I thought I was going to hate this one.

I don’t know why, really. Maybe the premise sort of freaked me out. Maybe it was because I was underwhelmed watching the Tony Awards performance. I was skeptical when it won the Tony Award for Best Musical this season…it just seemed sort of blah to me.

Let me eat my words, because I really, really liked Kimberly Akimbo. It was filled with so much heart and joy, and my husband cried (sorry to out you on the internet, J). It was deeply funny at times, deeply moving at others.

Kimberly Akimbo is about a 16-year old girl who suffers from a rare genetic disorder “similar to progeria” that causes her to age rapidly (thus why Kimberly is played by an older actor, Victoria Clark). Don’t think too hard about the specifics of the “disease,” which is literally called “the disease” throughout the show. Kimberly certainly looks like an older woman, but the actor doesn’t look frail or sickly, nor does she have visible mobility issues or arthritis – which, my doctor aunt Devra pointed out, would likely go along with an aging disease. So suspend your disbelief a bit.

Anyway, Kimberly Akimbo is about suburban New Jersey life, unfulfilled dreams, finding yourself as a teenager, unconditional love, and (perhaps most importantly) living life to the fullest. You don’t really need to know much more than that, except perhaps that the book was written by David Lindsay-Abaire and the music by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Violet, Shrek the Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie…), so you’re in good hands.

Kimberly Akimbo is quite small-scale for a Broadway musical. Including the enhancement (that’s producer speak for the pre-Broadway production, which, for Akimbo, was Off-Broadway at the Atlantic Theatre Company), the show was produced with a budget of $13M. If you can believe it, that’s on the lower end of the spectrum. The average cost to develop a new Broadway musical in 2023 typically falls in the $16-20M range, according to a producer friend of mine.

Anyway, the production does feel stripped down – not in a bad way, but in a way that makes it feel different from big box musicals. The costumes are fun 90s chic, but simple. My lululemon leggings made an appearance in the show, worn by the troublemaking aunt, Debra (usually played by Tony-award winner Bonnie Milligan, though I saw her standby, Betsy Morgan). I’m not going to read too much into the fact that the morally dubious character and I share clothing.

The set is cool, but also simple. The way the set folds open feels like you’re reading a picture book, which is neat. There are a few special effects (snow falling, ice skating), but not many. The cast is small – 9 actors on-stage and 6 off-stage covers – and the band is small – 8 musicians.

It’s a small-scale show, attendance hasn’t been stellar (avg. ~85% capacity over the past 10 weeks), and the Broadway production potentially won’t recoup (though the 2024 national tour should do it). I understand wanting to win Tony Awards, but I don’t know…this show has a polished Off-Broadway feel to me, so maybe it’s a bigger question to the theatre community at large why everyone wants to bring their shows to Broadway, when they could likely run for years in a smaller venue.

All that to be said, Kimberly Akimbo has the most heart of any show I’ve seen since maybe Spelling Bee in 2006. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I was afraid the show was going to delve too deeply into the sad and melancholy aspects of premature death, and there are certainly some heartbreaking moments, but it doesn’t feel emotionally manipulative. The feeling I had leaving the theatre was one of bittersweet, nostalgic optimism – like a celebration of life instead of mourning an inevitable loss.

Overall, the acting performances are strong. Victoria Clark as Kimberly is fairly believable as a 16-year old girl, though at times she comes across as a bit younger. Justin Cooley as Seth is perfect – I could tell why he was nominated for a Tony Award. He’s so quirky in the most endearing way, and he’s very likeable. Alli Mauzey as Kimberly’s narcissistic mother is another standout for me. Alli is very funny, and even in her character’s most disturbing moments, we still see her humanity.

I also love how every character has a distinct personality and moment to shine, including the four teenage characters who make up the “ensemble.” In short, the world felt fully formed and well-thought through, despite the stripped down production. One of my favourite Broadway podcasters, Matt Koplik of Broadway Breakdown, mentioned that director Jessica Stone is particularly good at developing characters. I agree.

Look, you could probably argue that there are some light plot holes, especially when it comes to discussing the morality of the characters’ final actions, but it didn’t bother me too much. Just “enjoy the time,” as Kimberly would say.

Kimberly Akimbo is playing at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. You can purchase tickets here, or enter the ticket lottery here.

Featured image: Cast of Kimberly Akimbo, by Joan Marcus.