Kimberly Akimbo to Launch National Tour in 2024- Page 2

[bear88]

Posted: 4/15/23 at 5:17am

James885 said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "60 city tour?

very bizarre, even with a best musical win this is not a show that is going to do well on the road in houses that are 1500-2500 seats"

I'm inclined to agree. Even with a Best Musical Tony win, I think this show is going to be a tough sell on the road. I imagine it'll be dwarfed in places the size of LA's Pantages or SF's Curran."

The Pantages, with 2,700 seats, is a pretty large theater. But the Curran, with 1,667 seats, is the smallest of the San Francisco touring houses (yes, that’s still twice as many seats as the Booth) but feels more intimate. That’s definitely where it should go.

The fate of smaller shows on the road is no easier to predict than the outlook for shows on Broadway. Smaller, more intimate musicals like Fun Home, Dear Evan Hansen and Come From Away have done fine on the road. The Band’s Visit did well in San Francisco. There would be things lost in large barns, but most audiences for touring productions haven’t seen the Broadway show anyway.

I also question the idea that much of Kimberly Akimbo won’t translate. Yes, it will be more difficult for the actress playing Kimberly, but a lot of the humor in the show is very broad. I have an unusual but not unprecedented thesis here: I am bearish on the show’s future on Broadway even with its expected Best Musical win. That will help for a little while, but there’s not much evidence to argue that it will suddenly become a big hit. The same thing happened to Fun Home, but that didn’t stop it from making money on the road with its Best Musical title. I happen to think Fun Home was a more marketable show, despite its dark subject matter, but that doesn’t mean Kimberly Akimbo is doomed.

Full disclosure: I didn’t like Kimberly Akimbo, but that’s just my personal bias. There is no reason to think the show wouldn’t continue to get glowing reviews on the road and perform as well as the other acclaimed small musicals that had short Broadway runs despite Tony Awards (assuming I am right about that, which I might not be).

Moreover, of the new musicals that have or will open on Broadway this season, what is a lock to tour well or be the centerpiece of a touring house’s season, the way MJ is in 2023-24? & Juliet seems like the safest bet, and Back to the Future already has a tour lined up even though it hasn’t opened on Broadway yet. But what else? I’m not seeing much. Of the revivals, Sweeney Todd has been doing great business thus far, but can it thrive on the road without its Broadway star power? Maybe, but that looks like the only possibility.

Updated On: 4/15/23 at 05:17 AM

[ShowBro]

Posted: 9/14/24 at 4:33pm

Please for anyone who is lucky enough to be in Utica tn, dying to know first thoughts about Carolee Carmello and the new cast!!

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 9/15/24 at 10:21am

Last night's curtain call

I wasn't there, but everyone looks great!

[MatthewS1]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 9:12am

ShowBro said: "Please for anyone who is lucky enough to be in Utica tn, dying to know first thoughts about Carolee Carmello and the new cast!!"

Bumping this- did anyone see it? I’ll be seeing it in StL- saw the entire original cast and couldn’t be more excited for the tour.

Also, for those who are specifically looking to see Carolee, this link will be your best friend: https://kimberlyakimbothemusical.com/atthisperformance/

Updated On: 9/16/24 at 09:12 AM

[ggersten]

Posted: 9/16/24 at 4:01pm

We have tix on October 1 in Denver. 

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 4:05pm

I haven’t seen it, but there’s a very positive review of the first performance on Reddit. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 6:32pm

They are doing a $31.00 digital rush for it here in Denver. I saw it on Broadway so I may try to grab one. 

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 8:58pm

I wish there was some kind of rush/discount available when they were in Utica. Their second performance was 1/3 full and literally nothing to be had as far as getting a ticket under $100 - they even closed the balcony. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/17/24 at 10:13pm

n2nbaby said: "I wish there was some kind of rush/discount available when they were in Utica. Their second performance was 1/3 full and literally nothing to be had as far as getting a ticket under $100 - they even closed the balcony."

 

Might be why they are doing the discount here. Ticket availability is really good after the first night, at this point

 

[Ensemble1727393223]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 12:54am

Opening night in Denver bows and David Lindsay-Abaire speech.

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[ChairinMain]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 1:12pm

MatthewS1 said: "ShowBro said: "Please for anyone who is lucky enough to be in Utica tn, dying to know first thoughts about Carolee Carmello and the new cast!!"

Bumping this- did anyone see it? I’ll be seeing it in StL- saw the entire original cast and couldn’t be more excited for the tour.

Also, for those who are specifically looking to see Carolee, this link will be your best friend: https://kimberlyakimbothemusical.com/atthisperformance/"

THIS IS EVERYTHING WHY DON'T MORE SHOWS DO THIS?! 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/24 at 1:53pm

It got a very good review here in Denver. The review I read is in today's Denver Post. There is usually a paywall however I was able to search the review and it came up without the paywall. here is the link:

 

https://www.denverpost.com/2024/09/27/tony-winning-kimberly-akimbo-launches-national-tour-in-denver-theater-review/

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 1/17/25 at 8:49pm

Caught this last night in Portland, OR. I also saw this in previews on Broadway Oct 2022 for context (and loved it). 

TLDR: Carmello, Gil, and the rest of the company are top notch. This is a high caliber touring production that captures the magic of the original production. 

After finding a row D center orchestra ticket online, decided to go see this last night. Carolee Carmello really nailed the role. She balanced the teenage akwardness, sadness, and hopefulness very well. I've only heard her sing on the Parade CR, and I've never seen her on stage. I much prefer Victoria Clark's singing: when Clark sang "See the World" in "Before I go", I just melted. Carmello's voice is very pleasant, but her vibrato and belt undulates quite a bit. This is admittedly a personal preference nitpick. 

Miguel Gil was stellar. In online clips I've seen, it seemed like he was imitating Justin Cooley, but it seems he's really made it his own. He was hilarious and endearing where he needed to be. He might be a little too cute though (ie, you would have thought he was quite popular in high school sitting in the audience).  

Koch, Hogan, Steingold, and the 4 high school students were all excellent. 

Some other random observations and musings: The stage at the Keller is large, and if feels like the Levaco family had a pretty large house. I really dislike the the Keller based off the shows I've seen here in the last 10+ years: it's a 3000+ seat auditorium that never seems to sell good seats to non subscribers. I would not be surprised if someone else watching from the extreme sides or mezzanine/balcony had a much different experience last night. In the past, the sound was often imbalanced, though it was perfect last night. From the very front, it felt as intimate as any Broadway venue. A very privileged thing to write, I fully acknowledge. 

If the show is coming to your town, I highly recommend it! 

[ChiDoc]

Posted: 1/22/25 at 4:53pm

Tony nominee Justin Cooley will be returning as Seth for the tour's stops in Vegas, Omaha, Cincinatti, Pittsburgh, and Detroit (though the last for only one of its two weeks).  If you are in any of those cities, run don't walk to see him, because he was absolutely incredible the two times I saw him.