By Olivia Armstrong

The stage is set, the costumes are sewn, and Brainerd Community Theatre cast and crew members are hard at work before the curtains rise on the Tony-winning musical “Kinky Boots.”

“‘Kinky Boots’ is a show about a shoe factory in London that is going under. And along comes Lola and she and Charlie, the owner of the shoe factory, work together to try and save it by making these kinky boots,” explained actor Jacob Hanson.

While the Brainerd area will soon experience the cast’s finished production, what they might not notice is the behind-the-scenes work that went into the show.

“I mean, we’re here roughly three hours a day, five days a week. So that’s 15 hours a week just being here, plus all the self-study time at home,” said actor Travis Chaput. “This is a really big character and a really big part, so I just want to make sure I’m doing it justice.”

“I think it’s an important part of the community. I think having an arts outlet and having a place for people to come and feel accepted and have fun, get to know other people, and produce a quality production is super important to the area.” said Amy Borash, the show’s director and choreographer.

The cast hopes that by bringing “Kinky Boots” to life, they will create an atmosphere for the entire community to enjoy.

“I’m really excited for people to see it. I’m excited for this cast to get out there and finally have an audience because I think we’re ready,” said Chaput.

“I love working with other people to make something spectacular, and this is spectacular. The show is wonderful. It’s huge. It’s big, it’s flashy. So it’s just so much fun,” said Hanson.

“Kinky Boots” will open on Tuesday, July 25th at CLC’s Chalberg Theatre and run for seven shows through Thursday, August 3rd. More information on the musical and tickets can be found here.

By — Lakeland News