Arts & Entertainment

Haddonfielder Wins Tony Award for 'Kinky Boots'

John Shivers's work on 'Kinky Boots,' a new musical from Cyndi Lauper, earned him a Tony Award Sunday in New York.

The Tonys definitely weren't a drag for Haddonfield native John Shivers, who took home a coveted trophy for his sound design on Kinky Boots.

Shivers is a 1977 Haddonfield Memorial High School graduate, according to a classmate. He has since crafted a sound design career on Broadway that includes work on many well-known productions: 9 to 5, Sister Act, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Mary Poppins, The Little Mermaid and many more. 

Shivers's big win at the Tony Awards came for Kinky Boots, a Cyndi Lauper/Harvey Fierstein production that tells the true story of a near-bankrupt shoe factory owner and his drag queen business partner who helps save the business. 

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Kinky Boots also pulled an upset win for the year's best musical at the Tonys. With that and Shivers's win for best sound design of a musical, Kinky Boots took home six Tonys Sunday night. 

"I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me," Shivers said in his acceptance speech, also thanking his date for the evening, daughter Ruby.

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To the cast, he added, "These guys sing and play their kinky butts off every night."

Click on the videos above to watch John Shivers's acceptance speech at the Tonys on June 9 and clips from Kinky Boots.


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