KIMBERLY AKIMBO Launches The Great Adventure Grants

Recipient of eight Tony Award nominations including BEST MUSICAL, the critically-acclaimed new musical Kimberly Akimbo will launch the Great Adventure Grants, a unique initiative that will fund three local high school musical theater productions next year, helping defray licensing, production, and other costs associated with each school's upcoming musical.

The initial recipients of this year's grants are the Denzel Washington School of the Arts in Mount Vernon, NY; the High Tech High School in Secaucus, NJ; and the Pan American International High School in Queens, NY. Each school will receive a grant of $10,000. The Great Adventure Grants, which are being established as an annual initiative, seek to support student theater artists as they embark on the Great Adventure of musical theater.

"Like the aspiring show choir characters in Kimberly Akimbo, student performers need financial support to help realize their dreams," said Tony-nominated director Jessica Stone in announcing the initiative. "We are very proud to be able to support these three public school arts programs and look forward to seeing their fully realized productions next year."

A new musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), Kimberly Akimbo was named BEST MUSICAL by the New York Drama Critics Circle, The Drama Desk Awards, The Lucille Lortel Awards, and The Outer Critics Circle Awards. It is currently nominated for eight Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Victoria Clark), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Bonnie Milligan), Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Justin Cooley), Best Score (David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori), Best Book (David Lindsay-Abaire), Best Direction of Musical (Jessica Stone), and Best Orchestrations (John Clancy).

KIMBERLY AKIMBO features book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his acclaimed play of the same name; music by Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori; choreography by Danny Mefford; and direction by Jessica Stone, Kimberly Akimbo opened on Broadway to unanimous rave reviews on November 10, 2022, following its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in December 2021.

The Broadway company of Kimberly Akimbo features Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza, Gigi) as Kimberly, Justin Cooley (who is making his Broadway debut), Tony Award nominee Steven Boyer (Hand to God, Time and the Conways), Alli Mauzey (Cry Baby, Wicked), Bonnie Milligan (Head Over Heels), Olivia Elease Hardy (Broadway debut), Fernell Hogan (The Prom, Mean Girls US Tour), Michael Iskander (Broadway debut), and Nina White (Broadway debut). Colleen Fitzpatrick, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Miguel Gil, Jim Hogan, Betsy Morgan, and Alex Vinh round out the cast as understudies.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO features scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Sarah Laux, lighting design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, sound design by Kai Harada, projection design by Lucy Mackinnon, and wig, hair, and make-up design by J. Jared Janas. The production's Music Director is Chris Fenwick. Kimberly Akimbo features orchestrations by John Clancy, with additional orchestrations by Macy Schmidt. The Production Stage Manager is Arabella Powell and casting is by The Telsey Office, Craig Burns, CSA.

Kimberly (Tony Award winner Victoria Clark) is about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this "howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show" (The New Yorker), Kim is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush...and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure. a great adventure.