Kinky Boots' Jeanna de Waal to Take Summer Hiatus for Finding Neverland; Haven Burton Will Step In

Kinky Boots star Jeanna de Waal will take a hiatus this summer to appear in the American Repertory Theater production of Finding Neverland. A spokesperson for Kinky Boots has confirmed that Haven Burton, currently on Broadway in Violet as the titular character’s standby, will step in as Lauren from June 24 through September 28. According to a spokesperson for Violet, Jennifer Blood will begin as the new standby in the Roundabout production next week.

De Waal played Glinda on the Wicked national tour and has been seen off-Broadway in Carrie and in the West End in We Will Rock You. She made her Broadway debut in American Idiot. In addition to Violet, Buton has appeared on Broadway in Shrek, Legally Blonde and Rent. She recently starred in the off-Broadway musical Disaster!.

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. In addition to de Waal, the tuner currently stars Tony winner Billy Porter as Lola and Andy Kelso as Charlie.