Kimberly Akimbo at Pangdemonium Theatre Company, Singapore (Photo Credit: Crispian Chan)

Have a Great Adventure with Kimberly Akimbo

By Music Theatre International on June 04, 2026

in Announcements |Tags: New Release, Show Spotlight, Free Read, Kimberly Akimbo

Opportunity knocks! Kimberly Akimbo, winner of the most Tony Awards of the 2022–2023 season, including Best Musical, is now available for licensing.

Kimberly Akimbo features Tony Award-winning book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (The Balusters, Rabbit Hole, Shrek the Musical), and a Tony Award-winning score by Jeanine Tesori (Shrek the Musical, Violet). Kimberly Akimbo was named Best Musical by the Tony Awards, New York Drama Critics Circle, Drama Desk Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. It is also the winner of four additional Tony Awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Victoria Clark), Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Bonnie Milligan), Best Score (David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori), and Best Book (David Lindsay-Abaire). With her win for Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori became the first female composer to win two Tony Awards for Best Score.

The Broadway production ran at the Booth Theatre and was directed by Jessica Stone (La Jolla Playhouse?) and choreographed by Danny Mefford (Dear Evan Hansen). It was produced by David Stone, Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, and Aaron Glick. Kimberly Akimbo just wrapped up a successful national tour.

The show follows Kimberly, about to turn 16 and recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this “howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show” (The New Yorker), Kim is forced to navigate family dysfunction, a rare genetic condition, her first crush…and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.

“Kimberly Akimbo is an instant classic, thanks to the exceptional talents of Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire,” said Drew Cohen, President and CEO of MTI. “These two authors created a warm, funny, and deeply moving show that speaks to the teenager in all of us. We are thrilled to welcome this hit musical into the MTI catalogue and look forward to seeing the show play on countless stages across the world.”

Kimberly Akimbo is beloved among audiences and critics alike, with The Hollywood Reporter proclaiming, “Meet your new favorite musical. So clever, funny and touching, you might want to give everyone on stage a hug. It’s happy-sad heaven. Do not miss it.”

Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire commented, “At its heart, Kimberly Akimbo is about the joy of living. Our heroine craves adventure and connection and is determined to be seen as the person she truly is. Little did we know when we started working on the musical all those years ago that Kim’s hopeful spirit, humor and tenacity would send us, the writers, on a great adventure as well, taking us from an off-Broadway theater in a converted church, to a Broadway house, to the Tony Awards and, eventually, a U.S. National tour. It’s been a joyous ride on a long and wonderfully winding road, and we’re beyond thrilled that our journey on it will continue now that the show is available for licensing and will be performed in theaters all over the world.”