Acclaimed musical kinky boots arrives in Beijing

After 45 successful shows in Shanghai and Guangzhou, the award-winning musical extravaganza Kinky Boots has finally arrived in Beijing, the final stop of its inaugural China tour.

The winner of major musical awards, including the Tony, the Grammy and London's Olivier Award, the musical is being shown at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center till Sept 16.

Based on the 2005 British film of the same title and featuring music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots has toured the world and been adapted into Japanese and South Korean versions since its premiere in Chicago in 2012.

The musical tells the story of Charlie Price, a struggling young man who takes over the family business of running a shoe factory. With the factory being on the verge of closure, an unlikely but spectacular drag queen named Lola helps the young man embark on a mission to create women's shoes for men.

"This is the first time we are in China and the audience is fun, warm and welcoming," says actor Lance Bordelon in Beijing, who plays the role of Charlie Price. "The show is a universal human experience and relatable to both the audience and ourselves. We present it with an authentic heart and it proves that it transcends culture."

Originally from Scott, a small town in South Louisiana, the United States, but currently residing in New York City, Bordelon has been a musician most of his life, playing the saxophone and clarinet in an orchestra and singing in church from a young age.