Clever Akimbo Stuns in First National Tour of Best Musical Tony Winner

    2 years ago saw a peculiar new musical Kimberly Akimbo result the most Tony Award-winning production of the season (winning Best New Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score of a Musical, Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Victoria Clark’s portrayal of Kim and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Bonnie Milligan’s depiction of Debra). The musical, based on Pulitzer Prize for Drama Winner David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2000 play of the same name, tells the tale of Kim Levaco – a wistful and vibrant adolescent afflicted with a Progeria-esque rare genetic disorder that causes her to physically progress too swiftly and appear well beyond her 16 years. The unconventional comedy follows the main character’s coming of age(d) as she negotiates her wacky family and unstable home life, new girl in town status, first love, and absurd escapades - all while dealing with the reality of her mortality. The piece relates a compelling story of a sanguine teen simultaneously plagued with pubescent and post-menopausal angst’s tenacity in overcoming the odd and the odds to truly live. The new portable Akimbo imagining for the First National Tour is just as brilliant as the Broadway mounting, further validating the quality of this art and why it is so widely acclaimed. With ingeniousness coursing through every aspect of this show, from the material to the creative team to the players, it persists as the most thrilling ride you simply must go on. 

In their second joint effort, David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori prove their Tonys for Best Book and Original Score are well-merited and that magic is inevitable whenever they collaborate. Lindsay-Abaire’s book is one of the most robust of new musicals within the past decade – an exceptional adaptation of his play into musical theatre format that maintains all the key themes and precious moments of the original work while offering novelty. Abaire’s writing is droll and unadulterated, and Tesori’s lilting pop-influenced score that comprises some of her best composition accompanies his witty lyricism superbly. What Jessica Stone’s intelligent, inventive direction demonstrates is her keen understanding of the material as she hones in on the play’s message of idiosyncrasy being your greatest and most admirable asset. The amazingly “a little sly, a little strange, a little bit askew” way this talented director interprets Kim Levaco’s world does justice to Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire’s special work and leads the other production elements into excellence. Danny Medford’s choreography, notably the choreographed onstage skating of the entire cast, is memorable and blithe – it also entertainingly incorporates some familiar cusp of the millennium dance crazes (most recognizably the “Cabbage Patch” and  “New Kids on the Block Pendulum Swing”). From the encapsulation of the proscenium in the neon silhouette of a house (providing a constant reminder of the story being rooted in themes of home and family in addition to the framework for all the buildings visited in the show from the ice skating rink to the school library) to the glistening theatrical snowfall and allowing for the performers to glide across the stage surface as though it were freshly zambonied ice, David Zinn’s scenic design dreams as big as the spunky heroine herself. The lighting by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, with its descending neon signs and intentional bright spots, is pure craftsmanship. Lucy MacKinnon’s projections and video that evoke home videos filmed on your parents’ late 20th-century camcorder are stunning. Sarah Laux’s costuming accomplishes being period authentic as well as timeless and enchantingly eclectic, and J. Jared Janas executes graceful hair and makeup design (especially for Kim’s rapidly aging character) flawlessly. With exceptional material and staging translated for tour by the deft creative team that originally mounted it on “The Great Bright Way,” this spectacular continues to evince why it is so celebrated. 

Just as with the original main-stem staging, the stellar company is the valiant heartbeat of this production. Broadway veteran and musical theatre icon Carolee Carmello is the show’s big draw, and rightly so. The stage mainstay embodies the title role of Kim and every ounce of her quirkiness and effervescence expertly. It is as though Carmello was designed for this role and her distinctive soprano meant to sing this charming Jeanine Tesori score. You cannot help but fall in love with Miguel Gil’s 100% adorkable interpretation of Kim's crush, the tuba-toting, word puzzle-loving, consummate “good kid” Seth Weetis. Gil’s super sweetish (that’s an anagram for Seth Weetis) portrayal of this kindhearted, lovable geek steals your heart and the show. Emily Koch more than delivers on the comedy’s best punch lines and will certainly “make your life better” in her artful portrayal of the ever-scheming, ne’er-do-well aunt Debra. Jim Hogan’s much more than “a bachelor uncle type” rendering of the protagonist’s dad Buddy is full of yearning – and his performance of the musical’s most challenging patter song “Happy for Her” would leave even Sondheim impressed. Laura Woyasz gets across that parents are also just first-timers at this life thing doing their darndest and her maternal instincts are spot-on with her sensationally zany take on Kim’s neurotic mom Pattie. Grace Martin, Darron Hayes, Skye Alyssa Friedman and Pierce Wheeler as Kim and Seth’s quartet of besties Delia, Martin, Teresa, and Aaron, respectively, are anything but “too chipper … too loud” and definitively “don’t blend into a crowd.” Each of these actors is peerless in their supporting roles, and they harmonize as well in their humor as they do in their singing. This tight ensemble of exceptional performers that does their best in service to this remarkable story and navigates this uncommonly good material magnificently is irrefutably this show’s vital force.

This quaint musical is full of love – a love that definitely does not go unrequited – for the unorthodox. Kim Levaco’s story, as it is told in this production, is a triumphant underdog one, as vivacious, eccentric, and optimistic as the colorful inhabitants of Bergen County, New Jersey themselves.  It reminds us to make the most of our existence as we are all chronologically challenged and is a ballad for the offbeat, for the kids who'd rather spend “Saturday night at Skater Planet” while “the action’s at the mall.” It is a spirited tribute to all of the suburban legends “40 minutes east of hope and 40 miles from Metuchen” just wishing for money for new show choir uniforms, a partner for their science project and someone to notice them. It is the most beautiful billet-doux to everyone who has ever been “too awkward … too bright … too anxious … too polite … too weird in every way” and shows us that living life as authentically and presently as possible, regardless of circumstances, is truly the greatest adventure. This plucky original musical is the most touching love letter to embracing your weird and seizing the moment, and most cleverly akimbo.  Be advised that the show contains heavy profanity (so much that just attending might warrant you starting your own swear jar) and some mature humor, so it is not recommended for anyone younger than high school. That said, go with the one you love to see the current national tour of the 2023 Best Musical Tony Winner Kimberly Akimbo and enjoy the ride.

*Kimberly Akimbo has a run time of 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission and played through June 22^nd at Broadway in Chicago’s CIBC Theatre before further embarking on its road trip across the US. The First National Tour is currently slated to run through May 17, 2026. You can purchase tickets at www.kimberlyakimbo.com.

**ATTENTION SKATERS! Check out these dope photos and rad B-Roll footage of the Kimberly Akimbo First National Tour below!