The Tony Award-winning musical is traveling North America.
Kimberly Akimbo is winding its way across the country.
And as we’re missing it here in the Big Apple, we thought it’s a fine time to do a dive into the history of the 2023 Tony-winning Best Musical.
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire originally wrote Kimberly Akimbo as a play in 2001, before he and his Shrek collaborator Jeanine Tesori (who earned her second Tony Award for the score) added songs.
Kimberly Akimbo follows a teen navigating school, a difficult family, and new friends while dealing with an unnamed disorder that makes her age rapidly. The idea came about after Lindsay-Abaire asked a friend how his newborn niece was doing, to which he replied: “Oh, she’s amazing—she’s like this little old woman trapped in a baby’s body.’”
The show has a magical moment, featuring the cast “ice”-skating for real on stage!
Our heroine’s name isn’t actually Kimberly Akimbo; the title comes from an anagram of her name, from which Kimberly Levaco becomes Cleverly Akimbo.
One of the songs is called “Great Adventure,” and the show is currently enjoying one across North America.