Broadway’s most celebrated new musical, Kimberly Akimbo, lands at Singapore’s Victoria Theatre this October to close Pangdemonium’s 2025 season. Winner of the 2023 Tony Award for Best Musical, this new production by Pangdemonium is pulling out all the stops, providing a rare blend of humour, heartbreak, and humanity. At its heart is Kimberly Levaco, a 16-year-old girl with a rare ageing condition that makes her look decades older. Set in 1999, we watch as she navigates high school, a dysfunctional family, and the reality of her limited time.

Kimberly finds herself caught between the overbearing love of her mother, the reckless charm of her Aunt Debra, and the unexpected tenderness of Seth, a quirky tuba player who sees her for who she truly is. Together, Kimberly and Seth explore friendship, first love, and the bittersweet urgency of life itself. Directed by Pangdemonium Artistic Director Tracie Pang, this new production will also star Filipino ‘first lady of musical theatre’ Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Kimberly, and Zachary Pang (Dear Evan Hansen) as Seth.

Tracie describes the show as very different from their past productions. “I think the one thing that really ties it to us as a company is the emotional journey that we like to have with any show,” she says. “Yes, it’s got a lot of humour, a lot of lightness and a lot of joy, but when you lock into Kimberly’s journey, her story and her struggle, you’ll find a depth to the whole narrative that’s very touching and very heartwarming.”

It was precisely that combination of light and dark that drew Pangdemonium to the show. “That was really one of the reasons why we went for it. It was a piece that we were actually aware of for some time, and we had inquired about whether that was of interest. The Broadway team later got in touch with us and said, ‘Do you want to do it?’, which is very rare. It’s usually us having to go chasing things.”

Finding the right Kimberly, however, was critical. “For us, it was like, we can only agree to do this show if we can find a Kimberly. That was the route that we went for this show, because we were very aware that finding a veteran actress who has the ability to play this youthfulness, as well as the vocal qualities that this show demands, was going to be quite a tall order,” says Tracie. “We also were aware that the acting community in Singapore is small. The likelihood was that we were going to have to look further afield. Then once we found and confirmed Menchu, we were like, ‘Yes, we can definitely do this.’”

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, celebrated as the ‘First Lady of Philippine Musical Theatre’, brings over four decades of stage experience to the role. Known for iconic performances in Sweeney Todd, Miss Saigon, and The Sound of Music, she admits the role was a unique challenge. “Oh yeah , there were so many fears. This is my first time working outside of Manila, so that in itself was scary because I’m out of my comfort zone. In Manila, I know exactly what to do. But here it was really stepping into something totally new, which was exciting for me. And it’s become such a wonderful experience; I’m loving every minute of it.”

The physicality of embodying a 16-year-old in a 62-year-old body added another layer of complexity. “The last time I was 16 was 1979, so it’s been some time,” she laughs. “And teenagers in ’79 are very different from teenagers in 1999. So it’s a lot of trying to recall what it felt like, observing the young people, trying to dress a certain way. I don’t usually have a backpack, but I grabbed the backpack of my child and carried it around because it makes me feel young. So it’s little things like that, trying to play with the voice, that helps me find the right mix. I’m always telling Tracie, ‘Is that too much? Is that too little?’ So I’m still trying to balance her out so that she becomes a real person: a real 16-year-old in the body of a 60-year-old.”

Her experience also includes facing professional pressure head-on. “Working in Singapore was a challenge because I’m coming in fresh,” she says. “Learning how to skate is another challenge because, as we were just saying, at 62, what am I doing on skates? You know? So things like that, well, I like pushing myself. And I like seeing how far I can go. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t. But I don’t like being safe. Because then what for? What for?”

For Menchu, the role also offered a mirror for her own resilience. “I’m very similar to Kimberly in terms of being very positive. I’ve always been that person. I’ve always been strong. I’ve gone through a lot in my life, and I’ve always bounced back. I’m the pillar of my family, and I’m very proud to say that. So getting into Kimberly’s frame of mind was easy for me because I’ve always tried to be positive. If anything happens, you know, I’ll cry, okay. And then I’ll snap out of it and say, ‘Okay, Menchu, get out of it.’ You know, give yourself one day to cry over whatever happens in your life, and then I bounce back. I’ve always been that way.”

She reflects candidly on performing through personal tragedy: “Despite tragedies I’ve gone through in life and having to perform regardless of a tragedy that’s happened. One perfect example was right before the pandemic. We were doing The Band’s Visit, and the day before it was scheduled to open, the pandemic was looming, so we didn’t know if it was going to close, we didn’t know anything — we had our first press preview. The show was at eight. At six o’clock, I get a text that my father was rushed to the hospital because he had collapsed. By seven o’clock, he had passed away, and I had to perform at eight o’clock. So I didn’t tell anyone, because if I told anyone, and I didn’t have an alternate, all it would take was a hug and I would break down. The only one who knew was my director, Bobby Garcia. I was somehow able to manage and pull through.”

She continues with another deeply personal reflection on her late husband. “And it’s not the first time. My husband passed away during a tech run. You go through performances where you have to keep going, even when the personal grief is there. I realised that, wow, I’m pretty strong. And, you know, I’m like, ‘Oh, okay.’ Because other people would not have. I guess I’ve always been strong, but I only realized it in those situations,” she says. “That also ties back to the message of Kimberly Akimbo is universal, where it will speak to anybody, regardless of where you’re from, because of the positivity and the desire to live life to its fullest, and not wallow in what’s tragic or sad.”

Opposite her is Zachary Pang as Seth, Kimberly’s earnest, quirky love interest. Reuniting with his mother, Tracie Pang, as director, Zachary reflects on balancing family and professional dynamics. “I’d like to think we do a pretty decent job with it. I think we’re on a very similar page on keeping our professional life separate from our home and family life. So in the sense that we don’t bring personal stuff into the rehearsal room, in the same way that when we go home, I try my best not to talk about rehearsals as well.”

Playing Seth also required a deep understanding of the character’s rare authenticity. “Seth is someone that I feel like I’m still figuring out, just because you don’t really meet too many people like Seth. He’s really genuine and honest, and it really feels like he’s always just trying to do the right thing. So just trying to figure out where that drive comes from, that is interesting. With someone that honest, you almost want to read into it even more and be like, surely there must be this hidden agenda or whatever,” says Zachary. “Characters are often written with a lot of crazy-ass stuff going on. You have a lot you can dig into. With Seth, you find yourself almost wanting to add on more to try and justify why he’s being how he’s being. But actually, he’s just a genuine person. It’s really refreshing to play someone like that and to get to experience that.”

For Tracie Pang, guiding this cast, particularly the younger actors, meant fostering both skill and trust. “I mean, to be honest, a lot of it comes down to the audition process. When we’re auditioning, for me it’s not always just, ‘Is that person right for that role?’ but also, ‘Will that person get on with this person?’ So I’m trying to see in an audition the personality of the human being, not just what the actor is giving me. That’s really important to bring into a rehearsal room, so you’ve got great working chemistry. Once you’ve got that chemistry, it becomes a very supportive room, where everyone has their strengths and helps each other out, because everybody’s working together toward the same goal.”

Chemistry is key in Kimberly Akimbo, especially in the unconventional first love story between Kimberly and Seth. Menchu describes the connection with Zachary. “Even though externally it seems like there’s a big disparity in the age difference, the reality is they’re both supposed to be 15 or 16. And they’re kind of the same. Yeah. I think that’s why they get along. They’re both very positive and happy people. What you see is what you get,” she says. “And Zach is wonderful to work with. He kind of helps me bring out the 16-year-old in me. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh my God, he’s so young, he could be my son, actually, he could be my grandson!’ Sometimes it hits me, but then I just don’t think about it. But really, we clicked immediately, and he makes me feel very comfortable in the scenes. I think we’re kind of synchronized too. All the scenes we’ve done so far have been fun and I really enjoy them.”

The story’s setting in 1999 adds another layer for Tracie and the cast to navigate. “Teenagers have changed. I mean, because of their access to social media and the internet. I think 1999 was probably when I got my very first computer! That kind of social media world just wasn’t available to teenagers in 1999,” says Tracie. “But on the other hand, there are other universal elements of being a teenager that don’t change, from peer pressure, to feeling like you’re not one of the cool kids. And you can go all the way back to even shows like Grease, where you see that. Even today, that kind of teenage hierarchy still exists. So I think no matter what, young people who see the show will still recognise that. Even though the kids are not walking around with mobile phones and contacting each other that way, or having more awareness of politics and those kinds of things they have access to today. So it’s a mixture, I think , and teenagers still struggle with the same issues. It’s just that today, maybe things are more public on social media.”

Zachary adds a personal perspective: “I think playing the role, a lot of it is also just drawing from having been a teen. You know, like, we all go through the same things, such as discovering who we are and how we want to interact with other people. That’s when you start to really lock in, that’s when you start gaining social awareness, and that part of your brain starts developing, and it becomes really important to learn how to be part of a community. And a lot of teens also hyperfixate on that element as well because that’s enlarged at the time. So, I think you can look in any direction, whether it’s going to the past or the present, within yourself or through external examples, and you’ll find a common thread of a young person trying to figure out who they are, what their life is about, what the world is about, and what their relationships with other people mean to them.”

Pangdemonium’s mission of nurturing talent also plays a crucial role in this production, especially with younger actors in the cast including Melissa May Garcia, Angelo Martinez, Beatrice Jaymes Pung, and Theo Chen. Tracie explains, “Part of Pangdemonium’s mission is developing the next generation. We’ve been doing that for years, whether it’s through our educational programmes, doing our Triple Threats programme, or always looking for the next new person to bring on stage. It’s something that we like to do, to always try and bring at least one new artist into the works every year.”

The combination of experienced talent and fresh faces contributes to a rehearsal room that thrives on mutual support. “I love working with new people, because it always brings new energy into the room. And I love mixing it with people I consider muses, because they always give me something new and exciting. I usually have one or two muses ‘on the boil’ all the time, and someone new that I bring into that space. Then they learn from those people how to keep giving offers and developing,” Tracie explains. “Even say Timothy Koh, our associate director who’s helmed our two other shows earlier this year during the season, I think in the last four years or so that we’ve had him, that has been part and parcel of that as well: developing the next generation of artists.”

At the core of Kimberly Akimbo is a celebration of life’s small joys and human resilience, and by the time the final curtain falls, audiences are left with the show’s central message: seize the moment and embrace life with positivity. Zachary sums it up succinctly: “This is a show about finding that zest for life. Wanting to go out and do something exciting and new. I think that’s one of the big takeaways of the show, and finding that joy. And I hope it inspires more people to do the same. That’s how you live, always discovering. If you have the choice to choose joy, why not?”

Menchu adds a final note for fans in Singapore and the Philippines alike: “If you can, come and see Kimberly Akimbo. But for those who can’t, I hope that you choose to always live in the positive, never in the negative. And I think that’s the way to go in life; always pushing forward. regardless of the challenges”

Adds Tracie: “Yes, Kimberly comes from a very ‘dysfunctional’ family. But the piece really does bring a lot of joy into our world. It teaches us to make the most of life. I think it’s something that I felt coming out of the pandemic, that, you know, we can’t sit around living in that mindset going, ‘Oh, Jesus, now what do we do?’ I think this musical is an example of how something that affects you in one direction makes you make life choices in a completely different direction.”

Kimberly Akimbo is a musical about the power of human connection, and the courage to embrace every moment. With Tracie Pang at the helm, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo embodying the titular role, and Zachary Pang offering a quietly compelling performance as Seth, this production is set to leave audiences laughing, crying, and reflecting on what it truly means to live fully. Pangdemonium is thus set to close its 2025 season with a production that is both a celebration and a call to action: to find joy, to cherish connection, and to live with courage in the face of life’s fleeting nature.

As Tracie concludes: “Singapore is such a fast-paced society. And I really notice it when I leave Singapore shores and come back. We just work so hard, where we’re always rushing to places, then rushing to a restaurant to have the best this and the best that. I think what the play gives us is the reminder to take some time out. Smell the roses. Take that time whenever you can. Just slow down for a minute and enjoy something, really enjoy it for what it is. Because before you know it, you’re 62 and going, ‘Have I done everything?’ Clearly not.”

Photo Credit: CRISPI

Kimberly Akimbo plays from 17th October to 2nd November 2025 at Victoria Theatre. Tickets and more information available here. Audiences can also use their SG Culture Pass credits to purchase tickets for the show.