What a Woman Wants (from Kinky Boots): Piano/Vocal/Chords

Kinky Boots contains some of the most teachable contemporary Broadway music available. The songs balance accessibility with sophisticated harmonic language, giving singers at multiple levels material that feels immediately engaging yet rewards deeper musical exploration. Programming songs from this score signals to audiences that musical theatre repertoire can be joyful, inclusive, and artistically significant all at once.

Opening this book feels like stepping into a vibrant world where acceptance and transformation are celebrated through music. Lauper's melodies are instantly memorable, built on contemporary pop grooves that drive the storytelling forward. The arrangements sparkle with color and energy, creating moments of pure joy alongside passages of surprising tenderness and introspection.

This songbook serves singers and pianists preparing material from Kinky Boots for auditions, recitals, or classroom performance. Theatre students, music theatre majors, and community theatre performers will find the complete original cast recording transcribed here with professional accuracy. Pianists accompanying singers will appreciate the chord symbols and the balanced arrangement that supports rather than overwhelms the voice.

• Lean into the personality of each character's material. The score shifts dramatically in tone from song to song; shape your phrasing to match the emotional stakes of each moment rather than applying a uniform style across the book.
• Work with your pianist on the rhythmic drive of the pop-influenced arrangements. Many songs rely on groove and forward momentum; clarify whether the accompaniment sits in front of or underneath the vocal line in each passage.
• Honor the comedy and vulnerability in equal measure. Several numbers are genuinely funny, but they also serve real character moments. Avoid playing for laughs alone; let the audience find the humor within authentic emotion.

Selections from Kinky Boots work beautifully in musical theatre showcases where you want to represent contemporary Broadway alongside classic material. The variety of numbers allows you to choose pieces that fit your singers' ranges and personalities; "Land of Lola" and "The History of Wrong Guys" offer contrast to more intimate moments like "Charlie's Soliloquy." This book is also invaluable for voice students exploring contemporary musical theatre repertoire in private study.

• Reading contemporary musical theatre vocal writing with mixed rhythmic feels (pop-influenced grooves, syncopation, and swing eighth notes)
• Interpreting character through contemporary melodic language and harmonic color
• Collaboration between singer and pianist in arrangements that balance ensemble texture with vocal clarity
• Navigating chord symbols and understanding jazz-influenced harmony in a musical theatre context