Kinky Boots: Thanksgiving Holiday Was Special

It was a big holiday week for Kinky Boots, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical with a score by Cyndi Lauper, book by Harvey Fierstein, and direction by Jerry Mitchell. In a release sent out today, the producers announced that for the holiday week ending Dec. 1, the hit show brought in $1,912,568 in ticket sales, beating box office records at the Hirschfield, where the production is packing in audiences. (It also means it beat out previous record holder How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.) But not everyone was happy during the festive weekend, with some conservatives criticizing Macy's for promoting the musical during its annual parade.

As The Advocate noted, after the Broadway musical was featured during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade it was "promptly bashed" by people on social media who called the show inappropriate. "Macy's worst decision ever with your cross dresser show on Thanksgiving," wrote one person on Macy's Facebook page, "you've completely removed the family part of thanksgiving."

That motivated Harvey Fierstein and stars Billy Porter and Stark Sands to head to Macy's to shop. They shared photos from the Black Friday outing on Twitter. Out100 honoree Porter went in full drag to the crowded Herald Square landmark, and Sands wore the show's signature sequined thigh-high boots. In a statement to Broadway World, Fierstein, the show's co-creator, showered Macy's with praise for its support.

"I'm so proud that the cast of Kinky Boots brought their message of tolerance and acceptance to America's parade," Fierstein said in the statement to BWW. "Ten years ago I was humbled to ride a float dressed as Mrs. Claus and it was the thrill of a lifetime. Congratulations to Macy's, on leading the world, not only with your salesmanship, but also your humanity."