Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll

Director Jessica Stone finds just the right balance for this quirky, eccentric mix to make 'Kimberly Akimbo' deliver both heart-breaking moments and lots of laughs. It’s worth seeing how they all pull it off, and pondering the messages of Kimberly’s situation.

Hannah Shankman delivers on every single count. And she’s surrounded by a strong supporting cast (which includes a 1970s Grammy Award-winning singer), glittery costumes, David Zinn’s beautifully nostalgic backdrops, and terrific dancing choreographed by Ayodele Casel and Ellenore Scott.

The terrific cast includes a finely tuned (vocally and otherwise) ensemble led by four stand-out performances. Webb’s Juliet combines powerhouse vocals with appealing determination and confusion, while Drake’s May offers the poignant view of a frequent outsider. Corey Mach wonderfully plays Shakespeare as an initially self-involved, striving artist, with Wicks’ beautifully nuanced Anne as his struggling wife yearning to give herself and women’s viewpoints a more important place in her husband’s world.