Kimberly Akimbo (musical)
| Kimberly Akimbo | |
|---|---|
 Broadway promotional poster | |
| Music | Jeanine Tesori |
| Lyrics | David Lindsay-Abaire |
| Book | David Lindsay-Abaire |
| Basis | Kimberly Akimbo by David Lindsay-Abaire |
| Premiere | November 6, 2021: Linda Gross Theater |
| Productions | 2021 Off-Broadway 2022 Broadway |
| Awards | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical |
Kimberly Akimbo is a 2021 musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, and lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on Lindsay-Abaire's 2001 comedy of the same name.
The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kim, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to Playbill, "[f]orced 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."[1]
The show's premiere production opened Off-Broadway on December 8, 2021, at the Linda Gross Theater in Manhattan; it was critically acclaimed, and won Best Musical prizes at the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. The show is scheduled to move to Broadway in fall 2022, with previews beginning on October 12, and an official opening on November 10.
Background[]
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire's comedy Kimberly Akimbo made its premiere in 2001, at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California; it eventually moved Off-Broadway in 2003, at the Manhattan Theatre Club, in a production featuring Marylouise Burke, John Gallagher, Jr., and Ana Gasteyer.[2]
Lindsay-Abaire's other plays include Fuddy Meers (1999), Good People (2011), and Rabbit Hole (2006), for which he won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Jeanine Tesori has written the music for stage musicals such as Thoroughly Modern Millie (2000), Caroline, or Change (2003), Shrek the Musical (2008), and Fun Home (2013); she has also been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, for Fun Home and Soft Power (2018). Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori had previously worked together on Shrek the Musical.
Productions[]
Kimberly Akimbo's premiere production ran Off-Broadway from December 8, 2021 to January 15, 2022 (with previews beginning on November 6), at the Linda Gross Theater in Manhattan, produced by the Atlantic Theater Company. Directed by Jessica Stone, its cast included Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark, Tony nominee Steven Boyer, Alli Mauzey, and Justin Cooley. Set design was by David Zinn; costume design was by Sarah Laux; lighting design was by Lap Chi Chu; sound design was by Kai Harada; choreography was by Danny Mefford; and orchestrations were by John Clancy, with additional musical arrangements by Macy Schmidt.[3]
The show is scheduled to open on Broadway on November 10, 2022 (with previews beginning on October 12), at the Booth Theatre, produced by David Stone, the Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo and Aaron Glick. For this production, lighting design will be by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew.[4]
Musical numbers[]
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Cast and characters[]
| Character | Off-Broadway (2021) | Broadway (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Levaco | Victoria Clark | |
| Seth Weetis | Justin Cooley | |
| Buddy Levaco | Steven Boyer | |
| Pattie Levaco | Alli Mauzey | |
| Aunt Debra | Bonnie Milligan | |
| Delia McDaniels | Olivia Elease Hardy | |
| Martin Doaty | Fernell Hogan II | |
| Aaron Puckett | Michael Iskander | |
| Teresa Benton | Nina White | |
Awards and nominations[]
2021 Off-Broadway production[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | Won | [5] | |
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Victoria Clark | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Justin Cooley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Bonnie Milligan | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Jessica Stone | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Music | Jeanine Tesori | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lyrics | David Lindsay-Abaire | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical | David Zinn | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Kai Harada | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | Nominated | [6] | ||
| Distinguished Performance Award | Victoria Clark | Nominated | |||
| Bonnie Milligan | Nominated | ||||
| Lucille Lortel Awards | Outstanding Musical | Won | [7] | ||
| Outstanding Choreographer | Danny Mefford | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Leading Performer in a Musical | Victoria Clark | Won | |||
| Justin Cooley | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Bonnie Milligan | Won | |||
| Steven Boyer | Nominated | ||||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical | Won | [8] | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Justin Cooley | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Victoria Clark | Won | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Bonnie Milligan | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Jessica Stone | Won | |||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | David Lindsay-Abaire | Won | |||
| Outstanding Score | Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abaire | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | John Clancy | Nominated | |||
| Theatre World Award | Justin Cooley | Honoree | [9] | ||
References[]
- ^ "Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway, Booth Theatre, 2022) | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Kimberly Akimbo - 2003 Off-Broadway Production". www.iobdb.com. Retrieved 2022-06-11.
- ^ "Kimberly Akimbo". www.iobdb.com. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "Kimberly Akimbo - Broadway Musical - Original | IBDB". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
- ^ "66th Drama Desk Awards". Drama Desk Awards. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ Rosky, Nicole (April 25, 2022). "2022 Drama League Awards Nominations Announced- Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ Rosky, Nicole (May 1, 2022). "KIMBERLY AKIMBO, ORATORIO FOR LIVING THINGS, and More Take Home 2022 Lucille Lortel Awards; Full List!". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (May 17, 2022). "The Lehman Trilogy Leads 2022 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Six Wins Best Musical; See the Complete List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Theatre World Awards 2022". New York Theater. 2022-05-06. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
- 2021 musicals
- Broadway musicals
- Off-Broadway musicals
- Musicals by David Lindsay-Abaire
- Musicals by Jeanine Tesori
- Musicals based on plays