The drag queens beat out the English school kids at the Tony Awards on Sunday night, as "Kinky Boots" was crowned Best Musical over "Matilda."
Credit for the victory goes in part to an energetic and aggressive campaign by the show's co-creators Cyndi Lauper, the pop star who wrote the music and lyrics, and Harvey Fierstein, the Tony-winning actor and playwright who handled the book. The two were ubiquitous presences on the awards circuit.
The other nominees for Best Musical, "Bring It On" and "A Christmas Story," were both based on well-known films but suffered from the fact that both shows had been closed for months.