Kimberly Akimbo: Tiny Desk Concert
Josh Rogosin | May 19, 2023
The day before the 2023 Tony nominations were announced, the cast, band and composer of the musical Kimberly Akimbo climbed out of their bus and shuffled behind the Tiny Desk. That's no easy feat for nine cast members, four bandmates and a composer wielding a glockenspiel.
Kimberly Akimbo (with title character played by Broadway star Victoria Clark) is a coming-of-age story about a 16-year-old girl with a rare genetic disease, which causes her to age four times faster than normal. The show is funny, sad and uplifting all at once. It's a family affair with songs sung by Kimberly's aunt, parents, love interest and friends.
For the transfer to the Tiny Desk, composer Jeanine Tesori led the audience through a playlist of four standout musical numbers, making sure to shout out her collaborator, playwright David Lindsay-Abaire. After opening with Bonnie Milligan's Tony-nominated performance of "Better," Tesori asked her cast and band to introduce themselves. Justin Cooley, who plays Kimberly's first crush, could not make it to the Desk. The composer-turned-emcee used the opportunity to thank all understudies who work tirelessly to ensure that the show must go on — even at a desk in a Washington, D.C. office.
SET LIST
"Better"
"Anagram"
"Father Time"
"Great Adventure"
CAST
Steven Boyer
Victoria Clark
Miguel Gil
Olivia Elease Hardy
Fernell Hogan
Michael Iskander
Alli Mauzey
Bonnie Milligan
Nina White
MUSICIANS
Jeanine Tesori: composer, glockenspiel
Chris Fenwick: piano
Andrew Zinmeister: guitar, ukulele
Shannon Ford: percussion
Jeff Allen: upright bass
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Josh Rogosin
Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
Audio Engineers: Josh Rogosin, Neil Tevault
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Elizabeth Gillis, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistants: Josephine Nyouani
Production Assistant: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Maia Stern, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
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