Review: Carolee Carmello as KIMBERLY AKIMBO at the Eccles Theater is a Treat

The national tour of Best Musical Tony winner KIMBERLY AKIMBO, currently playing at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, is darkly funny and lightly sad, anchored by three-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello’s astounding interpretation of the title role. What a treat for Utah audiences to experience a performance of this caliber from a Broadway star.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO (book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori) comes from the team behind SHREK THE MUSICAL, based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2000 play of the same name. It won five Tony Awards in 2023, including best musical, book, and score.  Kimberly Lavaco is on the cusp of turning 16, but she suffers from a rare disease that has caused her to age rapidly and appear as a middle-aged woman. Add to that a recent move and a highly dysfunctional family, and she has much more to navigate than the average teen.    

Carolee Carmello as Kimberly is absolutely brilliant.  She encapsulates teenage angst and complex feelings of abandonment and grief, along with the savoring of simple joys.  And her signature sound comes through in her glorious singing even while completely immersing herself in the role. 

Miguel Gil’s praiseworthy portrayal of Kimberly’s friend, Seth, is adorable in his awkwardness but grounded in real depth. 

Their other friends, played by Grace Capeless as Delia, Darron Hayes as Martin, Skye Alyssa Friedman as Teresa, and Pierce Wheeler as Aaron, are a breath of fresh air, buzzing with youthful energy.

The adults in Kimberly’s family are played with a balance of brashness and subtlety by Dana Steingold as Pattie, Brandon Springman as Buddy, and Emily Koch as Debra.

The costumes by Sarah Laux and hair/makeup by J. Jared Janas capture turn-of-the-21st century style with a timeless feel. The lighting by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew and video design by Lucy Mackinnon are similarly understated and well-utilized.

The set by David Zinn is scaled back from the Broadway iteration, but only slightly. It’s still somehow both shiny and muted, both spacious and cramped, both abstract and concrete.

The show sometimes seems like a splashy Broadway musical, but other times like a sitcom or an intimate indie film, and therein lies its perplexity and genius.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO plays the Eccles Theater for a limited engagement through Sunday, December 15, 2024.  For tickets, call ArtTix at 801-355-ARTS (2787) or visit www.artsaltlake.org. 

CONTENT ADVISORY: The musical contains a number of instances of strong language.

Photo Credit: Photo by Joan Marcus.

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