After an award-winning run on Broadway, earning the 2023 Tony for Best Musical, Kimberly Akimbo is now touring across the country.
The show follows a 16-year-old girl named Kimberly Levaco, who has a fictional disease similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly and have the appearance of a woman in her seventies. With neglectful parents, a new crush, and adolescent struggles, she’s determined to make the most of the time she has left.
Taking on the role of Kimberly for the road is beloved Broadway star and three-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello. Broadway Direct caught up with Carmello as she prepared for the tour’s opening night in Denver.
You were last on the road in 2020 starring in Hello, Dolly! before the tour was unexpectedly shut down during the pandemic. What excites you about hitting the road again now, more than four years later, in Kimberly Akimbo?
I think it’s just great to meet people in different parts of the country, you know? We’re so used to New York audiences, and it’s very different when you’re outside of the New York metropolitan area. People have a very different experience of theater, and lots of times they’re more excited about seeing a cast that came from New York and a Broadway production because they don’t get to do it as often. It’s not as accessible to them. And I think, especially with a show like this, it’s so important to bring it to different parts of the country. We’re so kind of combative and divided right now as a country, so telling a story about enjoying life while you can is really crucial.
What was your introduction to Kimberly Akimbo? I assume you saw it on Broadway.
I did. I saw it Off-Broadway first. I went because I had friends who were in the cast and I’d heard great things about it. Didn’t know much about the story at all. I loved the show and loved everyone in it. And then I went again when it moved to Broadway.
When you saw the show, did you immediately hope to play Kimberly in the future?
Being a woman in her sixties, there aren’t a lot of new roles that are that exciting in a new piece that would fit my needs, demographic, age, and everything. So, yeah, when you see something new that’s exciting and well-written and that you feel like you could slot into, I definitely thought, “Great, this, this show exists, and some day I’ll hopefully get to audition for it and get to play this part somewhere, somehow.”
How did the role eventually come into your orbit?
I did actively sort of pursue it through my agents. At the time, they had thought that Victoria Clark [the original Kimberly] was leaving the Broadway production, which is why they were having auditions. But then shortly after she had expressed a desire to go, the show announced it was closing and she decided to stay. So at that point, I reached out to my agents and I said, “I understand she’s not going to leave, but keep me in mind when the tour comes around.” So it was months that it was off my radar, and I kept every once in a while asking my agents, “Are they going to do that tour?” So I’m thrilled that it finally came to fruition.
And you just mentioned Victoria Clark. Did you have a chance to chat with her about taking on this role?
She texted me on the first day of rehearsal, which was very lovely, and just said, “Have a great time with it.” And I said, “I’ll try to make you proud.” And she said, “Oh, just do your own thing.”
I thought she was just great in the role. So, obviously, I’m not doing exactly what she did, because we’re different people. But I certainly was informed by that performance, because it was brilliant.
Tell us about your approach to the role of Kimberly.
When you have such good writing like this, you don’t have to do a lot of digging into backstories and creating your own version of things, because it’s just right there on the page. The lyrics are so good, the book is so good, the score is so good.
My approach is just to try to tap into her sense of hopefulness, which doesn’t come necessarily naturally to me as a person. I’m more of a realist or even sliding toward pessimism. But for Kimberly, despite everything that keeps happening to her and with her sort of dysfunctional family, she just keeps thinking, “Well, maybe today will be better. Maybe I can make it work this time.” So I’m trying to tap into that despite my own sort of instincts.
You’re performing alongside not just theater veterans, but some Kimberly Akimbo veterans. Has collaborating with them been helpful throughout the rehearsal process?
Yeah, it definitely has. When I’ve had questions about, you know, scene changes or costume changes or, you know, how did she do this? Where did she pick up this prop from? It’s nice to have people around who have experience with the show. And, of course, some things are different. We’re in much bigger houses on the road than they were in New York, so some things will definitely have to change. But having people around who are familiar with the show and who know all the ins and outs has definitely been helpful.
You touched on bringing this story across the country. What are you excited for audiences to experience with it?
There’s something really sweet about this story, and I think it’s because there’s this underlying message of, Let’s try to enjoy the time that we have, let’s not dwell on our differences. Let’s not dwell on the bad things that have happened or might happen in the future. Let’s try to enjoy the time that we have. It’s all in the lyrics of that final song, “Great Adventure,” and I just think that’s something that we have lost sight of a little bit as a country. So, I’m looking forward to telling this story in different parts of the country — red, blue, purple, whatever they may be — and just having people be reminded of how precious our time is together.
Kimberly Akimbo begins its run at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre on Tuesday, October 15, running through November 3. Find out if the musical is coming to a city near you here.