Kim is a bright and funny Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. And yet her aging condition may be the least of her problems. Forced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side. Kimberly Akimbo is a funny, moving and powerful new musical with songs that beautifully tell us new things. Based on the critically acclaimed play of the same name, Kimberly Akimbo features a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. It's the rare example of a good play that has become an even better musical.
Will success spoil Kimberly Akimbo? That concern inevitably accompanied the announcement of the show's well-deserved transfer to Broadway. Those of us who saw the intimate Atlantic Theatre production a year ago became instant loyalists, reluctant to see this exquisite, peculiar work pumped up for the masses. Good news: Everything is bigger and brighter, and lands even better. It's still a tender, hilarious character study, but playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (the book is based on his 2001 play), composer Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home and more), and director Jessica Stone have tinkered with it cleverly to broaden its appeal.
'Kimberly Akimbo' is a feel-good show that acknowledges feelings of heartbreak, nausea, and discord. It brings to mind 'Fun Home,' which also has music by Tesori, is based on unlikely source material, and explores an unconventional family and a pained adolescence. It honors the Sondheim dictum of 'content dictates form,' creating a work that is well-integrated, fresh, quirky, and heartfelt, but not flashy or over-the-top. The bittersweet ending (driving off into the sunset on a road trip, even as the end is near) is particularly effective and affecting.
Price: $40
Where: Box Office only
Limit: Two per customer, subject to availability
Restrictions: A limited number of in-person rush tickets will be available when the box office opens the day of the performance at the Booth Theater (222 West 45th Street). The Booth Theater Box Office is open Tuesday through Saturday starting at 10am and Sunday at 12pm.
Price: $40 (plus $5 service fee)
Where: The digital lottery for KIMBERLY AKIMBO can be found at rush.telecharge.com.
When:
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Entries for digital lottery start at 12:00am, one day before the performance, and end the same day at 3:00pm. Winners are drawn at 9:00am and 3:00pm. Winners may buy up to two tickets at $40 each plus a $5 service fee.
2021 | Off-Broadway |
World Premiere Musical Off-Broadway |
2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Victoria Clark |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | David Lindsay-Abaire |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Jessica Stone |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | Kimberly Akimbo |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre | Jeanine Tesori |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical | Justin Cooley |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Bonnie Milligan |
2021 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | Justin Cooley |
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