‘Kimberly Akimbo’ makes its Wisconsin debut this month

MILWAUKEE — It’s not often that the leading role in a Broadway musical is played by someone in their 70s.

That fact was what first attracted Laura Woyasz to “Kimberly Akimbo.”

“As someone that’s aging, getting older in the business, that really attracted me because I think as we get older, the roles get smaller and more sparse,” she said. “And so I wanted to see that, like a female, an older female character celebrated, so that’s why I went to the show.”

The story, set in the 1990s, follows a 16-year-old girl with a rare genetic disorder that “ages her four times faster than the average person,” Woyasz explained.

Ann Morrison as Kimberly in the National Tour of “Kimberly Akimbo.” (Joan Marcus)

“Her behaviors are of a 16-year-old, but she physically looks 70 and, in fact, is played by an actress who is 70,” she said.

Woyasz remembers seeing the show for the first time, following the life of this “hilariously dysfunctional family” that lives in New Jersey — a mom that’s a “hypochondriac narcissist,” a dad that “drinks too much” and an aunt that’s possibly a felon.

“I remember I did not want the show to end. I thought it was so good,” she said, recalling her laughter and tears as she watched from the back of the theater.

“And I was like, ‘OK, this is the type of show that I like to do.’ I like to do shows that impact people and make a difference to people.”

The National Touring Company of “Kimberly Akimbo.” (Joan Marcus)

Woyasz said the show excited her so much that she began to independently learn the music, in hopes one day she’d get an audition, and so that when she did, she’d be prepared.

That day finally came, and shortly after, Woyasz was cast as Pattie, Kimberly’s mother in the musical. It was a role that stood out to her since she first saw the show, though playing it doesn’t come without its challenges.

For as much as Woyasz is a “measured with my words” person, Pattie is the opposite.

“A lot of the direction was like, ‘Pattie has no filter, it’s quick, it’s sharp, she doesn’t care, like she just says it.’ And I was like, ‘Oh God,’” she recalled.

Though Pattie can be “blunt” and maybe not always make the right choices, Woyasz said in the end, “she’s doing the best she can” to feel better about her situation.

“The thing about Pattie that I really kind of love is that she’s just kind of perfectly imperfect, and she’s flawed. Who can’t relate to that? Like she’s a mom and she’s got a teenage daughter who she will outlive and so she makes choices and they’re not the best choices,” she said.

Laura Woyasz as Pattie in the National Tour of “Kimberly Akimo.” (Patrick Gray, KabikPhotoGroup.com)

For Woyasz, it’s a completely new role.

“I’ve played a lot of princesses and like, wearing ball gowns and I like that she is a very relatable human, everyday mom who loves her daughter but doesn’t quite know how to deal with — I mean, and who would — to deal with the fact that… she’s going to outlive her daughter,” she said.

Her favorite part of the show is when she gets to sing “Father Time.” Woyasz said that’s because it’s one of the few moments you get to see Pattie be vulnerable.

“She kind of starts singing out this lullaby because Pattie is pregnant in the show with a second child and so she sort of starts out singing this lullaby to the baby, because the baby is moving around a lot in her stomach and then it sort of grows in a really beautiful way where she’s singing to the universe and time keeps going,” she said.

Through the song, Woyasz said Pattie pleading with the universe to give her one more day with her daughter.

Ann Morrison (Kimberly) and Marcus Phillips (Seth) in the National Tour of “Kimberly Akimbo.” (Joan Marcus)

Woyasz said as people see the show, she hopes they walk away with a sense of hope and an urgency to use their time in life to have wonder and curiosity.

“I think that it’s (the show) all about like, ‘Hey, we’re only here once, and you have to make it count.’ So make that phone call, take that trip, do the thing, you know, take that class,” she said. “We don’t get a second time around; that’s actually one of the lyrics. So like, this is all just a great adventure, and make the most of the time you have here. And I think that’s just a beautiful message.”

With a lead character who is dealing with a disorder, Woyasz said the show has also resonated on another level. She said many people who come to the stage door tell her they relate to Kimberly. 

Woyasz said one night, a family with a daughter who had a rare disease and was nonverbal showed up to meet her.

“The parents were like ‘Oh my god, like this show, it was just like, this show is like our family we’re raising. This is not was we expected and yeah, but of course. This is our daughter and she loves musicals and we try to fill her life with that,'” she said.

“I just love when people are impacted by the show and in a positive way.”

Ann Morrison (Kimberly), Marcus Phillips (Seth) and Jim Hogan (Buddy) in the National Tour of “Kimberly Akimbo.” (Joan Marcus)

“Kimberly Akimbo” makes its Wisconsin debut in Madison at the Overture Center for the Arts from Feb. 10-15. Find ticket information, here.

Then, it travels to Milwaukee, taking over the Marcus Performing Arts Center from Feb. 17-22. Find ticket information, here.

It’ll round out its Wisconsin leg in Appleton at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center from March 3-8. Find ticket information, here.