The National Tour of KIMBERLY AKIMBO is Funny with Interesting Subject Matter
All photos by Joan Marcus
Broadway in Chicago has brought the National Tour of the Tony Award-winning musical KIMBERLY AKIMBO to the CIBC Theatre.
The story is featured around Kimberly Akimbo, a 16-year-old girl who has progeria. This is a disorder that causes children to age prematurely. She has just moved to New Jersey and is attending a new school. She looks 65 years old compared to her 16-year-old fellow students. Her dysfunctional home life isn’t great. Her father drinks too much and enjoys competing in mango-eating contests in bars. Her mother is pregnant with carpal tunnel and constantly tapes messages to her unborn child. Her Aunt Debra always has an illegal scheme going on. It isn’t too far-fetched that she eventually is accepted by the nerds or “misfits” of the school. What I liked about Kim is that she lives her life in a way that, even though she is shy and keeps to herself, she still goes to the ice rink hangout and opens up to tuba player Seth. She is approaching her 16th birthday, and she is faced with knowing that most children with progeria don’t make it to the age of 16; she is faced with her mortality.
I like the story of KIMBERLY AKIMBO. The cast is great, and the voices are amazing. I have to admit, it took my mind a minute to accept Carolee Carmello as Kim. In the first act, it was as if she were playing a 16-year-old (yes, I know that is what she was supposed to be doing) and not being a 16-year-old. In the second act, everything caught up, and I finally believed her.
Laura Woyasz as Kim’s mother, Pattie, is hilarious as she walks around like Frankenstein with her arms stretched out. Kim’s father, Buddy, is played by Jim Hogan. He plays Buddy with heart. Even though Buddy is unreliable, he loves Kim, and Jim brings that to light. The relationship between Seth (Miguel Gil) and Kim is so cute and has that awkward teenage feeling.
The four nerdy teenage friends are hilarious in their own right, and Emily Koch is perfect as Aunt Debra.
Now, the idea that Aunt Debra would incorporate teenagers to commit a crime was a little disturbing, no matter how funny it was.
The music in the first act didn’t stick out to me; however, in the second act, the character Seth sings, “Good Kid,” and it was moving and humorous. Another is “Before I Go,” which Kim, Pattie, and Buddy sing after Kim decides it’s time to live her life, no matter how long it is.
All in all, KIMBERLY AKIMBO is an interesting, funny evening at the theatre. There is cursing, so I wouldn’t suggest it for grammar school children, but teenagers will be fine.
I give KIMBERLY AKIMBO 3 out of 5 winks of the EYE.
Until next time, keep your EYE to the sky!