'Kimberly Akimbo' delivers hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story

The musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” about a teenager aging much faster than most, somehow manages to be simultaneously hilarious, heartwarming and thought-provoking. At the start of the show, Kimberly Levaco and her family are settling into a new town in Bergen County, New Jersey.

Presented by Broadway in Boston (through May 18), the show — with book and lyrics by David Linsday-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori — offers up a particular kind of schtick: a sappy, sweet, coming-of-age story with a smidge of sadness that spurs audiences to think more critically about our lives and the decisions we make. And the extremely talented cast, coupled with a script full of comedy, criminal activity and a budding romance makes the production so much fun to watch (even with all the digs about different parts of New Jersey that this theatergoer who lived there for a while could relate to).

The narrative, with great direction from Jessica Stone, centers Kimberly Levaco, portrayed by the very skilled actor Carolee Carmello. Kimberly suffers from a fictional disease similar to progeria but doesn’t spend her time moping around. However, every now and again, her mortality pops up wordlessly, with a hand lingering on a sore hip, or in her silence, when her friends talk about the future. For Kimberly, who asks the Make-A-Wish Foundation for three wishes, the future is now. If only she could get her family — her alcoholic dad Buddy (Jim Hogan) and her always-injured mom Pattie (Laura Woyasz) — to get on board.

Initially, I wondered if Carmello, a sage actor with a long list of productions to her name, could portray a teenager like Kimberly well. But her dedication to her craft shows up in her character’s soft, girlish speech and bashful physical acting.

The ensemble is full of great thespians. Miguel Gil is fantastic as the tuba-toting, anagram-loving Seth who works at the ice-skating rink and has his own sad story. It’s a joy to watch Seth be admired in all his weird glory by Kimberly in the song “Anagram.” Grace Capeless is fabulous as the bossy Delia, who, with her gorgeous vocals, is obsessed with show choir and crushing on her faithful friend Teresa, portrayed by Skye Alyssa Friedman. And Darron Hayes as Martin and Pierce Wheeler as Aaron are also incredible vocalists. Kimberly and her classmates have to do a project on different diseases, and Martin and Aaron’s presentation on scurvy, with very fun choreography from Danny Mefford, is quite the highlight.

Another memorable moment is when Kimberly’s dad, Hogan’s Buddy, gets a moment to sing about his awkward encounter in the car with Kimberly and Seth in “Happy for Her.” Not to mention Kimberly’s super shady aunt Debra, depicted by Emily Koch, is a big-voiced scene stealer when she sings about doing whatever it takes to make her crappy life “Better.”

The musical, which is an adaption of the play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire ran on Broadway at the Booth Theatre from November 2022 to April 2024 and won five Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Leading Actress in a Musical (at the time that was Victoria Clark as Kimberly) and Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Bonnie Milligan as Debra).

I can see why it nabbed so many awards. In addition to the storyline, there’s a certain nostalgia that the cast and creative team taps into, thanks to scenic designer David Zinn, lighting designer Jeannette oi-Suk Yew, costume designer Sarah Laux and sound designer Kai Harada. There’s the vintage black and white signage for the skating rink, the absence of cellphones and computers, and the abundance of flannel shirts and dresses over jeans — peek 1990s grunge attire. But also, the teenage angst, the youthful dreams ripe with possibility, and the idea that Kimberly might not get to see hers come true make for a compelling watch.

Will this family rally around Kimberly and fly straight? Will Kimmy get her wish that she sings about in “Before I Go”? Will Aunt Debra’s sneaky scheme work or blow up in everyone’s faces?  Audiences should head to the theater to find out.

Presented by Broadway in Boston, “Kimberly Akimbo” runs through May 18 at the Emerson Colonial Theatre.