Reviews

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."

Kimberly Akimbo at the Tulsa PAC

TulsaWorld Review: 'Kimberly Akimbo' Musical Effective as Dysfunctional-family Melodrama

by James D. Watts Jr.

"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."

‘Kimberly Akimbo’ at the Peace Center seeks happiness against the odds

Paul Hyde Greenville Journal

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.