Tony Award-winning musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ shines with heartfelt humor and hope

An unabashed celebration of life in the face of death

Death looms large in “Kimberly Akimbo.” We learn not long into the first act that 15-year-old Kimberly Levaco suffers from a rare genetic disease that causes rapid aging; most people afflicted with the condition die at age 16. Yet the show, which is running at the Benedum Center downtown now until March 9, is an unabashed celebration of life.

“Kimberly Akimbo,” which won five Tony Awards in 2023, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, offers a refreshing spin on teenage angst and moral ambiguities, all while showcasing clever musical numbers and a profound underlying message.

Kimberly (Carolee Carmello) is the “new girl” at her New Jersey high school, struggling to connect with her peers despite her outward appearance as a middle-aged woman. She finds commonality with Seth (Justin Cooley, who played the role in the original Broadway company), who is struggling with family issues, and she is soon welcomed into a clique of four other awkward adolescents.

Carmello, who is 62 and a three-time Tony nominee, is convincing as a teenager trapped in the body of an older woman, adeptly conveying Kimberly’s youthful innocence despite the persistent reminder of her fate. When Kimberly and Seth present a science project about her condition, Carmello sings “Our Disease,” striking a lighthearted chord that quickly turns serious, as she calls out her peers for the inanities of high school while lamenting her lot. She sings: “Getting older is my affliction/Getting older is your cure.”

Comic relief is provided by Kimberly’s ethically challenged family: her hilarious grifting Aunt Debra (Emily Koch); her very pregnant mom, Pattie (Laura Woyasz); and her alcoholic dad, Buddy (Jim Hogan). Reminiscent of the parents of Roald Dahl’s Matilda, Pattie and Buddy are almost cartoon-like but nonetheless endearing. We are rooting for this family, dealing with the heartache of raising a child who will age but not grow up.

Everyone in the nine-person ensemble delivers strong performances, skillfully navigating the comedic/dramatic tightrope that is “Kimberly Akimbo.”

Although Kimberly’s disease is not named in the show, its symptoms are similar to those of progeria, for which there is no cure, the Forward noted. Progeria is the disease that claimed the life of the son of Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, Aaron, who died at the age of 14. Kushner was inspired to write the 1981 bestselling book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” after Aaron’s death. Rather than blaming God for the random tragedies that afflict humans, Kushner focused on response.

“We too need to get over the questions that focus on the past and on the pain — ‘why did this happen to me?’ — and ask instead the question which opens doors to the future: ‘Now that this has happened, what shall I do about it?’” Rabbi Kushner wrote.

And this is the ultimate response of not only Kimberly, but also her friends and her family — all of whom are suffering to varying degrees from one thing or another.

This show could have been a bummer, but instead David Lindsay-Abaire, who wrote the book, lyrics and the original play upon which the musical is based, gifted his audience a feel-good ending. In this time of chaotic domestic politics, societal divides and wars waging abroad, “Kimberly Akimbo” is a breath of fresh air. PJC

“Kimberly Akimbo,” is part of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 2024-2025 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series. More information can be found here.

Toby Tabachnick can be reached at ttabachnick@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.