Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO National Tour at Durham Performing Arts Center

Based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2001 stage play of the same name, Kimberly Akimbo follows a bright and funny teenage girl from New Jersey who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. However, her aging disease 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.

Following a successful premiere at Off-Broadway’s Atlantic Theatre Company, Kimberly Akimbo opened on November 10th, 2022 at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. It went on to win 5 Tony Awards (including Best Musical). The production closed on April 28th, 2024 after 612 performances. The national tour launched at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in September this past year and is currently in Durham through May 4th.

I’m not too familiar with the work of the recently deceased William Finn. Although from what I’m aware of, his style feels reminiscent in this show. Subject matter that doesn’t feel obvious for a musical. Humor that isn’t necessarily used in an obvious manner (like in musical comedies such as Hello, Dolly! or The Book of Mormon). Songs that aren’t obvious crowd-pleasers (they can be hard to follow out of context of the plot), but work very well in diving into the minds of the characters. Songwriters Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire absolutely succeed in that. Although the latter’s book, adapted from his own play, has clever dialogue that manages to reveal character and deliver exposition in an entertaining way.

Under the direction of Jessica Stone, she pulls off several nice visual elements with Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew’s effective lighting and David Zinn’s creative sets. Although what she’s most successful at is pulling out such empathetic performances from her cast. Starring as Kimberly Levaco is three-time Tony nominated Broadway legend Carolee Carmello. Onstage, she very impressively feels like a teenager. Yet emotionally, she delivers tender work that also ends up being pretty heartbreaking. Not to mention that whenever she shares scenes with other teenage characters, she manages to fit right in. One of them in particular is with Seth Weetis, played by Miguel Gil, who has a couple of heartfelt numbers in Act II. Comedic highlights are Kim’s parents, Jim Hogan, who plays her frequently drunk father, Buddy, and Laura Woyasz, who plays her mother Patti, who constantly makes videos for their soon-to-be born baby. Although Emily Koch is quite a burst of energy as Kim’s criminal Aunt Debra.

Kimberly Akimbo may not be for everyone. The plot can be a lot to take in for casual audiences. They may even be left confused with certain plot points. Some may even find it weird. With that being said, I found this to be a funny, quirky, emotional, and poignant musical that is sure to endure for generations to come. Anyone into these kinds of shows should definitely give it a chance.

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