Reviews
"Ann Morrison took over the title role on July 29th, and she has attacked the role with unbridled enthusiasm. She joins what can only be described as a perfectly-cast cast."
"The dancing on ice skates and the snow falling on the stage during the first act are simple effects that get big reactions, but the true star of the show remains Ann Morrison. She so convincingly plays Kimberly’s plight one might reasonably ask oneself if she's a young actor in older makeup or an older actor with the spirit and moves of a far younger one. Morrison, who has a solid history of doing one-person productions, is entertaining enough to do this production alone, but when you add in the incredible supporting cast the resulting sum is much greater than its parts."
"At its center is Kimberly Levaco (played by the magnificent Ann Morrison), a bright, witty teenager from suburban New Jersey who looks like a 72-year-old woman due to a rare genetic condition that drastically accelerates aging. In Ann Morrison’s more-than-capable hands, Kimberly is at once awkward, idealistic, mature, and innocent. We quickly learn that her outlook may be a survival mechanism."
"The production is straightforward and beautifully executed, with a fine orchestra under the direction of Leigh Delano, choreography by Danny Mefford that supports rather than overwhelms, and a design team that delivers the show with polish and precision."
"KIMBERLY AKIMBO will make you laugh and make you cry. It may not dazzle in the grand tradition of Broadway spectacle. Instead, it gives us an intimate and deeply human look at a teenager whose greatest challenge is how to use what little time she has."
By Adrienne Proctor
"Ann Morrison is a legend of Broadway proportions. Best known for originating the role of Mary Flynn in Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 classic “Merrily We Roll Along,” Morrison is seen here in a brand new light and portrays Kimberly with heart and gumption."
"15 year-old Kimberly suffers from a rare genetic condition that causes rapid aging – similar to Progeria, but never formally named – so she has the physicality and appearance of a woman much older than she is. Thus explains the casting choice for a veteran Broadway performer to portray an awkward teenager. Morrison is quirky and youthful, and the audience takes to her charming demeanor immediately."
Pictured: Laura Woyasz, Ann Morrison, Jim Hogan
"It’s when the story focuses on dirty kitchen sink melodrama that is Kimberly and her family life that the musical is most effective, due in large part to Morrison’s phenomenal portrayal of Kimberly. Within a few minutes, she has you believing completely in the fact that this is a young woman determined to live and see as much of the world as she can in however brief a life she has."
"The Tony Award-winning musical “Kimberly Akimbo” poses a huge challenge for the actress
playing the title role.She must portray a teenager with a rare aging disease that makes her look almost elderly. But veteran Broadway actress Ann Morrison feels the role was tailor-made for her — thanks to her youthful energy and outlook. “Friends tell me I’m a 16-year-old in a 70-year-old body,” Morrison said in a recent phone interview. “I can exhaust kindergarteners. The show really celebrates the idea of living in the moment,” she said, speaking from a tour stop in Minneapolis.
“It’s a beautiful, heartfelt show, funny and uplifting.”
"Telling this story is a remarkably compact and pleasingly talented company of nine performers, led by the wonderful Ann Morrison as Kimberly. Her career stretches back to the early 1980s, but here she’s a convincing modern teenager, dealing with problematic parents (Jim Hogan and Laura Woyasz, both terrific in difficult parts) and the usual challenges of high school." ASHVILLE STAGES.
King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Asolo Repertory Theatre
April-June 2025
Marty Fugate, The Observer
Ann Morrison’s King Herod steals the show with a shrill, malevolent glamour in “King Herod’s Song.” Instead of the typical campy character (a la Josh Mostel in the 1973 film adaptation), she leans into the song’s Roaring Twenties vibe.
She sits on a gilded throne like the queen (or king) of all flappers, with a pile of louche admirers below. Her sneering character wants Jesus to perform like a dancing monkey. Prove to me that you’re no fool! Walk across my swimming pool! Morrison totally sells it like some evil Betty Boop.
