Kimberly Akimbo is set in rural New Jersey in the 90s. It’s centered around a teenage girl living with a rare genetic disease that makes her look significantly older than she actually is. She lives with her narcissistic mother and alcoholic father. A dysfunctional family nonetheless. Kimberly is doing her best to navigate life as a high schooler, though she feels like she doesn’t fit in. But as it turns out, neither does anyone else.
As soon as the characters, Kimberly and Seth walk on stage they are immediately likable. There is something about their spirit. Despite Kimberly’s differences she never really complains. Although not terribly confident, she is hopeful and she views her differences almost as a gift. I think that’s what makes her so lovable. And Seth is so affable. He’s always smiling. He’s completely himself and at the same time he accepts others for who they truly are. He’s awkward. He says whatever he’s thinking and he doesn’t always pick up social cues, but this makes him more real. (I would like to cannon him as autistic, however I don’t know if the writers intended that or not).
I would say the lyricism in the show is complex and the show is music heavy. A lot of the background music was repeated and I liked the music in between beats. It added to the awkwardness and the tension of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the upbeat music.
I also enjoyed the choreography done by Danny Mefford (credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Fun Home, The Bridges of Madison County, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson). Mefford’s choreography tends to be modern and simple, but he manages to leave hidden messages throughout his work. In act 2 during the song “The Inevitable Turn” I noticed that school characters who were dancing were all standing Akimbo.
I appreciated that the set design didn’t hesitate to take up the entire stage. It definitely needed it as scenes switched from the high school, to Kimberly’s house, to the ice rink, and more. Speaking of the ice rink it was cool that it actually looked like the actors were ice skating. The set is colorful between the blues and orange-yellows. Additionally, I believe I noticed an anagram in the library scenes. The letters in the library changed from act 1 to act 2. This was clever on the set designer’s part because Seth is obsessed with anagrams. I’d like to think there is a bit of back story there and Seth was the one to switch around the letters.
The costume design was particularly reminiscent of the 1990s, though I didn’t realize it at first. What made me realize it was actually the prop of the older video camera the mother buys to make video diaries to her future child.
One would think this show is depressing because it dives into themes of death and familial issues. And while those parts of the show are sad, the show is able to stay
comedic and joyful as well.
The ending is absolutely gorgeous. The clear blue sky is a metaphor for hope. Kimberly Akimbo is a story about celebrating life and never taking a moment for granted because after all we’re only here for so long. I would leave you with an anagram, but unfortunately I’m not that clever.
Side Note: In my opinion, this show is a likely contender to take home the award for “Best Musical” at the Tony Awards this year. Surprisingly, I think there will be good competition this year, especially with musicals like “Some Like It Hot”. I will be interested to see how the Tony voters react to Kimberly Akimbo.
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