Interview: Carolee Carmello Comes to Boston in KIMBERLY AKIMBO

Stage star Carolee Carmello has played a wide range of roles in her career – from “Cordelia, the kosher caterer,” in the original Broadway production of “Falsettos,” Lucille Frank in the Broadway premiere of “Parade,” Donna Sheridan in “Mamma Mia!” Dolly Gallagher Levi in “Hello, Dolly!” and Mother Superior in “Sister Act” to both Abigail Adams and John Dickinson in separate mountings of “1776.”

The three-time Tony Award nominee is adding to that impressive list right now, playing title character Kimberly Levaco in the first national tour of “Kimberly Akimbo” – winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score – which Broadway in Boston will present at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, May 6–18.

With music by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home”) and book and lyrics by Boston native, and Tony and Pulitzer Prize for Drama winner, David Lindsay-Abaire (“Rabbit Hole”), “Kimberly Akimbo” is based on Lindsay-Abaire’s 2001 comedy of the same name.

The story of a lonely teenage girl who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes accelerated aging, making her appear to be an elderly woman. Adding to her travails are everything from family secrets to mood swings, and possible criminal charges. Surrounded by her friends and fellow outcasts, Kim faces things head on, though, and is committed to achieving happiness in a world where time is her enemy.

The musical’s premiere production opened off-Broadway at Manhattan’s Linda Gross Theater in December 2021. It then transferred to Broadway’s Booth Theatre, opening on November 9, 2022, and running through April 28, 2024.

A graduate of the University of Albany, Carmello is originally from upstate New York. She now makes her home in Bergen County, N.J. – coincidentally also where her current show is set.

With Carmello in the lead role, the touring production has been on the road since September 2024. By telephone recently from Charlotte, N.C., she talked about the challenges and pleasures of playing Kimberly, and more.

What do you think of Kim?

I love this character – from the first time I saw this show off-Broadway, I’ve loved her. She faces so many obstacles but she always keeps an upbeat outlook on life. Kim believes that no matter what comes your way, you keep going forward, making the most of each day and living every adventure.

Do you share her positive outlook?

Not really. I’m much more of a realist and sometimes more of a pessimist. What I love about Kim is that she has such a positive outlook despite everything she’s dealing with, which is not me at all in real life. So to get to play a character who sees the good in people and the positives in life is a great lesson. David Lindsay-Abaire is brilliant, and has written wonderful, very funny dialogue for Kim. And this is my first time doing a show with the also-brilliant Jeanine Tesori. Between David and Jeanine, there is a lot to work with here and it’s all great.

What makes Lindsay-Abaire’s writing so impactful?

When it comes to “Kimberly Akimbo,” his book is just very emotional. Throughout the show, you’re on the brink of so many feelings. You may want to cry at certain points, but it can also make you laugh. It’s reminiscent of William Finn (“Falsettos,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) who we lost just last month and who, like David, was brilliant at writing about tragic things with humor. Bill was also born in Boston and I know there are many people who loved him there.

What are the challenges of playing a teenager with a rapid-aging disease?

I wear a grayish, blonde wig that ages me because, as the show starts, Kim is 15, about to turn 16. One of Kim’s big challenges as the story opens is her physical difference from her classmates in her new school. The biggest challenge for me, however, is that when the audience sees my character, they see an older woman’s face. That makes the progeria point, of course, but it’s important to the show that they see a teenager’s face, too.

What kind of research did you do for this role?

I didn’t do any scientific research. I chose instead to take the writing at face value. End of life, mortality, and what to do with the time you have are the themes of this show. It’s really about making the most of our time on earth and living full out.

What I did do, though, was study the body language of real-life teenagers and then ask myself, how do they hold their shoulders? How much eye contact do they allow? There’s a self-consciousness when you’re a teenager that comes from not feeling comfortable in your own skin yet.

This is the second time you have taken over a role from Victoria Clark, who won the Leading Actress, Musical, Tony for “Kimberly Akimbo,” the first being Mother Superior in “Sister Act” on Broadway. What’s that been like?

I’ve done a lot of replacing in my career. It’s a great way to make a living. Marin Mazzie, in the 1999 revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” and Victoria Clark in this show, created great molds that I’ve stepped into. It was the same when I took over the North American tour of “Hello, Dolly!” from Betty Buckley a few years ago. Dolly hadn’t been one of my dream roles, but it’s such a well-written and witty show that it was a joy to do. Unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted that tour but I would do Dolly again if the opportunity came along.

What do you want audiences to get from this show?

I hope they’re uplifted and come away appreciating their own lives more. We all have challenges, so that makes Kim a very relatable character. She’s facing extraordinary struggles, but she never loses hope.