHAT DO YOU CALL HER?
>> I CALL HER -- MOMMY DEAREST.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> THAT'S NOT GOOD.
>> NO, IT'S NOT.
CHRISTINA, DID YOU FINISH THAT
SONG YET?
I'M GETTING TO IT, MOMMY
DEAREST.
>> SEEING IT IN 2018 AMERICA,
WHERE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE
SOME PROGRESS WHEN IT COMES TO
LGBT RIGHTS AND TRANSGENDER
RIGHTS, WE'RE NOT THERE YET BUT
WE'VE MADE PROGRESS.
HAVE YOU NOTICED A CHANGE IN HOW
IT'S PERCEIVED AND THE FEEDBACK
YOU GET TO WHEN IT LAUNCHED FIVE
YEARS AGO.
>> WHAT'S SO WONDERFUL ABOUT
THEATER, IT'S NOT LIKE
TELEVISION OR MOVIES.
YOU GO TO SEE A MOVIE AND UP ON
THE SCREEN YOU SEE A PICTURE OF
VENICE AND PEOPLE WALKING IN
VENICE AND A THING COMES UP AND
SAYS, VENICE.
OKAY, I'M IN VENICE.
BUT IN THE THEATER, A PERSON
JUST WALKS INTO A BARE STAGE AND
SAYS, ISN'T IT A BEAUTIFUL DAY
IN VENICE?
AND THE WHOLE AUDIENCE GOES,
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN VENICE.
WHAT YOU GIVE THEM, THE AUDIENCE
WANTS AND THEY TAKE IT WITH LOVE
AND HUMOR.
AND "KINKY BOOTS" IS SO SPECIAL,
WHAT IT DOES TO THE AUDIENCE.
YOU'VE SEEN IT.
ONE OF YOUR PRODUCERS HAS SEEN
IT TWICE.
THAT AUDIENCE LEAVES THE
THEATER, WE CALL IT THE FACTORY
OF JOY.
>> TWO U.S. TOURS AND A U.K.
TOUR.
OBVIOUSLY THIS, IS A PLAY, A
SHOW THAT HAS RESONATED WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT FOR
YOURSELF.
BEFORE WE HAVE THE PERFORMANCE,
WE HAVE MORE WITH T WANT TO HAVá
>>> WHO CAN FORGET THOSE ICONIC
SONGS?
WE'RE BACK WITH CYNDI LAUPER,
WHOSE DEBUT ALBUM, "SHE'S SO
UNUSUAL," WHICH FEATURED THAT
HIT, "GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE
FUN," CAME OUT, GET THIS, 35
YEARS AGO.
AND HARVEY FIERSTEIN WHO HAS
PLAYED THE FABULOUS EDNA IN
"HAIRSPR
"HAIRSPRAY" HERE ON NBC.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO MAKE AND
HEAR THAT SONG?
>> I WANTED TO MAKE -- WHEN YOU
START TO DO THIS, WE DIDN'T HAVE
MONEY AT ALL.
WE WERE THE ENGINE THAT COULD.
MY MOTHER IS IN THE VIDEO.
MY BROTHER IS IN THE VIDEO.
MY DOG IS IN THE VIDEO.
AND ALL OUR FRIENDS AND I TOOK
OUT ALL MY SUNGLASSES AND
EVERYTHING.
WEN WE TOOK EACH OTHER OUT AND
DRESSED EACH OTHER AND WENT.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE IT, I'M
REALLY -- IT'S LIKE A LITTLE
FAMILY ALBUM BECAUSE I REMEMBER
ALL MY FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, DAN,
HIS WIFE, HE WAS A DEEJAY I USED
TO KNOW.
>> "GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE
FUN," "TIME AFTER TIME," "SHE
BOP."
MY CHILDREN KNOW YOU THROUGH
"TRUE COLORS" THAT WAS ON
"TROLLS."
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DID A REMAKE
OF IT.
"TRUE COLORS" IS MORE THAN JUST
A SONG.
YOU USED THAT AS THE NAME OF A
FUND TO CELEBRATE HOMELESS AND
STRUGGLING LGBT PEOPLE.
>> LGBT KIDS OR YOUTH WHO ARE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS RIGHT
NOW, THEY ARE UP TO 40% OF THE
HOMELESS YOUTH POPULATION IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND IT'S A FIXABLE PROBLEM
BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY HOMELESS
BECAUSE THEY ARE LGBTQ.
AND THROUGH EDUCATION AND
OUTREACH AND BRINGING -- WE
COLLABORATE WITH EVERYBODY AND
WE BRING ORGANIZATIONS AND
PEOPLE TOGETHER.
I'M PROUD WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
OUR SUMMIT IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
GO ONLINE AND COME SEE IT.
WE'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO ROLL
UP OUR SLEEVES AND SIT ACROSS
AND TALK TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T
AGREE WITH US.
IF YOU LISTEN, MAYBE THEY
LISTEN.
>> THE WHOLE COUNTRY COULD USE A
LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
WE'LL POST AT THAT
TODAY.COM/MEGYNTODAY.
SPEAKING OF ROLLING UP YOUR
SLEEVES AND WORKING, YOU'RE THE
MOST PROLIFIC MAN ON BROADWAY.
YOU'VE WRITTEN FOR "KINKY BOOTS"
"NEWSIES," THE LIST GOES ON AND
ON.
AND NOT TO MENTION THE STARRING
ROLES IN HUGE HITS LIKE
"MRS. DOUBTFIRE."
WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR BEST
WRITING?
AND HOW DO YOU COMPARE YOUR
CAREER TO WRITING AND ACTING?
>> I CAN'T DO JUST ONE THING.
I DO PAINTING AND I'M A LICENSED
TEACHER.
>> YOU SURPRISED CYNDI WITH THAT
ONE.
>> AN ART THERAPIST.
>> WOW.
I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING JUST ONE
THING.
WRITING, YOU'RE ALL ALONE.
YOU'RE LOCKED IN AND DIGGING.
ACTING, IT'S LIKE SOMEONE ELSE'S
WORDS.
YOU GET TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE.
I GET TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.
AND THEN, WORKING IN
COLLABORATION, ESPECIALLY ON A
MUSICAL, YOU GET TO WORK WITH
GENIUSES.
YOU GET TO WORK WITH PEOPLE LIKE
THIS.
I MEAN, NOT HER, BUT OTHERS.
I'VE WRITTEN WITH JERRY HERMAN
AND ALAN MENKEN.
IT'S JUST -- YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE
OPEN THE DOOR AND DO SOMETHING
NEW EVERY DAY.
>> LOVE IT.
>> WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO
URSULA?
>> I'M SINGING URSULA FOR AN
ALAN MENKEN TRIBUTE, IN THE
NEW YORKS POT ORCHESTRA.
>> THAT'S AMAZING.
AND CYNDI, IF YOU WANT TO GET
MORE OF HER COMPOSITIONS, THESE
WORKING ON "WORKING GIRL," WHICH
IS COMING TO BROADWAY.
>> YEAH.
>> IT IS SO LONG PAST DUE.
THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING
PRODUCTION.
>> WAIT UNTIL YOU ENJOY IT.
>> YOU GOT WAYNE BRADY.
>> I KNOW.
>> COME ON, WAYNE.
>> HE'S INCREDIBLE.
>> DAVID COOK.