On Wednesday, July 16th, Kimberly Akimbo hit the stage at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace. Serving as the final show in the 2024-25 KeyBank Broadway Series, this show closes out the season on a high note. It’s a funny, quirky, emotional, coming-of-age story. With this being the second performance of the show and many first-timers seeing the show, it is clear that the standing ovation was well-deserved.
The story follows Kimberly Levaco, a Suburban New Jersey teenager with a rare genetic disorder that causes her to age way faster than others. She tries to live her life to the fullest despite being part of a chaotic family. Even if you don’t relate to Kimberly directly, you’ll likely find yourself in someone on that stage. That’s part of the magic.
From the very first scene, the audience couldn’t take their eyes off the stage. Every moment was either laugh-out-loud funny or sneakily heartbreaking—or both. People laughed from start to finish, and might even have cried once or twice. Kimberly Akimbo is emotionally powerful because it explores universal aspects of the human experience. For instance, wanting to connect with other people, trying to figure out who you are, and facing death. Although Kimberly was the heart of the story, some people could see a little bit of themselves in the side characters, such as Kimberly’s father, Buddy (Jim Hogan), who is an alcoholic. Even though he struggles with this disorder, he still tries to be a good dad to Kimberly. He expresses this feeling through the musical number, “Hello, Baby.”
Another character that resonates with the audience is Seth (Miguel Gill). Seth’s personality offers a new and hopeful perspective on the challenges of being a teenager and figuring out one’s place in the world. He shows a bit of his vulnerability in the musical number “Good Kid.”
Speaking of music numbers, the show is complete with clever and memorable songs. “How to Wash a Check” was a hilarious number that delightfully combines crime and chaos, and “Hello Darling,” which is both sweet and surprisingly profound. Another highlight was “The Inevitable Turn,” which showcased the insane vocal chemistry between Laura Woyasz (Pattie) and Emily Koch (Debra). Woyasz’s vocals, in the number “Father Time,” were jaw-dropping.
We can’t talk about the show without giving credit to the one and only Jessica Stone. Whose direction keeps the show moving with energy and clarity. She finds the perfect tone, never letting the story get too heavy, but not shying away from the pain underneath the humor.