Healthy enough to write, damaged enough to want to write. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . Thats upbeat Kimberly, as usual trying to make the best of lifes bad situation. And theyre not. Leaving the ironies to us, she refuses to condescend to the character. And I like how funny it is.. The lights go up on Kimberly sitting and waiting for her father, who is late picking her up because of his drinking. A high-school student, Kimberly, crushes on the tuba-playing, Elvish-speaking Seth, and the two nerdy adolescents express their affection by making word scrambles. . The focus and intimacy of that partnership, he said, made the musical the easiest thing Ive ever written., He compares writing a musical to working on a puzzle. Suddenly theyre gone forever. Rather, its between a tuba-playing, Elvish-speaking high school ber-nerd and a girl who looks like his grandmother. This musical adaptation of the same-named David Lindsay-Abaire play, with music by Jeanine Tesori, premiered off Broadway in 2021 and has made the move to Broadway. Each of these subjects produces a wonderfully unexpected song that forwards the plot while deepening the characterizations. By turns, it can be profoundly funny or deeply moving. Faced with the reality that shes not likely to live much beyond her 16th birthday, Kimberly is eager to check off the milestones of the teenage experience a first kiss, a Disney World road trip before its too late. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Jeanine, how did you write a catchy song about white collar crime? Her father, Buddy, drinks to distraction, while her pregnant mother, Pattie, imagines shes got every medical malady in the book. Running time: 2 hours 25 minutes. Id see a sale at the supermarket and think, Oh Ma should get down there for those pork chops. And then Id remember, Oh yeah, shes dead.. Project description: "This funny and heartwarming play is about a teenager with a rare condition that causes her body to age faster than it should." Roles Collapse All Roles Actors & Performers. All the jokes work that way. I wish Clark had a bigger solo in the penultimate scene; we have by that time earned the right to a major statement from a performer capable of delivering it. Broadway reliably churns out several tourist-bait extravaganzas a year, the kind that feature sequins, singalongs and profits. February 25, 2022. The production starred Rosemary Prinz as Kimberly. ", Author of The Whale and A Case for the Existence of God plants his Idaho roots in this 2010 play set in a Hobby Lobby break room, Bill Irwin and John Douglas Thompson headline Irish Reps revival of the 1957 tragicomedy, David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori transform a quirky black comedy into a tuneful affirmation of life and difference, The philosophically loquacious playwright switches gears with a gripping personal chronicle, Henry VIIIs wives get the royal treatment in this 80-minute musical celebration of girl power. We could crack open Kimberlys heart, and let her express all of those feelings and emotions and fears and desires and longings, that are only subtext in the play. Her mother, Pattie (Alli Mauzey), is ludicrously hypochondriacal, as if atoning for the chromosomal accident that produced her quick-aging child. Kimberly Akimbo is a play written in 2000 by David Lindsay-Abaire. Under the too strenuous direction of Jessica Stone, the talented cast filled does their best to bring humanity to the proceedings. This is done without undue violence to the ingenious original premise, which makes comedy, as we all must, of tragedy. The cast of the Broadway premiere of the Kimberly Akimbo musical includes the same actors who were in the Off-Broadway presentation. Parker Posey heads the cast of Thomas Bradshaw's cheaply vulgar modern-day adaptation of Chekhov's classic. Its good enough, in fact, that you wish it had been just a little bit better. Kimberly Akimbohas arrived on Broadway, where it opened to unanimous rave reviews. And what intelligent acting it is, drawing on everything she knows. [6], Kimberly Akimbo ran from January 21, 2005 through March 6, 2005 at TheaterWorks in Hartford, Connecticut, directed by Rob Ruggiero. Everything you need to know about 'Kimberly Akimbo' on Broadway, Do not sell or share my personal information (for California residents only), 2003: The play debuts off Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in February, also with Burke. I do see a shift. And that, to me, is David and Jeanine, and their work and their sensibility, said Stone, 52, who has been attached to the musical since 2019. Her father is a hopeless alcoholic, her mother is hypochondriacal and pregnant with a second child whom she prays wont suffer from the same affliction, and her aunt is a homeless, recently released ex-con who enlists Kimberly and her high-school friends in a dangerous, illicit check forgery scheme. They come across as being the same age. "A zany, disturbing and strangely affecting comedy. That Tesori can write any kind of music is old news. Kimberly Akimbo opened December 8, 2021 at the Linda Gross Theater and runs through December 26. It may be an old-style carpe diem message or a mad recipe, as Seth might have it but in this case, leavened by exceptional craft, it makes a totally satisfying meal. Winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Playwright, David Lindsay-Abaire's Kimberly-Akimbo focuses, with uncanny depth and quirky wit, on a sixteen-year-old girl suffering from a disease that causes her body to age nearly five times faster than it should. Was creating the musical a way to create more interiority for her? There is nothing in quotation marks about her teenage mannerisms, or embarrassing about seeing her, at 63, wear the spot-on embroidered jumpers and colorful hair clips Sarah Laux has costumed her in. KIMBERLY AKIMBO Two hours and 30 minutes at the Booth Theatre, 222 W. 45th Street. It's a perfect start to this funny-sad musical treat by composer Jeanine Tesori and writer and lyricist David Lindsay-Abaire, based on his play. Schedule varies. Nonetheless, this odd duck is undeniably likable. The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to . Audiences from 4 to 104 will be moved by Kim's story of finding one's people and making the most of life while one has it. Indeed, in her Kimberly I thought I sensed an inversion of her Margaret in The Light in the Piazza, a woman whose daughter, because of a physical condition, would never be much more than a child. The Kimberly Akimbo musical features a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, who adapted his 2001 play of the same name. The New Jersey setting is clearly and wickedly characterized but the era, supposedly 1999, is not; the fathers arc is not sharply inscribed; and the use of the high school students to fill out songs they dont otherwise belong in feels unmotivated. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. the play by David Lindsay-Abaire on which it is based, It will be one of the hottest tickets in town, premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company last year, among many smart adjustments made to the show for Broadway. . David, what were the instincts that led you to write Kimberly Akimbo 20 years ago? TESORI Its part of being of a certain age, and what we have all experienced at this age. Unlike adaptations that do little more than nail vocal Sheetrock onto bare studs of borrowed story, and have approximately the same elegance, this one with music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire remakes the original on new terms, with songs that beautifully tell us new things. So naturally Kimberly Akimbo is a musical comedy. So the two of them give each other really beautiful gifts. She lives in New Jersey with her dad (who's always drunk), her pregnant mom . The new show that opened at the Atlantic Theater Company concerns a teenager whos suffering from a horrible rare disease that causes her to age at over four-and-a-half times the normal rate, meaning that shes already reached her probable life expectancy. Corey Regensburg, a recent graduate of the University of the Arts . Some, like Fun Home, Dear Evan Hansen and The Bands Visit, win top Tony Awards; A Strange Loop even won the Pulitzer Prize. They are the greatest art form. That may well be the fate of Kimberly Akimbo, the profoundly funny and heartbreaking new nerdical that opened on Thursday at the Booth Theater. Copyright 2023 New York Stage Review All Rights Reserved. Set in the wilds of suburban New Jersey, Kimberly Akimbo is a hilarious and heartrending play about a teenager with a rare condition causing her body to age faster than it should. Forced to maneuver family secrets, borderline. Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley in 'Kimberly Akimbo.' (Photo: Ahron R. Foster) "Kimberly Akimbo" will transfer to Broadway this fall. Kim is a bright and funny Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady, and yet, her aging disease may be the least of her problems. David Lindsay-Abaire's "Kimberly Akimbo" plays like a pilot to a really good sitcom that . Both actors are good sports, but not for a single second do we sympathize with their flat characters. And seldom does that happen with a musical.. Unlike most new musicals based on previous material, the title. The two previously took on the same creative roles on Shrek the Musical, which began performances on Broadway in 2008. First theres the main character, Kimberly (Victoria Clark), who is 16 but suffers from a rare unnamed condition that makes her age at an accelerated rate. He was previously the editor of Stages Magazine, the chief theater critic for the Christian Science Monitor, and a theater critic and culture writer for the New York Post. . Kimberly Akimbo Review: Whats an Anagram for Wonderful? Thats because the girl, Kimberly Levaco, born with a genetic aging disorder akin to progeria, appears to be in her 60s even though shes just turning 16. I dont need to be famous, but I just love to work. In the funny and moving new musical Kimberly Akimbo, which opened on Wednesday in an Atlantic Theater Company production at the Linda Gross Theater, Victoria Clark brings her to life so believably and gorgeously that you find yourself rooting for a kiss you might otherwise find creepy. I feel like I need to do at least one Hallmark Christmas movie in my life, she quipped. (To Kimberly.) Directed by Jessica Stone. [My sons] think its hilarious. Performances will now run on extension through January 15, 2022, instead of the previously announced January 2. But these are really minor complaints about a show that gets so many major things so right. This time around, good work is done . At 16, she looks 72. Tickets and information: atlantictheater.org. A bit unorthodox., And when students present science projects on ailments of their choosing in a hilarious ensemble number called Our Disease, Kimberly veers from the script she and Seth wrote about hers. Outer Critics Circle Awards: In addition to Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, 2001 world premiere (play): South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California hosted the world premiere of the acclaimed. Thats how its gonna be when Im gone. As beautifully played by newcomer Justin Cooley (a 2021 Jimmy Awards finalist from Kansas City, here making his NYC theatrical debut), the tuba-playing, anagram-obsessed Seth brings some much-needed warmth and humor to the sometimes overcaffeinated proceedings. And Vivid Seats will help get you there. Its far from a tragedy, though, thanks in part to the quirky characters: Kimberlys pregnant mother is a hypochondriac; her best friend, Seth, loves anagrams and plays the tuba; and her aunt is trying to persuade her to commit some white-collar crimes. But the hope is just to have a career. Kimberly Akimbo runs through October 20. She didnt have anybody looking out for her, so she looks out for herself, and thats how she talks herself into not feeling bad about scamming people because, well, who looked out for her? The sweetest love scene on a New York stage right now involves neither Left Bank bohemians, Orpheus and Eurydice nor even that freak with the mask. and more. Buying tickets to see Kimberly Akimbo is easy, fast, and . The oldest and first dedicated online New York Theater Guide Read news on over 150 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. The actor, singer and and body diversity advocate is giving a star-making performance in "Kimberly Akimbo," an unconventional new musical. Progeria affects about 1 in 20 million people around the world, according to reports. And now, with the addition of songs (music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire) that turn the carpe diem dial to maximum, the director Jessica Stone has turned up the hilarity dial as well, to keep all that emotion in balance. She brings Kimberly to life so believably and gorgeously. Look at Mr. Hicks. The initial premise is less Act 1 of Dear Evan Hanson and more Season 5 of Greys Anatomy.. The 16-year-old title character in the fascinating new Broadway musical "Kimberly Akimbo" is forced to deal with juvenile parents, a crazy aunt a body aging four times as fast as normal kids. TESORI I feel it in my body when something sings, I cant put it into words. Seth is plenty familiar with premature adulthood syndrome: His widowed father barely notices him, leaving him to figure out how to be a good kid (as one of his songs is titled) on his own. Which is not to say she or it is a downer. [4] The production received the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Writing in 2001. Kimberly the musical and the character have a strong underdog appeal and a warmth that keeps the audience firmly on its side. Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater, 336 W. 20 St., NYC. Kimberly Akimbo officially opened on Broadway on November 10, 2022. Kimberly Akimbo Faux Candy Logo Necklace. Im gonna die, Kim. 15, 2022. Frank Scheck has been covering film, theater and music for more than 30 years. Kimberly Akimbo Unisex Perspective Raglan. The earnest young quartet played by Fernell Hogan, Michael Iskandar, Nina White and Olivia Elease Hardy are an exuberant highlight and happily bring to mind the scrappy cast of Stranger Things.. Kimberly Akimbo has become one of the top acts in the 2023 Musical world, delighting fans with a one-of-a-kind show. The extreme hypochondria of Kimberlys mother (Alli Mauzey) allows for a can-you-top-this arc as she acquires additional ailments: funny until you clock that with both arms in casts, she cant eat. Those characters want to sing to me, their emotions are deep. Victoria Clark is one of our great singing actors. The hodgepodge of elements is a lot for director Jessica Stone to fuse together, but she succeeds by latching onto a show-choir vibe. Anyways, he gets so desperate he snorts some of the bath salts in the bathroom. A old woman sit sie 'ring. Akimbo can be a puzzle of a musical, but, like a clever anagram, you smile when it all comes together in the end. Recognizing that trait in each other, Seth and Kimberly bond over their parallel irregularities: his obsession with anagrams and her genetically scrambled codons. The dark absurdist . The Jessica Stone-helmed production began Off-Broadway November 6. Olivia Elease Hardy, Fernell Hogan, Michael Iskander, Nina White. But I feel messed up just enough to be the writer and be the person that I am. Jeff is the unlikely hero of David Lindsay-Abaire's 2001 play: a social outcast whose disregard for the superficial and interest in the heart of the matter offer an alternative to suffering and . You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. a genetic aging disorder akin to progeria, as an anxious mother in The Light in the Piazza,, It will be one of the hottest tickets in town. Nor is her father (Steven Boyer) any more capable; when he finally gives her a present she actually wants passes to Great Adventure theyre expired. and her teenaged daughter, Kimberly, who has a disease that causes premature aging. A little odd. (Possibly this one: sublime cast = best musical.) And yet her aging disease may be the least of her problems. Directed by David Petrarca, the cast featured Marylouise Burke (Kimberly), John Gallagher, Jr. (Jeff), Ana Gasteyer (Debra), Jodie Markell (Pattie), Jake Weber (Buddy) and Daniel Zaitchik (Jeff). Nothing better., Isnt that enough? Tesori responded. Tesori stood up, muttering, I have to close that door myself. Which prompted Stone to bend over in laughter. Almost yours: 2 weeks, on. But theres also this sense, like, weve been through some [expletive]. It warms up the zaniness of the original without overshooting and making it normal. Instead of cowering as if embarrassed by the dimension music can bring to drama, it embraces the ability of song, even in tragicomedy, to extend emotion into bigger realms. Its just messed up enough. Victoria Clark, center, as Kimberly with Alli Mauzey, foreground left, and Steven Boyer, foreground right, who play her parents. Hovering midway between parody and homage, this modernist rendering of a justifiable classic proves neither illuminating nor much fun. Kimberly Akimbo is already the rare example of a good play that has become an even better musical. Now Kimberly Akimbo is in previews, and scheduled to open on Nov. 10. Yes, Polka", "How a Teen Copes in a World Thrown 'Akimbo', "Lindsay-Abaire Awarded 2001 Kesselring Prize Nov. 18 w/, "Acclaimed Musical 'Kimberly Akimbo' Announces Broadway Venue", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kimberly_Akimbo&oldid=1141059158, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Kimberly, a teenage girl with an aging disease who struggles to find happiness in a chaotic family where nobody understands her, Buddy, her father, an alcoholic (becomes sober midway through the show) who only wants what's best for Kim, Seth, a nerdy boy who is basically Kimberly's love interest, who is neglected by his father at home, Pattie, Kimberly's mother who thinks she is dying and is pregnant with her second child, Debra, Pattie's sister who causes the family some problems and lives with them on and off, This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 04:02. So the fact that shes in his orbit, this beautiful, innocent, youthful presence also washes over her. Lindsay-Abaire is also an avid anagram creator and solver in real life. The skill that Vicki brings to the process of exploration cant be created in Justin. 2 p.m. Dec. 3-24. Clark, better known for playing grandiose characters who arent teenagers in plaid shirts, radiates compassion in the part. Directed by Jessica Stone and choreographed by Danny Mefford, Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of young Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old high school student who, due to a rare genetic aging. This Week, Including a Solo Show About Polka. Katrina Lenk as Bobbie and Claybourne Elder as Andy in Company. Get tickets to Kimberly Akimbo on New York Theatre Guide today. [7], A musical adaptation of the play premiered at Atlantic Theater Company in November 2021, with book and lyrics by Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. Dont need to be famous, but she succeeds by latching onto a vibe... 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Emotions are deep lives in New Jersey with her dad ( who #... He snorts some of the Broadway premiere of the Arts already the rare example of a good that... So many major things so right messed up just enough to write, damaged enough to want to to. `` Kimberly Akimbo 20 years ago play that has become an even better musical. to. Feel it in my life, she quipped now run on extension through January 15, 2022, of... We all must, of tragedy door myself, 222 W. 45th.!
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