Ensemble Arts Philly and the Shubert Organization present the national tour of Kimberly Akimbo

That’s true of all but one student in the scene: the central character, Kimberly Levaco, who looks on in silent agony. Born with a genetic condition that causes her to age rapidly, 16-year-old Kim knows all too well that she won’t be joining her peers on their upcoming adventures.

Humor and vulnerability

Kimberly Akimbo, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2023, offers a wry spin on the familiar sick-kid genre—anchored by a leading performance from Ann Morrison that deftly blends humor with vulnerability.

Kimberly has packed a lot of life into her accelerated adolescence—or rather, a lot of life has been thrust onto her shoulders. Her mother Pattie (Laura Woyasz) is a narcissist bent on having another, more normal baby, and her father Buddy (Jim Hogan) finds his nurturing qualities stifled by a drinking problem. Her wiry Aunt Debra (Emily Koch) generally cares for her well-being but can’t resist her penchant for petty crime.

Kimberly often finds herself forced into an adulthood that matches her outward appearance but not her inner angst. Morrison threads this needle flawlessly, letting the audience glimpse her character’s private anguish that lurks beneath a steely surface. She also shares a sweet chemistry with the terrific Miguel Gil, who plays Seth Weetis, a classmate who feels equally unmoored after his mother’s death. (Gil was with the show through October 26; Marcus Phillips assumes the role on October 28.)

Well-deserved Tonys

David Lindsay-Abaire adapts the musical from his 2001 play, with a score by Jeanine Tesori. Both received Tonys, and deservedly so—the libretto brims with wicked comedy that effortlessly segues to emotional depth, and the music infectiously blends classic Broadway with an ‘80s Jersey pop aesthetic. As a born-and-bred New Jerseyan, I chuckled at every joke about West Orange, Newark, and Metuchen—and appreciated that the cast pronounced Secaucus correctly.

The work’s title derives from Seth’s penchant for anagrams, and that makes a fitting metaphor for the material itself. In Kimberly Akimbo, facts and lives are frequently rearranged and distorted, in ways that both delight and perplex the characters. Through sparkling showtunes that ultimately reveal a surprising depth, Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori show the audience that appearances aren’t always what they seem.

An exemplary performance

Jessica Stone’s high-energy production fits surprisingly well into the Academy of Music—more than double the size of the Booth Theatre, where it played on Broadway—although it likely helps to sit as close to the stage as possible. Even from balcony seats, though, David Zinn’s suggestive sets, Sarah Laux’s character-defining costumes, and Lucy MacKinnon’s poignant video design will surely communicate the heart of the story.

The primary reason to attend—and you should—is Morrison’s exemplary performance. If, like me, you grew up with her voice on the original cast recording of Merrily We Roll Along, you’ll thrill to find her inimitable sound entirely undiminished by time. But the poignancy she draws from her portrayal is the point here. Mature but unguarded, her Kimberly exists between an uncertain present and an impossible future, and it strikes you square in the heart.