Displaying items by tag: KIMBERLY AKIMBO

The Sarah Siddons Society is pleased to present its 2026 Award to actress and director Victoria Clark, who recently starred in Kimberly Akimbo as Kimberly on Broadway, for which she won the 2023 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as a Grammy nomination. Clark also originated the role of Margaret Johnson in The Light in the Piazza both at Chicago's Goodman Theatre and on Broadway, which earned her the 2005 Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical. Additional Tony nominations include Sister Act, Gigi and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. Most recently, she appeared in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway world premiere of Joshua Owen's play Human Things.  

The Society's annual Award is presented to an individual who has achieved outstanding artistic achievement in theatre. Ms. Clark will be honored at the Society's 2026 Benefit on Monday, November 9, 2026 at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. in Chicago. (6 pm reception, 7 pm program).

Following a reception, the evening's program will include musical selections from Ms. Clark's most memorable shows performed by some of Chicago's most acclaimed theatre artists including Marta Bady, Lillian Castillo, Marya Grandy and Heidi Kettenring under the co-direction of Christopher Chase Carter and Christopher Pazdernik, with music direction by Linda Madonia. The evening, hosted by longtime Chicago radio personality Patti Vasquez, will also feature the induction of the Sarah Siddons Society 2026 Scholarship Recipients.

Single tickets and a variety of sponsorship opportunities are currently available here. All proceeds benefit the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program, dedicated to funding scholarships for promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities.

While in town to accept her award, Victoria Clark will lead a presentation for Chicago-area university theatre arts students at the Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. 

Sarah Siddons Society President Martin Balogh comments, "We are excited to honor Victoria Clark, the luminous, dynamic and highly respected Broadway actress. In addition to her extraordinary accomplishments as a performer, Victoria's work as a director, writer and teacher has established her as a highly regarded, versatile and truly well-rounded theatrical artist. Her remarkable breadth of talent and dedication to the theatre make her an especially deserving honoree."

More about Victoria Clark

In addition to appearing in fourteen Broadway shows, Victoria Clark's many film and television credits include The Gilded Age, Elsbeth, Almost Family, The Blacklist, Homeland, 911-Nashville, Pose, The Happening, Cradle Will Rock, Hallmark's One Royal Holiday, among others. Clark has had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall several times, singing Ma Joad in the opera The Grapes of Wrath by Ricky Ian Gordon, and Katisha in the Master Voices production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, directed and conducted by Ted Sperling.

Clark is also a director (Love Life for New York City Center's Encores! series) and avid educator, serving as Artist in Residence at both Duke University and Pace University. She is a frequent guest lecturer and Master Class Teacher at her alma mater Yale University. She is currently back at work re-writing her one-woman show for the 245^th time and will hopefully get it up sometime in the next 2-3 decades. 

Clark is the proud mama of green energy consultant and innovator Thomas Guest and resides in New York City with her husband Tom and their two Golden Retrievers Ollie (Zen Master) and Gracie (Naughty Princess). IG: victoriajclark

About Sarah Siddons Society

Since its inception, the mission of the Society has been to fund scholarships to promising theater arts students at top Chicago area universities including; The Theater Department, Columbia College; The Theatre School at DePaul University; Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Northwestern University School of Communications and the School of Theatre and Dance at Northern Illinois University. For additional information, visit sarahsiddonssociety.org.

I like to think that I am hip and with it (insert millennial Gif here). I like to think that I am knowledgeable about the latest trends even if I don’t participate in them myself; not so much fashion and viral TikTok challenges, but more the books that everyone wants to read, the song of the summer, the concerts and shows that have digital queues a mile long. I like to think I keep up with it all. But every now and then a show comes along that throws me for a loop and makes me question if I’m Principle Skinner telling myself it’s the kids who are out of touch. Am I out of touch? Because I don’t know how I ever slept on the celebrated and award-winning Broadway show Kimberly Akimbo, now playing at the CIBC theatre in Chicago.

A musical about growing up and growing old (in no particular order), Kimberly Akimbo tells the story of a 16-year-old girl named Kimberly who ages at a rapid rate due to a rare genetic condition, causing her to appear much older than her age. The musical follows Kimberly as she navigates the challenges of adolescence, including dysfunctional family dynamics, a first crush, and a potential felony charge. Kimberly's condition and her family’s struggles add layers of complexity to this coming-of-age story, but ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds.

How did I not know about Kimberly Akimbo? Am I out of touch? No summaries or synopses can truly capture how wonderful this musical is. Even describing the play to friends and family fails to capture how funny, charming, and simply heartwarming this play is. From the summaries you can find the story seems like it would be too difficult to follow, like there is too much going on in the story. What the summaries cannot do is tell you how each song captures the awkwardness and awe of adolescence, perfectly hallmarks the heartbreak of a disease, and brings levity to a storyline that could easily segue into something too preachy, too heavy, too depressing. What summaries cannot do is illustrate how easy it is for the audience to drop into New Jersey and follow Kimberly; to learn about her life, root for her, laugh with her, and somehow love her quirky and dysfunctional family as much as she loves them. Despite one of the primary storylines of the play being Kimberly’s disease, it doesn’t dominate or overshadow any character or any message because it’s not the true message of the play. The true message slowly unfolds, told through hilarious and heartfelt songs such as "Make a Wish," "This Time," “Hello, Baby," and "Our Disease" (trust me, the last one is the nerdiest, funniest song in the entire musical). First time viewers of this musical might walk into the theatre skeptical, but you’ll leave this musical feeling as though you shared a kiss with your first crush, like you were hugged by a beloved aunt, and that you talked and laughed for hours with a best friend. Said simply, Kimberly Akimbo is heartwarming.

If there is one show you see this Pride month, let it be Kimberly Akimbo. After getting “with it” and seeing this musical, it’s no wonder to me how it won 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical. It is unique and original, sweet and charming, and absolutely hilarious. The songs are being added to my showtunes rotation, and I am re-reading this review shaking my head because I don’t think I’m conveying just how wonderful this musical is. For once, it’s not the kids who are wrong, it’s me who was out of touch. So don’t be a Skinner like me and go experience the nationwide tour of Kimberly Akimbo while it is here in Chicago, and while you still have time.

Kimberly Akimbo is now playing at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago (18 W Monroe St, Chicago, IL 60603) through June 22^nd. The runtime is 2 hours and 30 minutes. Tickets are available for purchase at www.broadwayinchicago.com.