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Kimberly Akimbo is a 2021 musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, and lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on Lindsay-Abaire's 2001 comedy of the same name. The show tells the story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age rapidly, thereby giving her the appearance of an elderly woman, and how, according to Playbill, "[f]orced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side." The show's premiere production opened Off-Broadway on December 8, 2021, at the Linda Gross Theater in Manhattan; it was critically acclaimed, with the performances of Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley, and Bonnie Milligan, Lindsay-Abaire's book and lyrics, and Tesori's score all receiving praise. The off-Broadway production won Best Musical prizes at the Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. The show then moved to Broadway, opening at the Booth Theatre on November 9, 2022 (with previews beginning on October 12). The Broadway production also received critical acclaim, winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Victoria Clark), and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Bonnie Milligan). Background Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire's comedy Kimberly Akimbo made its premiere in 2001, at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California; it eventually moved Off-Broadway in 2003, at the Manhattan Theatre Club, in a production featuring Marylouise Burke, John Gallagher, Jr., and Ana Gasteyer. Lindsay-Abaire's other plays include Fuddy Meers (1999), Good People (2011), and Rabbit Hole (2006), for which he won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Jeanine Tesori has written the music for stage musicals such as Thoroughly Modern Millie (2000), Caroline, or Change (2003), Shrek the Musical (2008), and Fun Home (2013); she has also been twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, for Fun Home and Soft Power (2018). Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori had previously worked together on Shrek the Musical. Synopsis Act l At an ice skating rink named "Skater Planet" in Bergen County, New Jersey, six teenagers–Kimberly Levaco, Seth Weetis, Martin Doaty, Aaron Puckett, Teresa Benton, and Delia McDaniels–express their frustrations. Kim is the new girl in town, with a disease that makes her age four and a half times as fast as normal, and a dream of visiting Six Flags Great Adventure. Seth, an employee at the rink, feels like a misfit. The four others are all pining for another member of their friend group unrequitedly (Martin for Aaron, Aaron for Delia, Delia for Teresa, and Teresa for Martin). All the teens feel as if they don't fit in, and express their desire to "be seen" ("Skater Planet"). Kim’s frequently drunk father Buddy is over three hours late picking her up, Kimberly gives him a thermos filled with coffee to sober up. Seth comes back to the rink for his tuba, which he had left inside. He asks Kim to be his partner for an upcoming biology project, and says that they could do it about her disease. Buddy retorts and says that Kimberly is researching glaucoma, and insults Seth behind his back. Buddy tells Kimberly to tell her mother, Pattie, that they were late due to car troubles. At the Levacos’ home, Pattie, pregnant and with casts on both arms, creates a video for her yet-to-be-born baby ("Hello, Darling"). When Buddy and Kim arrive home, Pattie chastises Buddy for their lateness and his drunkenness, which leads to an argument in which both parents end up having to give quarters to the family "swear jar". Buddy suggests that if they save up enough in the swear jar, they could go on a road trip, which Pattie quickly shoots down. It is also established that the family is trying to keep secret the fact that they're from Lodi, New Jersey. In her room, Kimberly writes a letter to the Make A Wish Foundation, requesting a treehouse after going back and forth between an array of wishes ("Make A Wish"). At school, Martin, Aaron, Delia, and Teresa make plans for a Dreamgirls mashup for their school show choir, one that will compete with their rival West Orange's Evita mashup. They reaffirm their problems with unrequited love ("Skater Planet (reprise #1)"). The group then plans on purchasing classic show choir outfits (blue dresses for the girls and turquoise suits for the boys). Kimberly agrees to be Seth's partner for the biology project, and to use her disease as their topic. Delia invites Teresa to Skater Planet, but Teresa wants to invite Martin. This results in all four members of the friend group agreeing to go to Skater Planet, after Martin invites Aaron. In the library, while studying for their project, Seth creates an anagram of Kim's name, "Cleverly Akimbo". She realizes that she likes him ("Anagram"). Debra, Kim's criminal aunt, shows up and makes crude jokes. She reveals that she has been sleeping in the school library, waiting to find Kimberly. The Levaco family moved from Lodi in a manner that made it difficult for Debra to find them, which was intentional. Debra tells Kim about an exciting new opportunity to make a lot of money, and that it is only "slightly illegal". Debra also tries to convince Martin, Aaron, Delia, and Teresa to help out ("Better"). Kim agrees, but only if she gets a say in the plan, and only if Debra agrees that nobody will get hurt. Debra is ecstatic, and tells Kimberly to leave the window and door unlocked at her house. Around midnight, at the house, Kim goes to unlock the door, but is caught by Pattie, who is awake because of the baby's kicking. Kimberly distracts her, as Debra sneaks in the window. Kim tells her mother that she reminds her of Medea. However, despite Kim's distraction efforts, Pattie catches Debra. Ignoring Pattie's protests, Debra comes into the house, and drags a mailbox into the basement. Pattie reflects on and laments her situation, before singing a lullaby that she used to sing for Kim to the new baby ("Hello, Darling (reprise)/Father Time"). At this point, it is Kim's sixteenth birthday. The life expectancy of one with her disease is sixteen years old. The next morning, Buddy is driving Kim and Seth to school, but embarrasses Kim by yelling at Seth for supposedly wanting to "get in her [Kimberly's] pants". He also throws Seth's muffin out of the car window ("Happy For Her"). Kimberly yells at her father, and tells him that she hopes he drives the car off the road and crashes into a tree, then dies. Later, at school, Seth tells Kim that if she wanted him to kiss her, he'd do it. He also invites Kim to come to Skater Planet that night, which she agrees to. Kim reflects on her feelings for Seth ("Anagram (reprise)"). That night, at Skater Planet, Seth gives Kimberly a present of a book of anagrams. Pattie, Debra, and Buddy all show up as well, having been.... Discover the Kimberly Rinker popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Kimberly Rinker books.