Age is a theme often explored quietly and somberly, but Broadway’s new musical Kimberly Akimbo makes it blatantly clear that this doesn’t have to be the case. Kimberly Akimbo juxtaposes youth and death as a sixteen-year-old named Kimberly – who possesses a rare genetic disorder that makes her body age five times faster than usual – faces the difficulties of growing up in life and growing up in age simultaneously. The musical is based on writer David Lindsay-Abaire’s play of the same name and is composed by Jeanine Tessori of Fun Home and Caroline, or Change fame. The duo – who previously partnered to write Shrek The Musical – further cements their distinctly quirky and whimsical style but this time to a much different effect, demonstrating the viability of their music in a more mature setting. The show premiered Off-Broadway on December 8, 2021, but it transferred to Broadway and opened on November 10, 2022, with a nearly identical creative team and cast; and now, the reviews are in! As with any production, there is praise, there are critiques, and then there are my personal thoughts! Let’s examine all of them.

Firstly, from a glance, it’s evident that the reviews are positively skewed! Across the reviews, the consistent praises are undeniably the performances, the characters’ complexity, and the production’s intimacy. Although reviews laud all of the performances, Victoria Clark (who plays the titular role of Kimberly) received substantial praise for her ability to capture the complexity of a sixteen-year-old in a sixty-five-year-old body. Her co-star, Justin Cooley, playing Kimberly’s love interest, also received favorable reviews, but not quite to the level of Bonnie Milligan, playing Kimberly’s aunt, who critics often describe as something close to show-stopping. Then, Abaire’s writing was praised for its effectiveness at giving depth to outlandish and young characters (both of which often suffer from being written two-dimensionally), and Tesori’s music was notably complimentary, aiding in the revelation of character to the audience. Lastly, I found it noteworthy that the production was commended for its subtle changes as it transferred from Off-Broadway. It seems like audiences enjoyed the feel of a smaller production on a Broadway stage. Kimberly Akimbo learned from the mistakes of previous Off-Broadway transfers, such as Be More Chill, focusing on refining what made the Off-Broadway production work so well as opposed to upscaling for a greater sense of spectacle. 

While reviewers had plenty of great things to say about the show, no production is perfect, but Kimberly Akimbo is nearly an exception. Of the critiques, the most noteworthy one is that the show’s quirkiness sometimes gets in the way of the message. Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post says the show “piles on weirdness with a dump truck” and that “the mounting insanity almost becomes too much. Almost.” Oleksinski then elaborated, explicitly talking about the music: “yes, composer Jeanine Tesori and book-writer David Lindsay-Abaire’s musical at the Booth Theatre is a smidge too wacky for its own good. Lindsay-Abaire’s many eccentric flourishes, at times, can come across as showing off.” Despite this, Oleksinkski admits, “nonetheless, this odd duck is undeniably likable.” I think this statement captures the essence of many of the production’s reviewers: the minor flaws in the show may negligibly detract from the message but never from the audience’s enjoyment.

I was lucky enough to see the first preview on October 12, 2022, and although several elements have probably been changed since, most of the show remains the same. This leads me to discuss my personal opinions on the production. I don’t think anybody could not enjoy this show. It is simultaneously endearing and light, but also dark and heavy. The serious subject matter bogs down the production at no point, and I find that very admirable. Still, I have three primary critiques. Firstly, in my personal opinion, the songs need slightly more refining. They all understand their function in the story, but I think they could more effectively achieve their purposes if given another draft. Then, I find that there is often a tonal dissonance as the show strives to be comedic while giving weight to the impending death of Kimberly. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but the show is close to doing so. And lastly, I think that the set design could be more effective at points. While the show’s ice rink works perfectly, I feel like the house interior often becomes messy in an unproductive way. Beyond this, I found the show immensely successful in everything it was trying to accomplish.

So, where does that leave us now? We’ve looked at where Kimberly Akimbo succeeds, where it doesn’t always, and what my thoughts are on the show, but what is there to take away from this endearing production? Based on the reviews, my takeaway is that everyone is happy that Kimberly Akimbo leaped Broadway this season. Its positive attitude and accessibility make it a fantastic production for anyone to see, and the show gives the post-pandemic theatre scene a necessary breath of fresh air. In the long term, I hope the critical success of the production will lead to more shows like Kimberly Akimbo, looking to explore strange ideas and unique characters with deep nuance and care. Only time will tell, however.

Feature image via Wikipedia and Kimberly Akimbo: A New Musical