“Kimberly Akimbo,” the zany and big-hearted Broadway show that notched five wins at the 2023 Tony Awards, including for best musical, will play in Toronto next year following a run at Montreal’s Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
Written by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, the musical is based on Lindsay-Abaire’s play of the same name and follows Kimberly, a teenage girl who’s diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that makes her age faster than her peers. Staring down a life expectancy of only 16 years, Kimberly is also forced to deal with her eccentrically dysfunctional family and the awkward dynamics of life as a high school student.
The show opened on Broadway in the fall of 2022 and went on to become the most acclaimed musical of the season. Reviewing that production, the Star’s former theatre critic Karen Fricker described the work as a “small-scale piece” that “successfully walks the line between quirky and cloying.”
The musical ended its Broadway run last April and is currently on tour across North America.
Melanie Thompson, head of communications for the Segal Centre, told the Star that the Canadian production of “Kimberly Akimbo” at the Segal Centre will feature new staging, unlike the Broadway and touring versions. The company has yet to announce the show’s cast or creative team.
According to an audition notice posted by the Segal Centre, the musical is expected to run in Montreal from Nov. 23 to Dec. 21. The production will then transfer to Toronto, running from Jan. 14, 2026 until at least Feb. 8. Thompson could not confirm which theatre would present the musical for its second run.
The Segal Centre, however, has maintained a close relationship with Mirvish Productions in Toronto. The two companies recently co-produced the Canadian premiere of “Titanique,” a parody musical of James Cameron’s “Titanic” that borrows songs made famous by Celine Dion. Earlier this year, Mirvish also presented the Segal Centre and Crow’s Theatre co-production of “Fifteen Dogs.” Both shows were part of the off-Mirvish season.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Mirvish could not confirm if this Canadian production of “Kimberly Akimbo” would play at one of its theatres.
Mirvish previously announced its 2025-26 mainstage subscription season last month. “Kimberly Akimbo,” however, was notably absent from the lineup, which includes three of the other best musical nominees from the 2022-23 Broadway season.
When pressed about the musical’s absence from the main season, David Mirvish previously told the Star to “stay tuned.” Mirvish is expected to announce its 2025-26 off-Mirvish season later this spring.
