KIMBERLY AKIMBO to Broadway this Fall!- Page 3

[missthemountains]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 4:52pm

Does it though? Progeria is a form of dwarfism. If the show were about someone with dwarfism, the powers that be wouldn't dream of casting someone who didn't have dwarfism. Since progeria IS a form of dwarfism, there's wiggle room, but I can't help but feel that excluding Disabled people from the casting in a story ABOUT DISABILITY where disability is such an integral part of the plot and character is um, not great to say the least. I find it profoundly annoying that people with disabilities are left out of DEIs. I'm just saying, a Disabled person could use that paycheck that Victoria Clark gets more than Victoria Clark probably does. Even if a Disabled person understudied the role, I think the effort would go a long way. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:08pm

missthemountains said: "Does it though?Progeria is a form of dwarfism. If the show were about someone with dwarfism, the powers that be wouldn't dream of casting someone who didn't have dwarfism. Since progeria IS a form of dwarfism, there's wiggle room, but I can't help but feel that excluding Disabled people from the casting in a story ABOUT DISABILITY where disability is such an integral part of the plot and character is um, not great to say the least. I find it profoundly annoying that people with disabilities are left out of DEIs. I'm just saying, a Disabled person could use that paycheck that Victoria Clark gets more than Victoria Clark probably does. Even if a Disabled person understudied the role, I think the effort would go a long way."

 

And once again, OFFS.

 

[Ethel Berman]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:32pm

But the title character doesn't have Progeria. She has a FICTIONAL disease that isn't named in the show.

Updated On: 3/3/22 at 05:32 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:37pm

*mic drop*

Let actors act.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:38pm

@missthemountains 

Thanks for your perspective. I’m in full agreement about promoting opportunities for disabled actors at every chance. And now that you bring it up, I agree this would’ve been a great opportunity to write a lead role for a disabled actor. 

It does, however, raise questions about the nature of the character’s condition. I was under the impression that Kimberly’s condition was predominately intended to be fictional. And that the comparisons to progeria came later, and weren’t really what the writer had in mind. It seems to me that, based on Kimberly’s  physical features as described/conceived in the text, it doesn’t seem to meet the real-life qualifications for progeria or any form of dwarfism. 

As such, it seems like it exists in a weird grey-area between “disability” and “genetic condition.” I suppose it does affect her physical abilities, but mostly in the same way that scoliosis or arthritis effects someone’s abilities. And neither of those conditions are generally regarded as falling under the umbrella of disabled casting/representation. 

It seems like Lindsey-Abaire intended to go for more of a magical-realist premise - more in the vein of something like Benjamin Button - but explained it as a genetic condition in the text. Maybe that was a mistake; maybe he should’ve leaned into the magical realism so as to avoid any comparisons to real-life disabilities. Alternately, the more compassionate thing to do might’ve been to actually write the role with a disabled actor in mind. 

It’s an interesting thought though - I appreciate your analysis, and will definitely ruminate on it, as it seems like a tricky circumstance.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:38pm

(Double post)

Updated On: 3/1/22 at 05:38 PM

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:47pm

OhHiJohnny said: "JSquared2 said: "Collingswood said: "OhHiii said: "Tag said: "My bet is this will take the Music Box."

It's going into the Golden."

I'll say the Booth!

Word is that it's going to re-open the Cort.

"NOT THE CORT THEATER IN FEBRUARY"

I genuinely could be wrong here, but I think they might've been being sarcastic, in response to people seemingly just throwing out random theatres right now.

Meanwhile, I heard it's going to open at Radio City Music Hall in the fall, then transfer to The Met in February.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:49pm

I'm hearing the Booth

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 5:52pm

RippedMan said: "Let actors act."

That stale straw-man argument doesn't apply here, or anywhere for that matter. The user was specifically talking about creating job opportunities for actors who rarely get cast. It's one of the main, pillar arguments in conversations about authentic casting, but it conveniently gets ignored in the reductive "let actors act" deflection. 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 3/1/22 at 6:18pm

The character does not have progeria. She has "an extremely rare genetic disorder" that they go out of their way not to mention, because it's a magical disease that does not exist. And this magical disease makes Kimberly Akimbo look like Victoria Clark/an old woman. There's no physical disconnect between what Clark looks like and what the character looks like.

Updated On: 3/1/22 at 06:18 PM

[PeterC6482]

Posted: 3/2/22 at 11:02am

You're all missing the obvious: "KA" will go into the Barrymore after Paradise Square leaves.

[missthemountains]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 2:42am

Synecdoche2 said: "The character does not have progeria. She has "an extremely rare genetic disorder" that they go out of their way not to mention, because it's a magical disease that does not exist. And this magical disease makes Kimberly Akimbo look like Victoria Clark/an old woman. There's no physical disconnect between what Clark looks like and what the character looks like."

In the original play, she does have progeria. I know it quite well. They do mention it by name. So even if they don't name it in the musical, it's still very obviously progeria. If the show wasn't always like that, then maybe that argument would hold up, but the OG does name it, therefore, it has the same affect in my mind.

I'm clearly in the minority here since everyone seems to think it doesn't matter, and all I'll say is that it's privileged to dismiss even the conversation behind this. If Kimberly's disease were something so far from reality and/or so specific, like Aquagenic urticaria which is only visible during flareups, this argument might hold up more--but my point remains. In the original play she has a "form of progeria". Progeria is a form of dwarfism, as I've already mentioned. To me, it seems fairly obvious that the closest thing to casting a person with progeria would be to cast a person with dwarfism.

I'd go so far as to say is that the reason a person with dwarfism isn't being considered it's because producers know that it would be a tough sell for a commercial audiences, since most people are repulsed by people with physical disabilities/abnormalities. For Peter D to be starring in CYRANO is a huge deal, and it took how long for that to happen? And he's only even in that role because he has a handsome face and therefore has a "palatable" version of dwarfism to most people.

I think what's especially insidious about it is that there is no excuse for a Broadway production not to cast someone with a Disability in a role that calls for an obvious physical disability that is part of the plot. You could make a case for a smaller theatre that doesn't have money or resources and wouldn't have the means to accomedate an actor with dwarfism (or two, most likely, since you'd ideally have an understudy). But Atlantic and Broadway have the money and have the resources. They just don't want to even attempt to do the work. 

Even if you all completely disagree with me, which, fine, whatever--as JBroadway mentioned, "this would’ve been a great opportunity to write a lead role for a disabled actor." So even if you don't believe it bottom line HAS to be cast by a person who has a disability, it is an opportunity that at the very least, lends itself extremely well to that. And there is plenty of talented disabled people who could use the work.

I think it would be incredibly empowering move to display the version where Kimberly is a teenager who has a disability, because that's what she is. She's NOT an old woman. People with dwarfism and other noticeable physical disabilities deserve to be romantic leads, regardless if their characters are intentionally written that way or not. Ali Stroker and Madison Ferris in OKLAHOMA and GLASS MENAGERIE are proof that it can be done to great success, and at the very least, I think it's insanely disappointing that at no stage of development did they even TRY to see the material this way.

It's disappointing especially considering writers like DLA and Jeanine Tesori, who both have proven in their work that they care about and are sympathetic to people with outsiders, would drop the ball like this. I mean, JT's VIOLET is LITERALLY about a woman with a physical disability (and btw, I have never understood the choice for Violet not to have a visible scar. If the argument is it would be "too distracting", I find that incredibly offensive towards people with facial scars/burn victims/etc. but whatever, other tangent). So this can't have never crossed their minds at all. They just chose not to. But it's also not just them who is disappointing in my view--it's the director, and above all, the producers--who clearly didn't even think to hire a Disability consultant. All of them are guilty.

I want to take this time to say to that the only reason I'm so riled up about this is because I truly love the original play. I directed it many years ago (with a teenager in old age makeup, a choice I wouldn't make now, but I was young and was not plugged into this conversation--but even still, with that choice, it still feels like what I was aiming at was to portray an actual teenage girl with a physical disability, which again, Kimberly is!) and I've found it to be heartbreaking, hilarious, and deeply moving.

I will also say that I've developed an autoimmune disease over the past year that's made me see these kinds of things in a different light, and I think it's a difficult conversation as to where to draw the line with disability (for obvious reasons it would be logisitically difficult to say the least to say only AIDS patients/people living with HIV can play those roles, same with people with cancer, etc. as per my point above with Aquagenic urticaria) -- but I'm not a disability consultant. I'm just a person with an autoimmune disability and an opinion who works in the biz. So if anything, my speculation proves that there should've been at the very least, a disability consultant from the start. I've spent a lot of time online trying to see if there ever was one, and it seems there wasn't even an attempt in early workshops. 

Updated On: 3/9/22 at 02:42 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 6:14am

missthemountains said: "I'd go so far as to say is that the reason a person with dwarfism isn't being considered it's because producers know that it would be a tough sell for a commercial audiences, since most people are repulsed by people with physical disabilities/abnormalities. For Peter D to be starring in CYRANO is a huge deal, and it took how long for that to happen? And he's only even in that role because he has a handsome face and therefore has a "palatable" version of dwarfism to most people.

[...] I think it would be incredibly empowering move to display the version where Kimberly is a teenager who has a disability, because that's what she is. She's NOT an old woman. People with dwarfism and other noticeable physical disabilities deserve to be romantic leads, regardless if their characters are intentionally written that way or not. Ali Stroker and Madison Ferris in OKLAHOMA and GLASS MENAGERIE are proof that it can be done to great success, and at the very least, I think it's insanely disappointing that at no stage of development did they even TRY to see the material this way."

I think your points about progeria and how the visual representation of the character should not just be an older actor are incredibly fair. I'm not certain about the likelihood of finding an appropriate actor for such a rare condition or whether an actor with a form of dwarfism would be sufficient but I think you make valid points about audiences being repulsed by physical disabilities/abnormalities. At some point, playing marginalized characters needs to be more than an acting showcase/challenge for able-bodied (or neurotypical or straight or cis, etc. depending on the project) actors. 

[binau]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 7:17am

The visible age difference is so important to the character dynamic and plot I just don’t think *this* show and *this* production could work without it. If your vision of the show is different I think you could pick it up and run with it in a future production but you’re describing a different show in my opinion. 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 11:06am

missthemountains said: "In the original play, she does have progeria. I know it quite well. They do mention it by name."

Kimberly does NOT HAVE PROGERIA in the original play. In fact, the line is "So your disease is like Progeria, but without the dwarfism, the beaked nose and the receded chin". Act 1, Scene 4, page 15 on the DPS edition. Please do not spread misinformation. Clearly you do not know the play as well as you claim.

 

Updated On: 3/9/22 at 11:06 AM

[Ethel Berman]

Posted: 3/9/22 at 12:26pm

I’m curious to know if you’ve actually seen the musical? Because it’s actually different from the play in a lot of significant ways, and may explain the disconnect that people are having with your comments. If your opinions are based solely on the play (which, as has been mentioned, you seem to not remember as well as you think), then you’re not being fair to the musical, which is its own thing entirely.

I think most everyone would agree that representation is incredibly important and that theater needs to do A LOT more work to get disabled people onstage and behind the scenes. But for you to focus in on this one show, that (to me at least) doesn’t actually seem to be about disability at all, seems a bit misguided.

Kim has a fictional disease (not Progeria) and obviously not all diseases are disabilities. So what exactly in the show makes you think the character has a disability? The character does eventually have a heart issue, but that, along with the symptoms she lists in the disease presentation song, are all things that come with being an old woman, which is what I assumed her (fictional) disease entailed. Other than that, she seemed like an able-bodied teenager who ice skates and dances and happens to look like an old lady. Unless I missed something in the musical.

Updated On: 3/9/22 at 12:26 PM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/20/22 at 9:26am

Confirmed for the Booth:

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/KIMBERLY-AKIMBO-Announces-Pre-Sale-For-Broadway-Transfer-20220520

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/20/22 at 9:41am

Perfect choice of theatre.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/20/22 at 12:06pm

What a perfect lil theatre for this show. Hope the scaffolding will be gone by then.

[ElphabaGoodman]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 10:16am

Has anyone received a presale code for this? 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 5/31/22 at 10:22am

It's KIMFAN. I was hoping they would have the first couple of rows in the orchestra at "fan" pricing, but no such luck. Maybe they'll run a promo later.

Updated On: 5/31/22 at 10:22 AM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 12:58pm

Can we safely assume this is going to play the Music Box since Evan announced closing?

[YvanEhtNioj]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 12:59pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Can we safely assume this is going to play the Music Box since Evan announced closing?"

It's taking the Booth! Announced a couple weeks ago, I believe. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 1:00pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Can we safely assume this is going to play the Music Box since Evan announced closing?"

No -- because they already confirmed they are playing the Booth weeks ago.

 

[Det95]

Posted: 6/7/22 at 1:04pm

JSquared2 said: "jacobsnchz14 said: "Can we safely assume this is going to play the Music Box since Evan announced closing?"

No -- because they already confirmed they are playing the Booth weeks ago.

"

To be fair DEH originally announced for the Belasco then Shuffle Along closed