[1] 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.
"[2] 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.
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.
[3] 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.
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.
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.
At the Levacos’ home, Pattie, pregnant and with casts on both arms, creates a video for her yet-to-be-born baby ("Hello, Darling").
The group then plans on purchasing classic show choir outfits (blue dresses for the girls and turquoise suits for the boys).
Pattie, Debra, and Buddy all show up as well, having been invited by Seth, who reveals to Kim that this is a surprise birthday party.
Debra gifts Kim an extremely large pinecone, while Buddy and Pattie both promise to, respectively, stop drinking and be a better mother as their presents.
When Pattie, now with a leg brace from a skating injury at Kimberly’s birthday party, leaves her camera in the room, he makes a video for the baby.
It is revealed that Buddy paid Debra to go to the Levaco’s old neighbor, Mr. Zwicky’s house to beat him up, because Pattie had sex with him to ensure that this baby wouldn’t have the same ailment as Kim.
Before they leave, Pattie tells Kim (who is pretending to sleep) that the Make A Wish Foundation is going to build her a treehouse.
Seth has brought all sorts of things to help Kim feel better, but she just wants to live in a better moment and they decide to leave to participate in the check fraud scheme, which was to be done without them (“Now”).
Later, Kim comes home with a bag of the money and tells her parents that they can finally go on their road trip, and to start packing.
Martin, Aaron, Delia, and Teresa (in their show choir outfits), Debra (now working at Costco), Pattie and Buddy (with the new baby), and Kim and Seth tell the audience to live life to the fullest because "no one gets a second time around" (“Great Adventure”).
[4] The show then moved to Broadway's Booth Theatre with the same cast, beginning previews on October 12, 2022 with an official opening on November 10, 2022.
It was produced by David Stone, the Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo and Aaron Glick.
For this production, the entire creative team remained except for Chu's lighting, who was replaced by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew.
The cast includes five understudies from the original Broadway company, as well as Valerie Wright who will continue on the road with the production as the standby for Kimberly.