“Kimberly Akimbo” is a Forgettable Musical that Feels Like Magic in the Moment
Victoria Clark and Justin Cooley in Kimberly Akimbo I Photo by Joan Marcus.
The opinions reflected in this OpEd are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, faculty and students of The King's College.
“Kimberly Akimbo,” the story of Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old from New Jersey with a rare aging disease that makes her look 72, opened last week at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. This new musical has no shortage of energy, laughs or heartfelt moments, but it is a largely forgettable show and comes across more as a vehicle for a fifth Tony nomination for lead-actress Victoria Clark than a serious attempt to be Broadway’s next big thing.
Looking like an old lady isn’t Kimberly Levaco’s only problem — her father is an alcoholic who can’t seem to pull his life together and her mother is a narcissist who is less focused on Kimberly after becoming pregnant again. It’s now Kimberly’s 16th birthday, the year she is statistically most likely to die from her disease. Her family has just moved to New Jersey (cue the New Jersey jokes that New Yorkers adore) for a fresh start after a humiliating experience in their former town involving Kimberly’s crazy, and now possibly-incarcerated, Aunt Debra. Soon after she begins classes at her new high school, Kimberly befriends a group of socially-awkward, Dreamgirls-obsessed show choir singers and another fellow classmate, Seth, with a strange passion for anagrams. If you already think this story is weird — trust me, we’ve still got a long way to go.
After a few heartfelt songs about ice-skating, Kimberly’s Make-A-Wish request and the social awkwardness of high-school, it finally feels like you understand where “Kimberly Akimbo” is headed. And then, Debra, Kimberly’s estranged aunt, finds her sister’s family after maybe or maybe not (but definitely and probably) being released from prison. Debra explains her latest illegal scheme to get rich through a flashy musical number, sharing her personal philosophy to do what it takes to “make her life better.”
“That’s your advice for life — to take advantage of old women?” Kimberly asks.
“Not just them,” Debra replies (like I said, this story gets weird).
As Kimberly becomes sick, she wants to fulfill a final dream — to take a road trip with her family. Debra’s scheme is the only way for her family to afford the trip, and Seth and the choir singers offer to help make Debra’s scheme, and Kimberly’s dream, happen.
“Kimberly Akimbo” features a small cast of actors, but each of them brings energy to their performances that fills the small stage of the Booth Theatre. The standout performance is Victoria Clark as Kimberly. Her mannerisms and voice are perfectly believable as a 16-year-old, even though the actress is 63 in real-life. Her co-star, Justin Cooley, is less believable as the anagram-obsessed high school crush, Seth. Cooley’s singing is excellent, but his acting is awkward and off-putting alongside Clark. Alli Mauzey and Bonnie Milligan give excellent comedic performances as Kimberly’s mother and aunt, respectively. The cast is rounded out by adequate, but forgettable, performances from Kimberly’s father and the show-choir singers.
Directed by Jessica Stone, “Kimberly Akimbo” is built on feel-good messaging about savoring the good moments in life and letting tomorrow worry about itself. With stellar production quality, featuring scenic designs by David Zinn, costumes by Sarah Laux, lighting by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, and sound design by Kai Harada, “Kimberly Akimbo” is clearly positioning itself as a standout among the many new shows this fall. The new music, composed by Jeanine Tesoro with lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, is well done and delivers several fun, energetic numbers in the first act. But, like most of “Kimberly Akimbo,” it struggles to maintain the momentum past intermission.
Kimberly Akimbo is currently running at the Booth Theatre.
Eli Johnson is the Theatre Columnist for the Empire State Tribune. He is a freshman at The King's College majoring in Business. He is an avid theatre-goer and always enjoys a game of chess.