Step One (from Kinky Boots): Piano/Vocal/Chords

This souvenir songbook captures an entire Broadway score in one resource, making it invaluable for singers preparing audition pieces, pianists developing Broadway accompaniment skills, and music theater ensembles seeking contemporary material with genuine emotional depth. Lauper's melodies are immediately singable yet sophisticated enough to reward careful musical attention, and the orchestrations by Stephen Oremus translate beautifully to piano/vocal format without losing dramatic impact.

Kinky Boots pulses with unexpected warmth and humor. Lauper's score moves between moments of quiet introspection and exuberant celebration, often within the same song, creating an emotional texture that honors both the comedy and genuine heart of the story. The music feels lived-in and conversational, yet polished enough for a Broadway stage.

Singers preparing audition material from contemporary Broadway repertoire, pianists developing theater accompaniment and sight-reading skills, and music theater ensembles or classes seeking a complete score by a major artist. This book also appeals to students studying songwriting, as Lauper's character-driven approach to melody and lyric offers clear examples of theatrical storytelling through music.

• Study the character context for each song before rehearsing; these pieces demand specificity about who is singing and why, which shapes phrasing and emotional weight.
• Pay attention to Lauper's use of rhythmic flexibility within the pop-influenced harmonic language; some songs sit closer to speech rhythm than strict meter, requiring you to feel the pulse without forcing it.
• Balance Lauper's pop sensibility with the intimate storytelling required in musical theater; avoid over-belting passages that should land with conversational warmth instead.
• Use the color photos included in the book as visual reference for costume, staging, and character relationships, which inform how you approach vocal tone and interpretation.

Feature individual songs from Kinky Boots in a contemporary musical theater recital or concert, pairing them with other recent Broadway scores to showcase the range of voices and styles in 21st-century theater music. This book also serves well in a theater music elective, where students can study how a pop composer approaches dramatic character work and harmonic storytelling across an entire show.

• Sight-reading contemporary pop-influenced harmonic language with jazz and theater conventions
• Interpreting character through vocal choices and phrasing in musical theater context
• Balancing rhythmic flexibility with metric accuracy in songs with conversational speech patterns
• Accompanying singers in theater repertoire with sensitivity to dramatic intent and emotional arc
• Understanding how pop sensibilities translate to Broadway scale and theatrical storytelling