Good afternoon, internet friends!

I recently reviewed Toronto’s all-Canadian production of Kimberly Akimbo for Next Magazine. You can read it here. TLDR: the show is absolutely delightful.

This is my first true 5* review since I started writing for the magazine. I gave a 2025 Fringe Festival show 5*, but Fringe shows are often less polished or works-in-progress, so it’s judged on a different scale.

Now, is the Toronto production as good as the Broadway production (my original review here)? No. This is a non-replica production (i.e. new direction, sets, costumes etc.), and some of the choices didn’t work as well as the originals. But I still loved this production – some things even more than the first time around.

Mainly, I appreciate seeing the show in a smaller venue. Kimberly Akimbo is an intimate show, and works really well in an intimate venue. I also appreciated the plot more this time around, specifically related to the mail fraud incident. I can forgive a lot when I’m charmed by the heart of a show 🙂

I’d like to point out, though, that 5* doesn’t mean perfect. But this is the best Mirvish show I’ve seen in…a long while. The cast is great, especially the supporting cast, and the book/score is so strong..this show just feels special. For those reasons, I gave this production 5*.

Check this one out if you can. Tickets (especially rush tickets) are pretty inexpensive, and the CAA theatre isn’t too far downtown. I’d say it’s appropriate for anyone 12+. Content-wise, it’s not inappropriate, but the themes may not resonate with younger kids. Unless your kids are real theatre lovers, maybe get a babysitter.