Broadway tour of "Kimberly Akimbo" at the Ordway Center

No one gets a second time around in life, but if you're lucky, you get a second time around with the 2023 Tony-winning best musical Kimberly Akimbo, thanks to the Ordway bringing it back to the Twin Cities after the tours' first stop here last summer at the Orpheum. I didn't know much about the show before seeing it last year, but fell instantly in love with it and was thrilled to revisit this charming, heart-warming, hilarious, and bittersweet musical about a 16-year-old girl living in a body that's aged 4-5 times the normal rate. There aren't that many musicals with a 60+ year old woman in the lead role, and a story that doesn't center around a romance, so that alone is reason to celebrate! This is not a big splashy huge-cast over-the-top kind of musical. It's a small intimate story that's told well, with complex, distinct, relatable characters, and music that perfectly expresses the emotions of the story. I look forward to regional productions of it when it becomes available, and I'd also love to see the original play produced locally, but in the meantime go see this funny, sweet, and touching musical filled with fun, catchy, singable songs, playing at the Ordway in downtown St. Paul through March 1 only!

Broadway tour of "Kimberly Akimbo" at the Orpheum Theatre

Somehow I missed seeing the 2023 Tony-winning best musical Kimberly Akimbo on Broadway, so I'm thrilled that it finally made its way to Minneapolis for one short week. I went into the show knowing almost nothing about it (which is rare for me), other than it was about a teenage girl with a disease that caused her to age rapidly. As the show unfolded, every moment was a delightful surprise. This is not a big splashy huge-cast over-the-top kind of musical. It's a small intimate story that's told well, with complex, distinct, relatable characters, and music that perfectly expresses the emotions of the story. Truth be told, that's my favorite kind of musical. It's similar to a Next to Normal or Fun Home in scope, but much lighter in tone, although it does deal with some heavy themes as our Kimberly deals with turning 16, the average life expectancy of someone with her (unnamed) disease. But it's also really funny, sweet, and touching, with fun, catchy, singable songs. It's the kind of musical that will lend itself well to regional productions, and I look forward to that, but in the meantime, don't miss this opportunity to see this well-deserved Tony winner live and in person - through July 13 only!