Get ready for a masterclass in heart and history at the Ordway. “Kimberly Akimbo,” the Tony Award-winning musical about a teenage girl aging at four times the normal rate, is a whimsical yet poignant look at making every moment count. Leading the charge is the incomparable Ann Morrison, a true Broadway legend who first captured hearts as the original Mary Flynn in Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” Ann brings a lifetime of wisdom and a forever-young spirit to the role of Kimberly Levaco. I sat down with her to discuss changing history, the art of “the glide,” and her deep Midwestern roots.
Photo by Joan Marcus
Jerrod Sumner (JS): From ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ to ‘Kimberly Akimbo,’ you’ve had quite the career. How do you think your path brought you to ‘Kimberly Akimbo’?
Ann Morrison (AM): I’ve always lived my life by a simple rule: wherever the door opens, just walk through it. I don’t spend my energy chasing or pursuing; I just do. Now that I’m 70, I can look back and see that nothing was a mistake. Every turn was a learning experience that propelled me toward the next thing. It’s fun to watch from this perspective because you start to realize how one choice 40 years ago was actually preparing you for something happening today. I truly believe we can change our own history by how we view it.
I’d be remiss not to discuss your history with Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’.
I am living proof that you can change your history. When we did Merrily in 1981, it was labeled a failure. People weren’t ready for a show about the reality of how friendships fracture or how success can be corrupting. But the show is really about the families we form when we first come to New York.
In the original ’81 construct, the song “The Hills of Tomorrow” bookended the show, starting at graduation and going back in time. It’s about the limitless sky and the innocence of being on the brink of the next big thing. That theme connects directly to Kimberly. The “frequency” of the universe shifted for Merrily recently. Jonathan Groff won the Tony and thanked us for creating those characters. Suddenly, a “failed” project from my youth became the foundation for my status as a legendary actress today.
And that legendary status led you straight to Kimberly?
It was a funny path. David Stone, the producer, saw Lonnie Price’s documentary about Merrily and said, “Ann Morrison, she would be a great Kimberly Akimbo.” I was in Sarasota when I got the call to audition. Initially, it was to replace Victoria Clark on Broadway. While that didn’t happen because the Broadway run ended, they asked if I wanted to finish the road show. I was actually on my way to Iowa to teach when the offer came. Everything is a circle.
You’re an Iowa girl originally, right?
Born in Sioux City. My dad taught at Morningside College, and my mother helped create the theater department there. I left when I was eight, but I still feel that Midwest connection. In fact, I helped spark the energy for a company in Minneapolis called Unlabeled Theater. It works with performers with developmental disabilities, giving them a chance to lead musicals. I created a “shadow person” system in Florida, where a mentor stays with the performer to ensure they feel successful, and seeing that they thrive in Minneapolis right now makes me incredibly proud.
Theater always mirrors the chaos of society, and Minnesota has seen its share lately.
Minneapolis is on the world stage right now, showing tremendous courage and support for people. That gives courage to communities all over the world. My friends in Britain and France look at America with worry, but things like the resilience in your community give everybody hope.
We are a resilient bunch. Have you performed at the Ordway before?
I did “Damn Yankees” there several years ago. Time doesn’t make sense anymore; it’s all a blur, but I remember the Ordway being a lovely experience.
Photo by Joan Marcus
How did you prepare to play a 16-year-old?
I jokingly say I really am 16 trapped in a 70-year-old body. I love it. I just show up. When the play first came out years ago, people told me it was written for me. To finally have the creatives see me in the role and agree was lovely.
I work with actual 16-year-olds at my production company in Sarasota, and my Kimberly is a tribute to them. I drag my foot for Savannah and touch materials like Maggie does. These are my “consciousness checkpoints.” I also lean into my own 70-year-old reality. I have arthritis and a “trick finger.” I decided Kimberly should discover these things in real-time. She’ll be talking and suddenly realize, “Oh, wow, that’s new.” It brings a bit of humor to the physical pain of the role.
How are those skating scenes?
I haven’t been on real ice skates since I was 16. For the show, they gave me a couple of hours on real ice with pads just to get the sensation of the glide back. On stage, we use a PolyGlide Ice floor and real skates dipped in glycerin. We have to physically give the energy to the movement to create the illusion that we’re flying across the ice.
Every show has a moment you can’t wait for the audience to see. What is yours?
The song “Before I Go.” Kimberly realizes she cannot heal her dysfunctional family. She’s navigating high school looking like a lunch lady, facing a felony charge because of her aunt, and dealing with the fact that she has reached her life expectancy. It’s a profound moment of resolution. The parents are in a beautiful stillness while she sings, and it creates this sweet, emotional switch that the audience takes right along with her.
What advice do you have for young actors who want to be where you are?
Don’t try to be where I am, follow your own path! But I do think it’s vital to sit at the feet of the elders. Listen to older actors tell their stories. In this company, the kids were so curious. One told me he was awestruck because he studied me in college! My best advice is to follow your passion with zero expectation of how it will play out. If you don’t lock yourself into one result, something even better might come along.
Who inspired your career?
Barbara Harris. I grew up with her albums, remember those, and I’d act them out in my living room. I loved her timing and her vocal quality in shows like The Apple Tree. Later, I worked with legends like Uta Hagen and Charles Nelson Reilly. I also spent a year as an apprentice at Burt Reynolds’ theater. We made $80 a week and lived at the theater, but watching film stars return to the stage to find their “theatre legs” was a powerful education. Burt actually predicted I’d be the first of the apprentices on Broadway. He was right.
Minnesota Monthly is dedicated to the spirit of Minnesota. What does that mean to you?
There is a generosity and a graciousness in the Midwest that feels different. It’s a specific kind of kindness that you don’t always find on the coasts. Minneapolis is a beautiful place for that spirit to shine.
