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‘Kinky Boots’ star prepares for high-kicking tour

By WTOP Staff

MARK KENNEDY
AP Drama Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Taylor Parker is going from backup dancer to leading man — but staying in 6-inch heels.

The performer who has been in “Kinky Boots” since it made its debut in Chicago in 2012 will step into Billy Porter’s formidable high heels as the star of the first national tour of “Kinky Boots,” which kicks off in Las Vegas on Sept. 4.

“It’s been this slow and wonderful journey toward taking over the role,” Parker said. “For me, taking it on for the tour is not just a very happy occurrence. It’s really an honor on many levels.”

The Tony Award-winning musical is based on a 2005 British film about a staid British shoe factory on the brink of ruin that retrofits itself into a maker of footwear for drag queens. It has songs by Cyndi Lauper, a story by Harvey Fierstein and some fierce-looking drag queens. Now it leaves the cocoon of Broadway to travel America’s heart.

“It’s a show about pride. It’s a show about acceptance. It’s a show about joy,” said Parker, who grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “It gives voice to people who have not had a voice. An African-American gay man leading this show and telling this story of pride and acceptance is an honor. It truly is.”

Following Las Vegas, the musical will play West Coast stops in Tempe, Arizona; San Diego, California; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Denver; Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Costa Mesa, California, before heading east in 2015.

The new year will bring stops in Detroit; Nashville, Tennessee; Houston; St. Louis, Missouri; Cleveland; Philadelphia; Minneapolis; Boston; and Providence, Rhode Island.

Parker has been part of the show’s ensemble of six drag queens called Angels since it began and also became an understudy for Lola, played by Tony Award-winner Porter. Now he’ll spend months living out of a suitcase, something the former veteran of the national “In the Heights” tour says he loves.

“It’s really great training because each theater is different, each environment is different. What your voice sounds like in Vegas is very different from what your voice sounds like in Wisconsin,” he said. “Audiences are different, too. So for me it’s the best training to give a consistent show no matter what the circumstances are.”

Parker knew he wanted to be on Broadway by the time the curtain fell on his first ever Broadway show. It was 1997. He was 5. The show was “Annie” at the Martin Beck Theatre.

“I don’t know if it was seeing those kids on a Broadway stage or just falling in love with the story, but I looked at my mom and I said, ‘I want to do that,'” he recalled.

He did exactly that. Parker graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York and was thrilled when “Kinky Boots” rode into Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre. It was Parker’s Broadway debut and it was at a familiar place: The Al Hirschfeld Theatre was the new name of the Martin Beck Theatre — the same place he saw “Annie” all those years ago.

Parker will leave the show this week and begin working on the tour. He still seems a little stunned that he gets to take what he’s learned from Porter, mix it with his own skills and share it with America.

“Billy has really been such a wonderful mentor to me as a performer. I grew up listening to everything that he’s sung and watching his perform in Broadway shows,” he said. “He is the performer who actually let me know that there’s a place for me on Broadway.”

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Online: http://www.kinkybootsthemusical.com

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Mark Kennedy can be reached at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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