Posts Tagged ‘jeanine tesori’

“Kimberly Akimbo” at the Fox is a Lively, Unconventional Story

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on March 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Kimberly Akimbo
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Jessica Stone
Choreographed by Danny Mefford
The Fox Theatre
March 25, 2025

Cast of Kimberly Akimbo
Photo by Joan Marcus
Kimberly Akimbo US Tour

Kimberly Akimbo is a much-lauded musical that won various accolades for its Broadway run, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. When I heard the tour was coming to the Fox, I was especially looking forward to seeing it, since I had heard so many good things about it. After seeing this unique, small-ish show with big ambitions, I can say that, for the most part, it lives up to the hype, at least in terms of quality. I have a few reservations about some of the characters and plot itself, but there’s no denying that this show has a lot of enthusiasm and heart, and the tour has a truly wonderful cast. 

Kimberly (Carolee Carmello) is a teenage girl with a rare genetic condition that makes her age rapidly so that she looks like an older woman. She has recently moved to a new town in New Jersey with her parents, Pattie (Laura Woyasz)–who is expecting a new baby–and Buddy (Jim Hogan). She also has a shady Aunt Debra (Emily Koch), who her parents are trying to flee, but who manages to find them. Kim attends high school and goes skating at a local skating rink, forming a friendship with the geeky Seth (Miguel Gil) in the process. There’s also a group of teens involved in the school show choir (Grace Capeless as Delia, Darron Hayes as Martin, Skye Alyssa Friedman as Teresa, and Pierce Wheeler as Aaron) who soon become closer with Kim and Seth and get roped into Debra’s latest “slightly illegal” scheme. As Kim approaches her 16th birthday and the parents await a new baby, and the teenagers wait to grow up so they can move on from the awkward high school years, the plot tension grows as Debra continues to scheme but Kim has her own ideas of how to go about it. 

The overall themes of aging–and the fact that the most immature characters are the adults, who seem to have more lessons to learn than the teens–work in with the overall “make the most of your life while you’re living it” theme, and there are some especially insightful moments particularly between Kim, Seth, and the other teenagers. The adult characters can be difficult to like, considering how self-focused they are–but they do have their moments as well. Some of the biggest musical moments are from Debra, and the talented Koch makes the most of these moments with an excellent, powerful voice and strong comic timing, but I do find her plot a bit unsatisfying ultimately, and find myself hoping that Buddy and Pattie–also excellently played by Hogan and Woyasz–do become better parents in the future. Still, the real heart of this show is Kim, Seth, and their high school classmates, and casting there is also fantastic. Carmello makes me forget she’s not actually 16 for most of the play, with her quirky, persistent hopefulness and determination. She’s also well-matched by Gil in a goofily charming turn as Seth. Capeless, Hayes, Friedman, and Wheeler are also marvelous and relatable as the show-choir kids, with strong harmonies in the musical numbers. Also, Danny Mefford’s clever choreography adds a gawky energy to the teens’ dance numbers that’s effectively in keeping with their characters and story.

The set, by David Zinn, is detailed and dynamic, aided by Lucy McKinnon’s video design. There are also colorful, characterful costumes by Sarah Laux, and strong hair, wig, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew’s lighting is also fantastic, but there are some difficulties with the sound in moments. The orchestra, led by conductor Leigh Delano, lends energy and emotion to the memorable Jeanine Tesori score, as well.

Overall, Kimberly Akimbo is a fascinating, entertaining show with a fantastic score and a great cast. I find it difficult to care much about the adult characters at times, but the teen characters are its heart and soul, especially Kimberly herself. There are many relatable high school moments here, and the themes of making the most of life and taking responsibility are important. I can see why it has resonated with so many fans. I’m glad I was able to see this fantastic touring production at the Fox. 

Carolee Carmello, Miguel Gil
Photo by Joan Marcus
Kimberly Akimbo US Tour

The US Tour of Kimberly Akimbo is playing at the Fox Theatre until April 6, 2025

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Fly North’s “Caroline” is a Thoughtful, Profound Work of Art

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on August 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Caroline, or Change
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics by Tony Kushner
Directed by Brian McKinley
Choreographed by Caleb Long
Fly North Theatricals
August 30, 2023

De-Rance Blaylock, Kimmie Kidd, Kanisha Kellum
Photo by Julie A. Merkle
Fly North Theatricals

Caroline, or Change is a show I’ve known about for a long time, but had never seen. Now, Fly North Theatricals has given me, and the rest of St. Louis, the opportunity to take in this profoundly thoughtful, intensely musical show that depicts a historical reality as well as blends of fantasy and timeless messages. It’s also a remarkable showcase for its supremely talented cast. 

There is a lot going on in this story, which takes place in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1963. Widowed mother Caroline Thibodeaux (De-Rance Blaylock), who is Black, is working as a maid for the Jewish Gellman family, doing laundry in their basement while 8-year-old Noah Gellman (Zoe Klevorn) hovers around trying to get her attention. Noah’s mother has died and his father, Stuart (Jordan Wolk) has recently remarried his late wife’s friend Rose (Avery Lux), who feels neglected by her still-grieving husband and struggles to gain the affection of the resentful Noah, who would rather spend time with Caroline. Caroline, for her part, struggles to support her children on her small salary, while imagining the appliances and other objects coming to life while she works. The Washing Machine (Kanisha Kellum) is seen as an ally, but the Dryer (Duane Foster) is more of a nemesis, while the Radio (Kimmie Kidd, Adrienne Spann, and Ebony Easter) offers Greek Chorus-like commentary, and the Moon (Kidd) is a mystical, comforting presence. As Caroline reflects on her past and on the changing world around her, her daughter Emmie (Kenya Nash) is responding to the world events in a different way, supporting the Civil Rights Movement and efforts for positive change in society. Speaking of change, that becomes an issue in a more literal sense, as Rose wants to teach Noah a lesson about leaving coins in his pockets when sent to be washed, and when Rose tells Caroline she can keep what she finds, this is a source of much reflection, tension, and drama. 

There’s too much happening here to explain everything, and it’s better to be seen, and heard, than simply described in a review, anyway. Other characters like Stuart’s parents, Grandpa and Grandma Gellman (Ken Haller and Mara Bollini), and Rose’s father, Mr. Stopnick (Kent Coffel) also figure into the story; along with Caroline’s sons Jackie (Cameron Hadley) and Joe (Malachi Borum); and her friend Dotty (Kellum), who is attending night school at a local college. The show is mostly sung-through, with a variety of musical styles represented, including classical, gospel, folk, Jewish Klezmer music, and 1960’s Motown styles. The memorable and sometimes haunting score is a highlight, and the issues dealt with–of personal trauma, grief, the tension between the desire for change and the fear of it–set against the tumultuous backdrop of the South in the 1960s, makes for a challenging, thought-provoking musical that comes across as more of an opera at times, and makes me want to see it more than once (as well as reading the script), since the complexities and intricacies of the plot and characters are intensely fascinating and challenging. 

The superlative score and complex story are brought to life in this production by Director Brian McKinley and a truly stellar cast, led by Blaylock in a multi-layered, expertly sung performance as Caroline, whose struggles are made achingly credible. Nash is also impressive as the ambitious Emmie. There are also impressive performances from young Klevorn in a difficult role as Noah, Lux as the conflicted Rose, Wolk as the grieving Stuart; Kellum as the Washing Machine and as the determined Dotty; and Kidd, Spann, and Easter in excellent harmony as the Radio; as well as Foster, in excellent voice as the Dryer and the Bus. Everyone is strong here, with great vocals and strong, cohesive ensemble chemistry, making the most of the emotion and tension of the piece as well as its musicality. 

There are also strong production values, with the minimalist set by Caleb Long and Colin Healy, aided by Bradley Rohlf’s stunning lighting design, providing the appropriate period-specific atmosphere with a touch of fantasy. Vanessa Tabourne’s costume design and the band led by music director Healy also contribute impressively to the overall tone of the production. 

There’s a lot to say, and think, about Caroline, or Change, but the easiest thing to say about Fly North’s production is that it has to be seen. It’s a remarkable theatrical feat, with heart and emotion, as well as intense drama. It’s a strong example of the best of what theatre can do.

Cameron Hadley, Kenya Nash, Zoe Klevorn, Malachi Borum
Photo by Julie A. Merkle
Fly North Theatricals

Fly North Theatricals is presenting Caroline, or Change at the Marcelle Theatre until August 12, 2023

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“Fun Home” at the Fox Is a Profound Portrait

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , on November 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Fun Home
Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel
Directed by Sam Gold
The Fox Theatre
November 15, 2016

Cast of Fun Home Photo by Joan Marcus Fun Home National Tour

Cast of Fun Home
Photo by Joan Marcus
Fun Home National Tour

Fun Home isn’t a big musical. It’s actually quite small, and not very long. It runs about 90 minutes with no intermission. Still, as short as it is, this is a powerful show. I hadn’t seen it before the national tour came to the Fox, although I had heard great things about it. I’m happy to say that it lives up to the hype.

The show is inventively structured. Based on a celebrated graphic novel memoir by Alison Bechdel, the play introduces us to the author at three stages in her life, as adult Alison (Kate Shindle) is in the process of reflecting on her life story and writing and drawing the graphic novel. As Alison thinks and draws, we see a non-linear depiction of her life, meeting Small Alison (Alessandra Baldacchino) as she lives with her family in a small Pennsylvania town, the daughter of Bruce (Robert Petkoff), a high school English teacher and part-time funeral director; and Helen (Susan Moniz), an actress. Bruce is obsessed with redecorating his family’s grand old house, as well as keeping up the appearance of the perfect happy family. We also get to meet Medium Alison (Abby Corrigan), who starts college and experiences many personal discoveries, from her own identity as a lesbian  and her new relationship with girlfriend Joan (Karen Eilbacher), to continued revelations about her father, who is gay but closeted. As Alison learns about life and learns to make her own way, Bruce bristles against the changes in the world and the expectations of others, leading to despair as the older Alison reflects, ponders, and wonders how things could have turned out differently as she uses her art as a cartoonist as a vehicle for her own quest for answers.  The structure is brilliant, as the various stories intertwine and interact, and there’s a strong score to punctuate the drama.

This is an intensely dramatic play, no question, but it also has a great deal of humor, from adult Alison’s wry commentary on her previous selves’ lives as she writes about them, to Medium Alison’s enthusiastic celebration of her feelings for Joan, to Small Alison’s making a hilarious commercial with her brothers (Pierson Salvador as Christian, Lennon Nate Hammond as John) about the funeral home, complete with song and dance. In the midst of this though, is a family tragedy, of a man who cares so much about appearances and feels bound by society’s expectations of him, and of his wife who knows what’s going on and feels increasingly neglected and powerless, to the initially clueless Alison who doesn’t know what’s happening with her father until she’s in college, and the older Alison who still tries to come to terms with the tragic consequences of her father’s actions. It’s a brilliantly written, insightful show full of excellent songs and lucid commentary on the subject of personal growth and development of identity as well as family dynamics and the constant pressure for the parents to keep up appearances, and for the kids, as they grow up, to search for their own authenticity.

There isn’t a list of songs in the program, and I think that’s because the songs are blended so seamlessly in with the rest of the dialogue. This isn’t a sung-through show, but there’s a lot of music packed into that 90 minutes, and it’s excellent. The performers are all top-notch, as well, led by the three Alisons—the sometimes reflective, sometimes sarcastic Shindle as adult Alison, the wide-eyed, enthusiastic Corrigan as Medium Alison, and the thoughtful, playful, brash Baldacchino as Small Alison. Petkoff is also superb as the conflicted Bruce, who struggles to come to terms with his own feelings and reality in the midst of his efforts to construct and protect his own existence. Moniz is also strong as the neglected, caring but increasingly angry Helen, and there are also fine performances from Salvador and Hammond as Christian and John, by Eilbacher as Medium Alison’s outgoing girlfriend Joan, and by Robert Hager as a variety of characters in Bruce’s life.

The technical elements of the show work together well to help maintain the comic and dramatic atmosphere of this production. The Bechdels’ meticulously well-appointed house, adult Alison’s apartment/studio and Medium Alison’s college dorm room and campus spaces, the family’s “Fun Home” (their nickname for the funeral home) and more are well represented in David Zinn’s versatile set. Zinn also designed the costumes, which are also superb, fitting the various characters as well as the changing time periods well. Ben Stanton’s lighting is also remarkable, helping to maintain or shift the tone of scenes as needed and to enhance the overall mood of the production.

Fun Home is a short musical, but there’s a whole lot to see and experience in this one act show. I haven’t read the graphic novel on which it is based, but now I want to. This is a fascinating show, well-crafted in all areas and incredibly well performed. It’s a story of an artist, of a family, and of personal discovery and the struggle for authenticity amid outside expectations as well as self-perception.  It’s an impressive, highly emotional show and I’m glad I was able to see it.  There’s still time to check it out at the Fox. I highly recommend it.

Kate Shindle, Robert Petkoff Photo by Joan Marcus Fun Home National Tour

Kate Shindle, Robert Petkoff
Photo by Joan Marcus
Fun Home National Tour

The national tour of Fun Home is playing at the Fox Theatre until November 27, 2016.

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