‘Kimberly Akimbo’ is the only reason to go back to high school
10 / 10
The musical, adapted by Lindsay-Abaire from his 2001 play, premiered to acclaim off-Broadway in 2021 at Atlantic Theater Company. On Broadway, Clark resurrects her quasi-progeric character with such delicate honesty, you believe there may just be a teenage psyche in her older-than-teenage body. A Tony Award winner, Clark is an exceptional actor with a firm grasp on Lindsay-Abaire's throughline. Her singing is equally divine, but rarely on full display here. Her soprano itches to soar, yet it's subdued into a chest voice/head voice/chest voice dance when wrapped around the youthful, electronic score from Tesori (who penned the music and co-wrote the lyrics with book writer Abaire). And yet, that's okay. Whatever we lose in the stereotypically show-stoppy belt of an 11-o'clock number is more than made up for with the emotional depths of songs like 'Before I Go' or the heartwarming 'Hello, Sister.' Director Jessica Stone clearly allowed for sheer play in rehearsal in order for each actor to find the perfect voice lilts, exaggerations or face scrunches to rip both sad and happy tears out of a crowd.
.jpg?format=auto&width=300)
