KIMBERLY AKIMBO Previews- Page 5

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 1:34am

SouthernCakes said: "You clearly don’t get how producing a brand new musical works."

certainly shouldnt involve comping 30-40% of the house right off the bat but please school me 

[Cheesy2]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 11:10pm

Perhaps with the show being in previews for less than a week, it's a tad premature to predict the failure and demise of this wonderful show. Word of mouth, the wisdom of David Stone,  et al might surprise you. 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/15/22 at 11:48pm

I mean seating charts talk and over priced tickets don't walk 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 2:49am

Saw this tonight and agree that it's still a big ball of charm.  When I saw it off Broadway I remember thinking that it was cute and quirky but never really expected it to go much further because it felt "small" (I've likened it to a Disney channel original movie, albeit a VERY good one).  Like when everyone started talking about it as the main contender for the Best Musical Tony, it didn't feel like it had quite the gravitas as other winners in the category.

But something about the way they scaled it up (while changing very little) really worked.  I had bigger laughs (despite knowing some of the jokes already) and teared up multiple times in the show.  I can't even explain what's different about it, but it just works.  It's not a show that necessarily has a huge message or contains a lot of hidden depth, but the straightforwardness of it also feels charming in its own way.  The characters are sketched out really well so that you even feel sympathy for Kim's family (who by many metrics can be considered terrible people).

I've generally had a tough time with Jeanine Tesori scores--I feel like there's always something I don't get about her music, and there's usually only a couple songs from each of her shows that I REALLY like.  So I could have a skewed viewpoint here, but I didn't really think this was a standout score.  It's very serviceable and easy to listen to during the show and I'd probably listen to the cast album a few times but none of the songs I really loved.  Though with David Lindsay-Abaire's lyrics, some of them can be quite touching.

The house was really eating it up tonight, and I think this could be a show that actually does manage to spread through word of mouth (though I'm sure the reviews will be glowing as well).

[djoko84]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 2:56am

Some of the comments on this thread are crazy. New musicals like this are hard to sell right off the bat. Once it gets raves then the sales will jump. Only people who are "in-the-know" on Broadway know it's the frontrunner for Best Musical next year. Tourists and casual viewers don't know that. You have to give a show like this time to find an audience and get good word-of-mouth.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 8:15am

djoko84 said: "Some of the comments on this thread are crazy. New musicals like this are hard to sell right off the bat. Once it gets raves then the sales will jump. Only people who are "in-the-know" on Broadway know it's the frontrunner for Best Musical next year. Tourists and casual viewers don't know that. You have to give a show like this time to find an audience and get good word-of-mouth."

Agree with this, as well as with those who have questioned if the show's marketing and messaging is helping its cause.

 

[veronicamae]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 6:14pm

To those who have questioned the advertising, marketing, and press (three separate but symbiotic ventures), I'm curious what you'd do differently. In NYC, I see ads for it on TV, online, and in the Times, and I've received an email or two from various outlets.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 7:12pm

veronicamae said: "To those who have questioned the advertising, marketing, and press (three separate but symbiotic ventures), I'm curious what you'd do differently. In NYC, I see ads for it on TV, online, and in the Times, and I've received an email or two from various outlets."

I have repeatedly said I find it sitcom-y in a specific way. I'd focus the advertising less on the kids and more on the family without giving anything away. Arguably the main catalyst is the new baby and the pressure that creates. There's a way to frame it so the focus is on the family dynamics, and there just happens to be a protagonist who is rapidly aging. Sell it to people who still love family sitcoms and in a way that doesn't make it seem like a show for children. 

The current commercial makes it seem like it's entirely about the glee club and sells it on the good reviews. Admittedly, the new Little Mermaid trailer wastes a lot of time building up suspense. But it ends on the "I Want" song. If you don't know anything about the show from off-Broadway, you don't know what Kimberly wants or much of what the show is about.

[Phillyguy]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 8:51pm

Saw this for the first time today. It was such a heartwarming show, with an excellent cast. Justin Cooley was a standout, so was the aunt, Bonnie Milligan. I was skeptical about its staying power based on the comments here, but having seen it, I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season. 

[GroupAGroup1]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 9:04pm

Has the creative team made any changes to the score for Broadway? Have numbers been removed/added?

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/16/22 at 9:39pm

"I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago 

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising.... 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 12:13am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: ""I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising...."

If we're talking about appealing to an audience besides the diehards, off-Broadway reviews from a year ago are a distant whisper to the bridge-and-tunnel crowd and probably never even made it to anyone else. 

If you hear about this show and look it up, you will see that it's already been a Critic's Pick from the Times. But, the goal is to make it to people who aren't already researching the show. It's as much about the reach of new reviews as it is about the content itself. 

A brand new Times review (especially a Critics Pick) printed and distributed to millions of potential readers across the country has power. It could be completely copied from their last review and the act of reprinting and redistributing it would still do wonders for this show. 

[djoko84]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 3:28am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: ""I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising...."

You obviously don't know how Broadway and off-Broadway work. Just because a show gets raves off-Broadway, doesn't mean it will get the same reviews when it transfers to Broadway. Many shows change a lot of aspects of the production for various reasons when they transfer. Plus the publicity of all new reviews, especially if they're raves, will catapult ticket sales. 

Updated On: 10/17/22 at 03:28 AM

[signorafosca2]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 10:49am

A few lyrical tweaks, and one new song to close Act One. Otherwise virtually unchanged.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 2:32pm

djoko84 said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: ""I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising...."

You obviously don't know how Broadway and off-Broadway work. Just because a show gets raves off-Broadway, doesn't mean it will get the same reviews when it transfers to Broadway. Many shows change a lot of aspects of the production for various reasons when they transfer. Plus the publicity of all new reviews, especially if they're raves, will catapult ticket sales."

this show won every major off-broadway award last year and had across the board raves in what universe would they radically overhaul it?

[dented146]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 2:45pm

Frankly, I can't wait to see this show. When I visit, it's number one.  I don't see how the people who already gave it raves can possibly change their opinion. It will get raves and people will see it and, from what I've read, love it and tell other people about it. So it won't be The Lion King or Mama Mia. Many people just want a quality musical. 

[TamzBway]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 7:22pm

Awesome! Quick q - when you win the lotto, do they let you know seat locations prior to you paying? Thanks!

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 8:17pm

TamzBway said: "Awesome! Quick q - when you win the lotto, do they let you know seat locations prior to you paying? Thanks!"

To the best of my knowledge, they do not. There are only 800 seats in this theatre though. I have trouble believing that any seat is really going to be that bad, especially if you're getting it at a discounted rate. However, they do an in-person rush and you will definitely get seat info and maybe some limited selection if you go for that. 

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 8:51pm

TamzBway said: "Awesome! Quick q - when you win the lotto, do they let you know seat locations prior to you paying? Thanks!"

No, but you’re sent the e-tickets right after paying. So far, it looks like lotto locations have been side orchestra. Not sure about rush locations.

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 10/17/22 at 9:34pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: ""I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising...."

The average broadway ticket buyer has no clue about an off-broadway run or off-broadway success. This needs new marketing and a ton of word of mouth to start building an audience. 

[djoko84]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 2:04am

Bill Snibson said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: ""I think it will likely get great reviews next month and get the momentum it needed to last until the Tony season."

Why do people keep writing this like the show didnt already get rave reviews less then 12 months ago

If reviews were going to help sales it would be happening, the reviews are very likely to be exactly what they have been utilizing in all their current advertising...."

The average broadway ticket buyer has no clue about an off-broadway run or off-broadway success. This needs new marketing and a ton of word of mouth to start building an audience."

Thank you. This up here. The tweens on this board really don't know how transfers work. Many people didn't know about Hamilton until it moved to Broadway. Yes, it was selling out off-Broadway, but only Broadway watchers knew about it. Definitely not people in Kentucky or Iowa or Kansas. But again, the stupidity and toxicity on this board runs rampant when you have tweens dominating it, thinking they know everything.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 10/18/22 at 12:18pm

Updated On: 10/19/22 at 12:18 PM

[Melissa25]

Posted: 10/19/22 at 10:02am

Victoria Clark says “It’s subversive, it’s irreverent, it’s hilarious and it’s heartbreaking.” 
Can’t wait to see this tonight.  
The Broadway Show: Victoria Clark on How KIMBERLY AKIMBO is Breaking All the Rules

[HopeLoblaw]

Posted: 10/19/22 at 9:04pm

I've been struggling to articulate why I liked the show but didn't love it -- and I wanted to love it. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum. If you loved it, great! I thought the cast was fantastic, and I hope the show does well.

But the fact that, to me, the show leaned too hard into whimsy stopped me from fully emotionally responding to it. I do tend to enjoy D L-A's less whimsical work over his more whimsical work, so my reaction might be in that vein. But even accepting that the goal here was to balance touching intimacy with goofball comedy, I wish the show hadn't felt overstuffed with unnecessary plot elements -- why the family left Lodi, the "let's all plan a caper" bit, the show choir needing new costumes as a subplot, etc. This is a story about a family -- how they deal (or don't) with curveballs life throws their way -- and I guess I wish that had been the focus. There's plenty of comedy and tragedy to explore in that.

Updated On: 10/19/22 at 09:04 PM

[brenway]

Posted: 10/20/22 at 12:40pm

Saw this on Tuesday night and loved it. Left work for lunch and swung by the box office (around 1pm) to see if they had any rush seats left, ended up getting a great seat ORCH L 9. It seems like they will try to give you any seats they have left. 

This show is so charming and the whole cast brought it. I have Skater Planet stuck in my head still. I cannot wait to see this again!