Review by Chris Heide
National Touring Company of KIMBERLY AKIMBO, photo by Joan Marcus
Attending a show that you have no prior knowledge of is a thrilling experience. And experiment. As a longtime Broadway musical theatre aficionado, it is rare that I come across a show that I know nothing about. I am the kind of the gay whose Tik Tok algorithm is filled with live clips of every single Elphaba from wicked. A curated experience that has allowed me to explore the great depths and creativity that exist in the world of musical theatre.
Kimberly Akimbo is one of these shows. It is a quirky and cute production, something that feels very Gen Z. The story itself is interesting. Kimberly is a 16-year-old girl with a rare genetic disorder that makes her age four times faster than a normal human being. She navigates moving to a new town and integrating into a new high school. Based on this alone, it is a solid enough plot to drive forward the themes of self-acceptance and embracing uniqueness. This show does not stop there. There are sub-plots about alcoholism, dysfunctional family dynamics, check fraud, and an assortment of other felonies hidden as family secrets. Chaotic, no?
Kimberly Akimbo proports a small cast. There is Kimberly, her parents, her aunt, her nerdy love interest, and four friends at school. To be completely honest, this is one of the shows where much of the supporting cast outshines the lead. One of the highlights of the show is the four friends- they make up the school’s glee club and before you even ask- yes, there are references to Glee. The strongest vocal requirements are thrown upon Kimberly’s aunt, which is a weird deviation. Normally, the biggest and most soaring of songs are saved for the lead actor.
The show itself faces some pacing issues. Act 1 builds momentum at a nice pace, culminating in a perfect pre-intermission ensemble performance. When Act 2 picks up, the show begins to drag. There are far too many reprises in the second act and far too little new songs. The pacing is almost non-existent by the time the finale hits. If about 30 minutes were cut from this show, it would be perfect.
Overall, it is a fun, quirky and cute experience. As a show that originally won 5 Tony awards, it has enough deviation from the traditional Broadway musical format to be seen as an invigorating piece of work. Time will tell if it has enough staying power.