Touring musical Kimberly Akimbo is equal parts charming, overwhelming, and offbeat at Kauffman
The Tony-winning musical is playing at the Kauffman Center through January 25.
Ann Morrison, Marcus Phillips and Jim Hogan in the National Tour of KIMBERLY AKIMBO // Photo by Joan Marcus
When I’m sitting down to take my serving of Kansas City Broadway, it is best served at the Kauffman Center.
Visiting the Paris of the Plains’ own Sydney Opera House knock off is always one of my yearly highlights. This season, Kimberly Akimbo made its way through the trickle-down Broadway-nomics and into the Midwest. The five-time Tony-winning musical was an easy watch with dazzling stage design, a perfect pairing for my evening of cosplaying as a JoCo mom.
Kimberly Akimbo centers on a teenager growing up in New Jersey—a very old teenager.
Kim (Ann Morrison) has a genetic disease that causes her to age 4 to 5 times faster than normal, limiting her life expectancy to 16 years. The musical’s opening number, “Skater Planet,” takes place just days before her 16th birthday. Despite looking elderly and with her life on a countdown, Kimberly must navigate family quarrels, hidden secrets, and, worst of all, high school.
Skye Alyssa Friedman, Max Santopietro, Darron Hayes, and Gabby Beredo in The National Tour of Kimberly Akimbo. // Photo by Joan Marcus
The innocent, positive love interest, Seth (Marcus Phillips), brings new perspectives and a tuba into her life. Meanwhile, high school and home are full of four showchoir cliches (Darron Hayes, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Mailey Ryon, and Max Santopietro) and a corrupting aunt (Emily Koch). Everybody is a misfit! Beneath the expected cliches, heartfelt moments shine through every irreverent detail. One character is obsessed with anagrams, her aunt is a fugitive, and there’s a song about scurvy—why not! The story aims to charm through a scattershot approach to quirky character building.
The highlight of the night was “Happy for Her,” where Kim’s dad warns Seth about flirting with his daughter in a spirited song. Jim Hogan and Laurie Woyasz, playing Kim’s parents, were the comedic heartbeat of the show, grounding it in real cynicism.
If it sounds like there are a lot of plots, that’s because there are.
Beyond the overwhelming volume of narrative, the comedy elements were distractingly uneven. Many jokes felt misplaced or relied heavily on expletives to carry the humor, although I did have the pleasure of seeing patrons squirm in their seats when an overly crude joke was made.
But the show is playful, and at the core of the musical, it hopes we can appreciate our lives—the good and bad. That counts for something.
Kimberly Akimbo is running at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts from January 20 to January 25. Get tickets here.
