Interview: Miguel Gil of KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Broadway San Diego

The Broadway blockbuster “Kimberly Akimbo” is just starting its national tour and will make its second stop at Broadway San Diego on October 8- 13! Led by Carolee Carmello as the title character, Miguel Gil brings this show to life as Seth.  Gil talks about bringing this character to life on Broadway and his excitement to bring it to people outside of New York as this tour starts its national tour.

“Kimberly Akimbo” is a multiple Tony Award-winning musical about a 16-year-old named Kimberly (Carmello) trying to navigate her teenage life, dysfunctional family, rare genetic condition, and first crush.  Along with her friends, including Seth, played by Miguel Gil, she sets out on a grand adventure that might land them all in jail.

Kim’s genetic condition means that she ages four times as fast as she should, which means her teenage years are even more awkward and unique. Miguel, who played various roles in the Broadway production, including Seth, is excited for people everywhere to experience this show about growing up and embracing the adventure that is your life.

“It's a musical about growing up and getting older at the same time, which is beautiful and like funny and awkward and weird. It’s just about enjoying the ride of life and making the most of it.”

Gil’s role as Seth is Kimberly’s best friend and partner in crime. Though he has different circumstances, Seth also finds high school challenging.

“ Seth is also an outsider because of his nerdiness and love for wordsmithing. He loves anagrams, the tuba, Dungeons, and Dragons; so many things about him are super specific. He's very sure of the things that he enjoys in a way that makes it hard to connect with some of the other kids.

They find each other and are both able to be that community for each other. He's also able to help her complete her quest of going out and seeing the world.”

Miguel says that playing these teenagers embarking on an adventure, even one that could land them in jail, is fun because it speaks to the feeling of impervious immortality specific to that age.

“Everything's sort of an adventure when you're a teenager because you haven't really thought anything through. So you're just like, ‘yeah, let's go do that’ and then you're later you're like, ‘what, why did we do that?’

We talk about that a lot because, at that age, you feel like nothing can happen to you. Like nothing will happen, I can't go to jail; I’m 16.”

Gil is no stranger to embracing new adventures and opportunities. Though he is younger, he has already performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, and more. While in school, he was thinking of going in a different direction, but he finds that performing is the perfect combination of creativity and challenge.

“I was initially thinking about doing engineering or something in that field because I've always loved like the Legos and building and stuff like that, but in the same way like acting is, we have to be spontaneous and present every time, and it's going to be different. You can keep trying to dig, and doing a show for a longer period of time like this is an excellent opportunity just to keep digging.

I feel like this summer specifically has been huge for me because I went to the Broadway production as an understudy and then, from there, got to do the Kennedy Center and then the Muny, and Carnegie Hall, which is just so so crazy.  Now, doing this show is genuinely like a dream come true.”

Miguel says that working on this show in New York as an understudy covering three tracks, including Seth, and now taking on tour has been a wonderful opportunity to explore his character Seth in a new way.

“It's a really awesome and rare opportunity because I feel like I'm able to take all of the knowledge and now have a chance to have a reversal process where I got to make it my own.

It’s been such a cool opportunity to let go of a bunch of old habits and restructure it for myself in a way that feels true to me and my version of Seth. I've gotten to make it kind of my own and also honor what was created in the Broadway production.”

Sharing the stage with a legend like Carolee Caramello and the other talented cast members is a bonus to performing on this tour.

“It is genuinely so crazy to me because I'm a big theatre nerd, so being with Carolee is just an honor. Anytime we sing part of me, especially during rehearsals, I was like, 'Oh my gosh!’

She's genuinely an inspiration to work with because she's super kind and collaborative and because of her calm demeanor. She's an actress of an epic scale, and I'm really mesmerized by her and also obviously blown away by her talent.”

Before performing all over New York and the country, Miguel was a Jimmy Awards nominee in 2021. As the school theatre season kicks off this fall and San Diego students start their journey to the Broadway San Diego Awards regional qualifier for the Jimmy Awards, Miguel says that it is an experience that changed his life.

“My experience was awesome; I owe so much of what's happened in my career is really just based on that first Jimmy's experience. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join in that celebration of theater with people who are just at the top of their game in the high school age range. Because these Jimmy's kids are actually so incredible, they're all Broadway level, you know, so it's really cool to see.

Because of the Jimmy's I got an audition for the off-Broadway version of 'Kimberly Akimbo.'”

How To Get Tickets 

You can see Miguel Gil and the rest of the “Kimberly Akimbo” cast at Broadway San Diego on October 8-13th.  For ticket and show time information, go to www.broadwaysd.com 

Photo Credit: National tour of “Kimberly Akimbo”

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