Hold Me in Your Heart (from Kinky Boots): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This complete songbook captures one of Broadway's most inventive and emotionally generous scores, giving singers and pianists access to material that demands real vocal maturity and pianistic sophistication. The arrangements by Stephen Oremus honor Lauper's original vision while remaining playable in rehearsal and recital settings, making these songs accessible without sacrificing their theatrical impact.

The Kinky Boots score pulses with theatrical confidence and emotional authenticity. Colors shift from glittery and provocative to quietly vulnerable; the music asks performers to hold both joy and heartbreak at the same time, moving between moments of pure pop exuberance and genuine human connection.

Singers preparing audition material from contemporary musical theatre repertoire, pianists building facility with modern Broadway arranging styles, and ensembles exploring a score that values character and storytelling over vocal display. This book serves musicians who want to engage seriously with recent theatrical music rather than relying on simplified or stripped-down versions.

• Pay close attention to the rhythmic syncopation in uptempo numbers like 'Sex Is in the Heel' and 'Everybody Say Yeah'; these songs sit between pop and theatrical idioms, and precision with the pocket matters as much as legato phrasing would in a traditional ballad.
• The softer character solos ('Not My Father's Son,' 'Charlie's Soliloquy') benefit from intimate, conversational delivery; use the piano part as an anchor for emotional specificity rather than as accompaniment that demands constant attention.
• Chord voicings in the guitar notation often suggest contemporary harmonic language; if you're playing these on piano, experiment with how the suggested voicings translate to your instrument without forcing them into classical patterns.

Program songs from this collection when exploring contemporary musical theatre alongside traditional standards, allowing audiences to hear how Broadway composition has evolved. Individual selections work well in recitals focused on character-driven vocal writing, or full songs can be prepared as audition material for singers entering college musical theatre programs or pursuing professional theatre work.

• Reading and interpreting modern harmonic language and jazz-influenced voicings
• Sustaining character and emotional clarity across rhythmically syncopated phrases
• Coordinating piano accompaniment with vocal line in arrangements that layer contemporary pop texture with theatrical underscoring
• Navigating shifts between legit and contemporary vocal production within a single piece