Kimberly Akimbo @ The Paramount Theatre

Sometimes Broadway gets it exactly right. When the 2023 Tony Awards crowned Kimberly Akimbo as Best Musical, they championed exactly the kind of sharp, surprising show that usually gets overlooked for splashier fare.

Meet Kimberly: she’s the new kid in town, dealing with a drunk dad, an injured mom, and a scheming aunt who’ll do anything for a buck. But here’s the real kicker—Kimberly lives with a rare disorder where she ages at a rapid pace; though she’s still in high school, she appears to be well into her golden years.

This prickly piece of tragicomedy comes from David Lindsay-Abaire (adapting his own acclaimed 2001 play) and features Jeanine Tesori’s best score yet by a long shot. This little show better encapsulates the unique, bursting-from-your-chest emotional intensity of musical theatre better than anything since probably Come from Away.

And heads-up: The touring production brings Broadway legend Carolee Carmello to Seattle in the title role.

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