The beauty of live theater is its ability to truly move you. Many shows these days can make you emotional, but the most heartfelt show to hit Broadway in years is an original musical called Kimberly Akimbo.
Kimberly Akimbo is an adaptation of a 2001 play of the same name. It tells the story of Kim, a teenage girl who suffers from an incredibly rare disease (similar to progeria) that causes her to age rapidly and have a short life expectancy. Her family isn’t attentive; her dad is an alcoholic and her mom is focused on a new pregnancy. Kim has a positive attitude, trying to live a normal life in abnormal circumstances. She develops a friendship with a classmate named Seth, who has the brightest disposition you could imagine. The closest genre I could describe it as is a coming-of-age comedy, although it’s so much more. It deals with the fatality of her condition brilliantly, making you appreciate how fleeting life is and strive to cherish every day.
Leading this production is Broadway veteran Victoria Clark in the titular role, who gives one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. Clark, who is over four decades older than her character, encapsulates the teenager so perfectly, I genuinely forgot I was watching an actor and not an authentic high schooler. Her ability to capture pure youthful exuberance better than many youths is truly an accomplishment. While the idea of an older woman playing a teenager could easily feel silly, Clark has you buying in from the opening scene. This show can only work with a completely believable and endearing Kim, and Clark knocks it out of the park.
Clark’s co-star is a complete newcomer, Justin Cooley. Cooley plays Seth, a classmate of Kim’s who has a perpetually optimistic outlook. His attitude is the equivalent of a good hug. Cooley is effervescent in the role, putting a huge smile on your face every time he’s on stage. The naïve charm he brings to the role is brilliant. Cooley’s chemistry with Clark is superb and their connection is the beating heart of the show.
The rest of the cast is spectacular as well. Steven Boyer plays Kim’s alcoholic father in three dimensions, as a man who wants to be a good dad but can’t seem to pull himself together. Alli Mauzey plays Kim’s ditzy mother, pregnant with another child and constantly bickering with her husband. The back and forth between Boyer and Mauzey is captivating, sometimes heavy and sometimes comical. Bonnie Milligan plays Kim’s con artist aunt hilariously and with a booming voice.
The catalyst for this new musical is David Lindsay-Abaire, who wrote the play of the same name which played off-Broadway nearly 20 years ago. Lindsay-Abaire adapted his play into the book and lyrics of this musical production. The story he created is remarkable, balancing Kim’s difficult circumstances with some hysterical comedy and thought-provoking heart. He also wrote the lyrics for the score with music written by Jeanine Tesori. This is Tesori’s first new Broadway musical since Fun Home, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Score. Her music is dynamic, shifting between hummable tunes and unique music to fit the story.
Kimberly Akimbo is the best musical I’ve seen on Broadway in years. It completely grips you while putting a huge smile on your face and tugging at your heart strings. It also motivates you to want to live each day to the fullest in the time we have. Seeing a show that makes you feel as deeply as Kimberly Akimbo does is a great way to spend one day and make you appreciate the rest.