Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a Quirky Little Show with A Lot of Heart

Sunday night was the Toronto opening of the Canadian premiere of KIMBERLY AKIMBO – the 2023 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. Presented at Mirvish’s CAA theatre, and directed by Robert McQueen, this quirky musical tells the story of Kimberly, a high schooler with a rare genetic disorder that causes her body to age at four to five times the rate of the average person. As such, the average life expectancy is 16, and we meet Kimberly on the verge her 16th birthday. Although Kimberly’s mortality is always looming in the background, it is rarely discussed, and even Kimberly herself is initially preoccupied by her dysfunctional family, making friends with the school’s show choir, and typical high school romance and angst. Kimberly’s experience is anything but typical however, and throughout the comedic hijinks of Kimberly’s aunt Deborah and the trials and tribulations that come with flawed parents and young love, everyone is eventually forced to confront the reality of Kimberly’s condition and in turn to confront themselves.

With an incredibly strong (and Tony Award Winning) book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, this musical weaves together comedy and drama in the same way that real life does.

Canadian theatre icon Louise Pitre gives a powerful acting performance as Kimberly. Throughout the show, we see many facets of the character – there’s her chaotic homelife, in which she is very much parentified by the adults (quite ironic given her physical appearance), her school life where she deals with typical teenage angst but without the reassurance of ever getting to live beyond high school, and then there are her innermost thoughts and dreams where she, often more maturely than her parents can, grapples with the reality of her situation. Pitre fully embodies this character in every moment.

The chemistry among the cast is a huge strength. The innocent young love between Kimberly and Seth (Thomas Winiker) is played well, as is every family scene. This musical is very silly, but there are also many opportunities for the company to sink their teeth into the scene work. Families are messy and people are flawed and this show does not shy away from that. The book is very strong and often the most interesting parts of the dialogue are the things left unsaid between very complicated people. Vocally, Pitre is best during songs where Kimberly is emotional. She had some musical moments on opening night that were not as strong as others, but the overall performance was incredibly moving.

As Kimberly’s parents Buddy and Pattie, Cyrus Lane and Tess Benger are excellent. Neither character is particularly likeable, but the performers bring depth to these two imperfect, broken souls. These are two characters who were not ready to be parents when Kimberly was born - let alone be parents of a child they know they will outlive. As frustrating and disappointing as Buddy and Pattie are throughout the show, we as an audience, much like Kimberly, continue to root for them to do and be better. Benger in particular breaks hearts as she shows a crack in Pattie’s slightly delusional, self-absorbed armor with the lullaby power ballad Father Time.

Kristen Peace is hilarious as Kimberly’s wayward aunt Deborah and she brings the house down with her show stopping number Better. Her Deborah is a criminally delightful, albeit a terrible mentor for the young, impressionable minds of New Jersey.

Winiker is charmingly awkward as Seth – a nerdy teen who loves anagrams, works at the local ice rink, and becomes the subject of Kimberly’s first crush. Seth has experience with loss and grief, and we witness as he processes how the pressures of being the Good Kid have affected him. For all his awkwardness and youth, Seth is perhaps the least emotionally stunted character in the entire show. Winiker and Pitre have excellent chemistry and embody young love so well that by the end of the play, the age difference between the real life actors is all but forgotten as we witness two 16 year olds share a first kiss.

Rounding out the cast is the show choir – played by Jake Cohen, Kyle Jonathon, Taylor Lovelace, and Luca McPhee. All four bring a likeable, youthful energy to their characters and to the comedic love quadrangle that they find themselves in. As one might expect from a show choir, they are all also excellent vocally, blending and harmonizing well with the intricate vocal arrangements in the show.

Gillian Gallow’s set design for this production is scaled down from what was seen on Broadway but is efficient for what is needed to tell this intimate story.

Overall, this talented Canadian cast has done well to bring this odd little musical to life. This production has all the heart the award winning Broadway production had, and wonderful performances by the entire cast will have you laughing one minute and crying the next.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO continues at the CAA Theatre until February 8th.