‘Kinky Boots’ Actor Comes Home

With tons of talent and some good fortune, Lauren Nicole Chapman went from her 2013 Emerson College graduation to her Broadway debut in record time.

With her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in hand, Chapman moved to New York City shortly after commencement and “hit the ground running,” she recalled in a recent interview.

“I was getting up very, very early and I started auditioning every day. I went to dance calls. Singer calls. Anything I thought I was right for.”

At one particular audition for a new musical, she “sang 8 bars.” Then she continued making the audition rounds. A few months later, when the Kinky Boots audition was a mere memory, Chapman received an email from the show’s casting staff. “Within a couple of days I found out I would be making my Broadway debut. It was the right time, right place and the right show for me!”

Playing one of the ensemble members, Chapman made her debut April 8, 2014. Even better, she understudies the lead, and has appeared in that role “quite a few times.”

Kinky Boots is based on a 2005 film that tells the tale of an aspiring young businessman who is forced to give up his dreams of living in London in order to save his late father’s family business in Northern England. When Charlie suddenly inherits the bankrupt shoe factory, he finds unexpected inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos.

When Chapman comes to Boston for the show’s August 11-30 run she will be staying right down the street from the Boston Opera House, “so I will basically be on campus. It’s my first time coming back since graduation, and I want to share this show with my friends and former teachers. It has an important message.”

Former teachers who played a large role in Chapman’s training include Scott LaFeber, Stephen Terrell, Jonathan Goldberg, and Scott Wheeler. “They were a big part of preparing me for auditioning in New York. They gave me the tools I needed to be ready for anything, and they continue to be a resource for me.”

For Kinky Boots tickets, call 800-982-2787 or visit BroadwayInBoston.com.