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.
In the Broadway run, that sun shines brighter and clearer- the show-choir costumes are shinier, Danny Mefford's choreography has more room for ice-skating action, and set designer David Zinn has even deployed a revolve, though, delightfully, it's used only to turn a dinner table. You miss the closeness to the actors, since director Jessica Stone has done such lovely work in getting the cast to capture the micro-grimaces of high-school awkwardness, but the essential delicacy of the show is intact.
Clever, touching and idiosyncratic, Kimberly Akimbo was the best new musical of 2021, when it premiered Off Broadway at the Atlantic. The dark absurdist comedy of Lindsay-Abaire's original play-reminiscent of Christopher Durang, John Guare and the playwright's own Fuddy Meers-remains, but it is tempered by the addition of Tesori's winding, agile melodies and a geek chorus of four students (Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan, Nina White and Michael Iskander) twined in a daisy chain of frustrated romance. In the hands of these gifted writers, material that might have been rendered as merely zany has human and forgiving dimensions, and the score finds sneaky ways to break your heart even as it maintains a general air of cheer. (Kimberly's establishing number, known in showtune lingo as her 'I Want' song, is literally a letter to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.)
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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