Cyndi Lauper got a kick out of writing ‘Kinky Boots’ songs

She wasn’t the first. She won’t be the last.

But few pop songwriters in their first Broadway outing have made a splash that could compare to that of Cyndi Lauper, who walked away with a 2013 Tony Award for “Kinky Boots.”

The lively musical about a drag queen who changes hearts and minds and saves a small British shoemaker from bankruptcy was — and remains — a smash hit on Broadway. Based on a 2005 British indie film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”), the musical was adapted by multiple Tony-winner Harvey Fierstein (“Torch Song Trilogy,” “La Cage aux Folles”).

For the score, the producers turned to Lauper, who had never before written music for the Broadway stage.

Broadway has, of course, welcomed pop songwriters into its fold for years. One could argue that it goes back at least to Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote rock concept albums (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) before making the logical jump to musical theater.

Then we have Elton John, who has written music for a string of Broadway shows, including “The Lion King,” “Aida” and “Billy Elliot: The Musical.” Bono and the Edge, somewhat notoriously, wrote songs for “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” which was their only Broadway outing to date.

And Broadway producers have repeatedly turned to essential pop music to produce shows such as “Jersey Boys” and “The Who’s Tommy” as well as jukebox musicals like “Million Dollar Quartet.” “A Night With Janis Joplin,” which played the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in March and incorporates a wealth of ’60s rock, enjoyed a respectable Broadway run.

As she wrote songs for “Kinky Boots,” Lauper found herself working in a heady creative environment. And the producers’ faith in her paid off. Ultimately the show claimed six Tonys, including best musical and Lauper’s for best score.

Recently Lauper responded to a series of email questions from The Star.

Q: Whose idea was it for you to write a musical?

A: The project came to me from Harvey. I’m a huge fan of Harvey, and I know him because he’s a very strong leader in the LGBT community that I’m a friend and family member of.

Q: How would you describe the difference between writing songs for an album and writing a score for a musical? How does the creative process differ?

A: It’s different because your job as a songwriter for musical theater is to help move the story forward in song. It’s very specific.

In addition, you have to write from many perspectives, for all the different characters onstage. When writing for yourself you don’t have to stick to a story line or write for another voice besides your own.

Q: Talk a bit about collaborating with Harvey Fierstein. What’s he like as a creative partner? Was there a lot of back-and-forth between you as he worked on the book and you worked on the music?

A: To do my first Broadway project working side by side with Broadway royalty like Harvey, (director/choreographer) Jerry Mitchell and our music director, Stephen Oremus, was just amazing. I mean, to be shown the ropes by these amazingly talented men — who at the same time really respected and listened to my ideas — was just great.

And every minute has been a pleasure. From the first phone call from Harvey where we laughed, and I hung up and was just so excited, to watching the film and connecting so viscerally to the story, to getting pages … from Harvey and reading how he brought the story to life for the theater, to writing the first song (“The Most Beautiful Thing in the World”), to the first table reading and casting to rehearsals — just every minute working on this show has been magical for me.

Even when there were creative differences between me, Jerry or Harvey, we all just wanted what was best for the show, and we listened to each other to make it all work.

Q: You are not the first — and won’t be the last — pop songwriter to migrate to Broadway. Why do you think that is? What about Broadway appeals to established songwriters outside the world of musical theater?

A: It’s wonderful to be able to write songs for people with other points of view. By writing for characters that you don’t have a lot in common with, you get a chance to explore those kinds of thoughts/emotions.

And putting yourself in other people’s shoes is also very cathartic as a person, not just as a songwriter. I had a lot of “Aha!” moments writing for the great characters that inhabit the “Kinky Boots” world. It honestly made me a better person, and a much better songwriter.

Q: What are your favorite musicals?

A: When I was a kid, my mom collected and played musical cast albums. I loved putting them on and acting out all the parts. “South Pacific” was one of my favorites back then.

Broadway is very exciting right now. Got a chance to see “Hamilton” the other night, and it’s as good as the hype. It’s really amazing.

I’m looking forward to seeing (“Kinky Boots” original star) Billy Porter in “Shuffle Along,” really want to see Edie Brickell and Steve Martin’s new musical, “Bright Star” and Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress.”

Q: Would you like to write more musicals?

A: Yes, more is definitely to come!

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Cyndi Lauper got a kick out of writing ‘Kinky Boots’ songs."