The national tour of Best Musical Tony winner Kimberly Akimbo is getting a new star in the title role: Ann Morrison. Current star Carolee Carmello will play her final performance July 27, with Morrison officially joining beginning July 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Jeanine Tesori-David Lindsay-Abaire musical launched its North American national tour last year.
Morrison is best known for creating the role of Mary Flynn in the 1981 original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along, later appearing in Lovemusik. She has also starred in the title role of Peg in London's West End, and Goblin Market Off-Broadway, along with concert and cabaret performances internationally.
Morrison's co-stars will include Miguel Gil as Seth, Jim Hogan as Buddy, Emily Koch as Debra, Laura Woyasz as Pattie, Grace Capeless as Delia, Skye Alyssa Friedman as Teresa, Darron Hayes as Martin, and Pierce Wheeler as Aaron. Understudies Sarah Lynn Marion, Regene Seven Odon, Marcus Phillips, Bailey Ryon, and Brandon Springman plus Kimberly standby Janet Dickinson round out the company.
The work premiered Off-Broadway at Atlantic Theater Company before moving to Broadway in 2022, ultimately winning Best Musical at the 2023 Tony Awards. The show won five Tonys in total. Based on Lindsay-Abaire's 2000 play of the same name, the work follows Kimberly Levaco, a New Jersey teenager with a rare disorder that causes her to age four times faster than normal. Lindsay-Abaire wrote the Tony-winning book from his earlier script, along with penning lyrics to Tesori's music for the Tony-winning score. Victoria Clark won her second Tony for her performance in the musical's title role.
READ: 'Someday Is Today': Victoria Clark Prepares to Say Goodbye, and Thank You, to Kimberly Akimbo
Jessica Stone was Tony-nominated for directing Kimberly Akimbo. Her creative team reunited for the tour, including choreographer Danny Mefford, orchestrator John Clancy (with additional orchestrations by Macy Schmidt), music supervisor Chris Fenwick, scenic designer David Zinn, costume designer Sarah Laux, lighting designer Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, sound designer Kai Harada, projection designer Lucy MacKinnon, and wig, hair, and make-up designer J. Jared Janas. New for the tour is music director Leigh Delano. The production is cast by The Telsey Office's Craig Burns. Shawn Pennington is serving as production stage manager.
David Stone, Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, and Aaron Glick are producing.
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