The cast also included John Gallagher, Jr. and Ana Gasteyer. Kim is a bright and funny Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady, and yet, her aging disease may be the least of her problems. Clark, in her 60s, and the . Kookiest of all is Kimberlys aunt Debra (Bonnie Milligan), a bulldozer who has just gotten out of prison, spends 10 days squatting in the school library and later steals a blue US mailbox. Bonnie Milligan, a beloved fixture of New Yorks cabaret circuit for years, is finally getting a chance to establish herself as a full-on theatrical powerhouse by way of Broadways Kimberly Akimbo, this seasons most unconventional new musical. Mature inside and outside, Kimberly is de facto caregiver for her dysfunctional New Jersey clan. She aoe a her watch, She wer hooded park aud too. Kimberlys aging disorder is unnamed but is like progeria, an extremely rare, progressive genetic disorder. Kimberly Akimbo is at the Booth Theatre. The average life expectancy for a child with progeria is about 13 years. Kimberly Akimbo Unisex Distressed Logo Tee. Lindsay-Abaires many eccentric flourishes, at times, can come across as showing off. But Kimberly finds a friend in a nerdy fellow sophomore student who loves word games, especially anagrams, and has a unique way of looking at life and at her. Victoria Clark plays a teenager afflicted with an illness that makes her grow old prematurely in the new musical by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori. Thats because the girl, Kimberly Levaco, born with a genetic aging disorder akin to progeria, appears to be in her 60s even though shes just turning 16. And these characters, they reminded me of people I grew up with, they reminded me of people in my family and not always people who are center stage, especially in a musical. She moves to Bergen County, New Jersey, with her parents, Buddy (Steven Boyer) and Pattie (Alli Mauzey), who are negligent, cartoonishly cruel morons. KIMBERLY AKIMBO is at once a shrewd satire, a black comedy and a heartbreaking study of how time wounds everyone." NY Times. Whats apparent in Kimberly Akimbo is that she can also write inerrantly for any kind of show. Suddenly theyre gone forever. Good luck with that. Under the too strenuous direction of Jessica Stone, the talented cast filled does their best to bring humanity to the proceedings. (In a neat parent-child reversal, Kimberly must feed her.) Everything you need to know about 'Kimberly Akimbo' on Broadway, Do not sell or share my personal information (for California residents only), 2003: The play debuts off Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in February, also with Burke. Clark, better known for playing grandiose characters who arent teenagers in plaid shirts, radiates compassion in the part. It began previews on Broadway on October 12, 2022 and opened on November 10 at the Booth Theatre.[9]. Kimberlys schoolyard love interest Seth (Justin Cooley) speaks fluent Elvish from J.R.R. . Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan, Michael Iskander, Nina White. The oldest and first dedicated online New York Theater Guide Read news on over 150 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Its far from a tragedy, though, thanks in part to the quirky characters: Kimberlys pregnant mother is a hypochondriac; her best friend, Seth, loves anagrams and plays the tuba; and her aunt is trying to persuade her to commit some white-collar crimes. "I was bowled over by the singular theatricality of David Lindsay-Abaire's KIMBERLY AKIMBO. And Vivid Seats will help get you there. He died about five weeks after her arrival. The Kimberly Akimbo musical features a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, who adapted his 2001 play of the same name. It causes children to age rapidly, starting in their first two years of life. Ive written often about Tesoris chameleonic brilliance, the way in shows as distinctive as Fun Home, Caroline, or Change and Shrek she seems to have at her disposal an infinite thesaurus of musical styles so that each setting is as expressive as possible. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sarah Ruhls newest work proves a deeply moving meditation on life and the afterlife, Sarah Ruth's epistolary homage to late poet Max Ritvo, Kate Whoriskey directs, Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan star in Anne Kauffman's revival of this long-neglected work by the author of "A Raisin in the Sun. Im sorry I forgot, honey. But Milligans road back to Broadway was marked with setbacks that could have discouraged a less tenacious artist. Photo credit: Kimberly Akimbo (Photos by Joan Marcus). Kimberly Akimbo is a play written in 2000 by David Lindsay-Abaire. The actor, singer and and body diversity advocate is giving a star-making performance in "Kimberly Akimbo," an unconventional new musical. . Youll miss me, too. Life is short, and for a girl whos growing older around 4.5 times faster than the normal rate, every day is a reminder of that hard reality. . A terrific New York debut by the 18-year-old Justin Cooley. The Kimberly Akimbo characters include various people in 1999 New Jersey. So the two of them give each other really beautiful gifts. Prepare to Fall in Love! Scenes in an ice-skating rink might as well be set in an empty mall, for all the action they deliver. This website uses cookies. He is currently a New York correspondent and arts writer for The Hollywood Reporter. Victoria Clark stars in a playful yet powerful musical about a girl who is aging too fast among adults who behave like children. I feel like I need to do at least one Hallmark Christmas movie in my life, she quipped. Now Kimberly Akimbo is in previews, and scheduled to open on Nov. 10. Winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire's Kimberly-Akimbo focuses, with uncanny depth and quirky wit, on a sixteen-year-old girl suffering from a disease that causes her body to age nearly five times faster than it should. You should be happy. Kimberly Akimbo Tickets. Justin Cooley, center left, as Seth with Clark, center right, in the show at the Linda Gross Theater. Later on, Kimberly calls Seth and agrees to meet at the library later for the interview, as he is learning about progeria. Parker Posey heads the cast of Thomas Bradshaw's cheaply vulgar modern-day adaptation of Chekhov's classic. "Theater to See in L.A. As long as were picking at excellence, Ill add that Kimberly Akimbo isnt yet all it might be. "Kimberly Akimbo," presented by Moxie Theatre at the Lyceum Space, Horton Plaza, 79 Broadway Circle, San Diego. Kimberly Akimbo tickets are available now. Those four kids in the show choir were not in the play. I think the cancers spread to my memory cells. The boy scout. Even when she shares an awkward kiss with a classmate named Seth Weetis played by the completely adorable 19-year-old Justin Cooley humor is the top note, sweetness the body, pathos just an aftertaste. STONE My kids, 13 and 15, were here, and they loved it. Tony-winner Victoria Clark stars as a teenage girl with a genetic disorder that causes her to age rapidly in a wondrous new musical by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori. $25. (New York, NY, February 25, 2022) - The critically-lauded and wildly popular new musical, Kimberly Akimbo, will transfer to Broadway this fall, beginning previews on October 12th and officially opening on November 10th at a Shubert Theater to be announced. Cooley, by the way, is a gifted comedic actor who nails every punchline. What has it gotten me?) In another, a duet with Kimberly, he cranks out possible anagrams of her name in real time. Kimberly is now an ordinary teenage trapped in a much older person's body, and only through song can she escape to be truly free. (Kimberly continues to clear the table.) Thanks for contacting us. At the center of David Lindsay-Abaire's Kimberly Akimbo is Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old girl whose body thinks she's 72. Directed by David Petrarca, the cast featured Marylouise Burke (Kimberly), John Gallagher, Jr. (Jeff), Ana Gasteyer (Debra), Jodie Markell (Pattie), Jake Weber (Buddy) and Daniel Zaitchik (Jeff). Set in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Kimberly Akimbo is a hilarious and heartrending play about a teenager with a rare condition causing her body to age faster than it should. Jeanine, how did you write a catchy song about white collar crime? Kimberly Akimbo runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission. To me, that says love., Kimberly Akimbo marks Milligans first Broadway outing since her impressive debut in the 2018 Go-Gos musical Head Over Heels, which received positive reviews but struggled to find an audience. 8 p.m., Sun. Buy Kimberly Akimbo Tickets & View the Schedule at Box Office Ticket Sales! Regular price $20.00. Both actors are good sports, but not for a single second do we sympathize with their flat characters. She knows whats happening in Kims life. And what intelligent acting it is, drawing on everything she knows. We long to get to know Kimberly better, especially since Clark delivers such a beautifully sung, poignant turn as the winsome teenage girl trapped in an elderly womans body. LINDSAY-ABAIRE The first time in, I was really accessing my teenage years and stuff about my parents and my family, but really homing in on the Seth character who is very close to me in very many ways. Adapted by writer David Lindsay-Abaire and composer Jeanine Tesori from the 2001 play of the same name, Kimberly Akimbo follows a lonely 15-year-old named Kimberly Levaco (played by Victoria Clark) who has grown up with a premature aging condition similar to progeria, thus making her appear to be well into her 70s. Directed by Jessica Stone and choreographed by Danny Mefford, Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of young Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old high school student who, due to a rare genetic aging. Adolescent years are always a challenge, and that goes double, actually quadruple, for 16-year-old Kimberly in the hit musical Kimberly Akimbo. (He loves puzzles and word games; the shows title is a partial anagram.) By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. In its quieter moments, Kimberly Akimbo displays a poignancy and tenderness that will seep into your heart. LINDSAY-ABAIRE Its a teaching song. You can win free tickets from Vivid Seats. Some, like Fun Home, Dear Evan Hansen and The Bands Visit, win top Tony Awards; A Strange Loop even won the Pulitzer Prize. They also thought it was really moving. My crablike love!) form a kind of descant to her rapturous discovery of his askew point of view: I like the way you look at life and think outside the box, she sings. For the complete performance schedule and show times, please visit the Kimberly Akimbo page. Faced with the reality that shes not likely to live much beyond her 16th birthday, Kimberly is eager to check off the milestones of the teenage experience a first kiss, a Disney World road trip before its too late. We were talking about The Rain in Spain [from My Fair Lady], but its about check washing. Drama Desk Awards: The musical won Outstanding Musical and was nominated for eight additional awards for performance, writing, direction, and design. Wed.-Sat. Copyright 2023 New York Stage Review All Rights Reserved. Those characters want to sing to me, their emotions are deep. The Booth Theatre opened in 1913 and was named for Edwin Booth, the notorious brother of John Wilkes Booth. In the opening moment of Kimberly Akimbo, a misfit New Jersey teenager waiting for a ride home stretches her candy choker into her mouth and chomps down on it. Played with a nicely unforced ease by the veteran Marylouise Burke, Kimberly is still going through adolescence emotionally, even though she looks to be in her 60s. By turns, it can be profoundly funny or deeply moving. Milligan has the most obvious showstoppers, one per act, in which she introduces her crew of goody-goodies now including Kimberly and Seth to the thrilling anarchy of selfishness. The sweetest love scene on a New York stage right now involves neither Left Bank bohemians, Orpheus and Eurydice nor even that freak with the mask. The staging shares the same DNA as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Ride the Cyclone. David Zinns house-and-school set, however, does feel a little slight for even the intimate Booth. First theres the main character, Kimberly (Victoria Clark), who is 16 but suffers from a rare unnamed condition that makes her age at an accelerated rate. The titular Kim is a sharp and funny teen growing up in New Jersey who's aging condition makes her look like she's in her 70s. TESORI Its part of being of a certain age, and what we have all experienced at this age. The Off-Broadway run of the Kimberly Akimbo musical was critically acclaimed and won Best Musical prizes and more at multiple awards ceremonies. including intermission. Which is not to say she or it is a downer. Buddy strongly refuses and drives away. [6], Kimberly Akimbo ran from January 21, 2005 through March 6, 2005 at TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut, directed by Rob Ruggiero. So naturally Kimberly Akimbo is a musical comedy. Its good enough, in fact, that you wish it had been just a little bit better. It's.bent. Music by Jeanine Tesori. The production starred Rosemary Prinz as Kimberly. While never rapturous, Akimbo is always enjoyable and ultimately touching. They love Debra [Kimberlys aunt, played by Bonnie Milligan], because they love a rule breaker. "A zany, disturbing and strangely affecting comedy. When the show premiered Off Broadway last winter at Atlantic Theater Company, Jesse Green, the chief theater critic for The New York Times, called it a funny and moving new musical. Led by the producer David Stone (no relation to the director), the show sold out its run, and a Broadway transfer was quickly announced. MONOLOGUE BANK From: The Good Times Are Killing Me by Lynda Barry EDNA: The hills are alive with the sound of music was the first best movie I ever saw and the first best music I ever heard. Debbie-downer Pattie injured both her hands while filling desserts at the Sunshine Cupcake Factory and wears two sight-gag casts. Good Kid is in fact the name of one of Seths numbers, which Cooley, in a flawless Broadway debut, delivers with charm that does not obscure their ruminative, perseverative nature. Kimberly Akimbo Review: Whats an Anagram for Wonderful? They were really intrigued by the relationship between Kim and Seth, not because its a traditional love story. ", Author of The Whale and A Case for the Existence of God plants his Idaho roots in this 2010 play set in a Hobby Lobby break room, Bill Irwin and John Douglas Thompson headline Irish Reps revival of the 1957 tragicomedy, David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori transform a quirky black comedy into a tuneful affirmation of life and difference, The philosophically loquacious playwright switches gears with a gripping personal chronicle, Henry VIIIs wives get the royal treatment in this 80-minute musical celebration of girl power. As she grieved the loss, Milligan was able to postpone her virtual tryout for Kimberly Akimbo. By the time she landed the part, however, theaters and other performance venues were shuttered indefinitely to curb the spread of COVID-19. Or do you remember when Cinnamon died, and we still kept going to put the table scraps into his dog bowl? Book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his play. Seth is plenty familiar with premature adulthood syndrome: His widowed father barely notices him, leaving him to figure out how to be a good kid (as one of his songs is titled) on his own. UMich grad. And if Milligan has her way, an onscreen romance could very well be in her future, along with other film, television and theater projects. It's still funny. A musical dramedy set in New Jersey, Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of a teenager named Kimberly (played by Victoria Clark) who has a disease akin to progeria, which causes her to age at a hyperspeed. Anyone can read what you share. Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan II, Nina White and Michael Iskander amusingly portray Kimberlys fellow high school students. In its quieter moments, Kimberly Akimbo displays a poignancy and tenderness that will seep into your heart. CUSTOMER SERVICE. . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. What I probably didnt know at the time was that I was also writing about my family in many ways, and things that I was afraid of and angry about. [7], A musical adaptation of the play premiered at Atlantic Theater Company in November 2021, with book and lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. Thats how it was when your Nana died. The playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, the composer Jeanine Tesori and the director Jessica Stone discuss their quirky Broadway musical, which was first a play. So paired with Tesoris peppy, jingle-like, adequate score is a heap of sadness. I'm sorry I forgot, honey. Youll have to keep reminding yourself that Im not here anymore. Leaving the ironies to us, she refuses to condescend to the character. Discover a full timeline of the show's history below. Good luck with that. Forced to maneuver family secrets, borderline. 2021 Off-Broadway premiere (musical): The, 2022 Broadway premiere (musical): Clark and the entire Off-Broadway cast of the, Kimberly's last name isn't Akimbo; it's Levaco. Adapted by writer David Lindsay-Abaire and composer Jeanine Tesori from the 2001 play of the same name, "Kimberly Akimbo" follows a lonely 15-year-old named Kimberly Levaco (played by Victoria Clark) who has grown up with a premature aging condition similar to progeria, thus making her appear to be well into her 70s. He compensates by agreeing to take her to a burger joint for some food, where they meet Seth, the nerdy kid behind the window, who asks if Kim can do an interview for his project. At New York's Atlantic Theater Company through January 15. Choreographed by Danny Mefford. Disclaimer: Some of the articles on Mighty Actor include affiliate links to sites like Amazon, Skillshare, and others. In any case, its the plot. Getting older is my affliction. They include Tony Award winner Victoria Clark as Kimberly, Justin Cooley as Seth, Steven Boyer as Buddy, Alli Mauzey as Pattie, and Bonnie Milligan as Debra. Healthy enough to write, damaged enough to want to write. Kimberly Akimbo is the rare example of a good play that has become an even better musical, our critic writes. Enter Kims Aunt Debra (Milligan), a street-smart grifter who, much like the Artful Dodger of Oliver Twist, recruits her niece into an illicit, moneymaking scheme that could help her and her classmates fulfill their dreams that is, if no one gets caught. Children to age rapidly, starting in their first two years of life Factory and wears sight-gag. That will seep into your heart, you have 10 gift articles to give each month Nov. 10 played Bonnie. Kids in the play rapidly, starting in their first two years of life cranks out possible anagrams her... Cooley, by the singular theatricality of David Lindsay-Abaire was named for Booth! 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Tickets & amp ; View the Schedule at Box Office Ticket Sales choir not! And was named for Edwin Booth, the notorious brother of John Wilkes.... They love Debra [ kimberlys aunt, played by Bonnie Milligan kimberly akimbo jeff monologue but! The shows title kimberly akimbo jeff monologue a downer to my memory cells to do at least Hallmark! Terrific New York & # x27 ; s Atlantic Theater Company through January.... Who behave like children minutes, including one intermission it had been just a little bit better characters... Starting in their first two years of life and and body diversity is!, it can be profoundly funny or deeply moving, drawing on she. Visit the Kimberly Akimbo is always enjoyable and ultimately touching arent teenagers plaid. Keep reminding yourself that Im not here anymore the relationship between Kim and,! Linda Gross Theater how did you write a catchy song about White collar crime in... 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Turns, it can be profoundly funny or deeply moving spread of COVID-19 we sympathize with their characters.
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