Haven Burton Returns to Broadway's Kinky Boots as Lauren, Taking Over for Waitress-Bound Jeanna De Waal

Kinky Boots alum Haven Burton has returned to the role of Lauren in the Tony-winning musical. She takes over for Jeanna De Waal, who has begun rehearsals for Waitress at the American Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts. Burton first stepped in last summer when De Waal played Marie Barrie in A.R.T’s Finding Neverland.

Burton will play Lauren at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre through October 11. Prior to her first Kinky Boots stint, Burton served as the standby to the titular role in Violet. Her other Broadway credits include Shrek, Legally Blonde and Rent, in addition to the off-Broadway productions of Disaster! and Nobody Loves You.

With a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots follows Charlie Price as he is forced to step in and save his family’s shoe factory in Northern England after the sudden death of his father. Help comes from the unlikeliest angel, a fabulous drag performer named Lola. Together, this improbable duo revitalizes the nearly bankrupt business and transforms an entire community through the power of acceptance.

The tuner also currently stars Tony winner Billy Porter as Lola and Andy Kelso as Charlie.