Arturo Hilario
El Observador
Miguel Gil is a Venezuelan cast member with the 2023 five-time Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo, which is coming in a limited engagement to BroadwaySF’s Curran Theatre from Wednesday November 6 through Sunday December 1, 2024.
The show, which was the most critically-acclaimed musical of the 2023 season, follows the life of Kimberly, an optimistic 15 year-old who is dealing with the relatable issues of a teenager: her first crush, dysfunctional family dynamics, and navigating high school. But, on top of this she is also dealing with a rare genetic illness that ages her at four times the normal rate, and the possibility that she committed a felony in order to help out family.
The show won Best Musical amongst its five Tony’s with audiences and critics alike remarking on the hilarious and heartbreaking tone of the show and its subject matter.
Recently Gil, who worked on the original Broadway production as well as the current touring production, shared his experience of working on the road, what it was like to book the role, his favorite aspects of the story and how he relates to its overall message and his role of Kimberly’s friend Seth, and the impact he feels in being seen as a role model for other Latinos who see him on stage.
More info and tickets to Kimberly Akimbo available at broadwaysf.com.
What was your path to the stage and your inspirations to get into the theater arts?
I always liked singing. So, like, growing up, I was in choir at school and at church. My mom used to call me like a ‘living jukebox’ because I would just be in the car, like, singing whatever was on the radio, and I just knew all the words. And through choir, I kind of got introduced to theater in my middle school. And even then, I wasn’t sure I really enjoyed it because it was kind of like something I felt like I had to be a part of instead of something I wanted to do on my own. And then when I got into high school, they had this theater competition. And I got to kind of experience what it’s like to see someone really, really commit to something. And I didn’t really know you could even commit that hard to theater. And that really inspired me and made me want to be like them. I then got into voice lessons and started really being almost obsessed. I was listening to musicals every day, trying to learn as much as possible.
And then I got to go to the Jimmy Awards my senior year, virtually, which is a national theater competition where they choose high schoolers from basically every state. And so I was one of the central Florida nominees. And getting to do that, I got to meet casting directors from New York, and I got to audition for Kimberly Akimbo when it was going off Broadway and I got down to final callbacks between me and the guy who played it on Broadway, Justin Cooley.
I have had so many conversations about how special it feels to know that we are the next generation of artists that are coming up and that it’s us Latinos that are working hard to continue this art.
-Miguel Gil
And then I didn’t get it. So, I went back to Shenandoah University for musical theater for a year. And then when they were transferring to Broadway, they called me and asked me to be the understudy for Justin. And so obviously that was the dream and so I did that. Now it’s like such an honor to get to do the role on tour.
Could you touch on the story of Kimberly Akimbo and why you feel the show has been so popular and captivating with audiences and critics? And do you think that show, the show connects to you personally, if at all?
The story of the show follows Kim, a 16-year-old girl who is diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that makes her age four times faster than she should. And so it’s kind of a coming-of-age story and it’s funny and it’s moving, and she has to deal with so many things. And my role is I get to play her like her best friend Seth. They’re both kind of outsiders and they meet each other in a moment when she’s about to turn 16, which is the average life expectancy for this disease.
And it becomes kind of like a huge adventure for them, basically making the most of the time that she has. And I think it’s super touching because I think that it’s just a reminder to people that our time is limited and making the most of it is such a joy. It’s also a story about connection and friendship. And that as well is something that is so relatable and something that is moving.
And I think I personally relate to the story of Seth as a character because he’s like a nerd in a lot of ways. He loves anagrams and he’s such a wordsmith and he plays the tuba. I played the cello when I was a child and the idea of carrying around a giant instrument is something that I totally understand. And I also was playing Dungeons and Dragons and video games and [reading] comic books. Like, that was my stuff. So getting lost in a world outside of reality is something that’s so relatable for me.
Then the idea of seeing someone like him and seeing her for her and not for her disease is my favorite part about this character. And also, he lives in the present in a way that I strive to do. So honestly, playing Seth has just, like, taught me and reminded me that, like, me as Miguel is enough. And honestly, that’s the best version of me, not any other version that I try to put on, and that’s something I learned from him every night, just by the way that he is unapologetically himself.
What’s your favorite aspect of the show? Like, a favorite point of the show?
I feel like I have a lot of things about the show that I really think are special. Like, my character, specifically, he has a really cool arc in the sense that he is the same guy the whole show, obviously, but he has to kind of grow up with Kim really quickly throughout the show, like helping her deal with this disorder.
They have a really special moment when they sing a duet called “Now”, and he’s kind of like reeling her back in and, reminding her that we have now, there is still this moment, and to take it in and not live in the, “what’s gonna happen in a few weeks?”
That’s just such a beautiful moment. And it’s also a reminder to me as Miguel to be there in that moment with Carolee Carmello, who plays Kim. The show itself is so thought out. Every single musical note, even the transitions, are purposeful in a way that it’s not just a big, grandiose show, but it has such a heart, you know?
There’s a big fight scene towards the finale, and it’s maybe one of the most brilliantly written scenes, in my opinion. Just in the sense that there’s so much that has been built up throughout the show. And it’s just like, a beautiful expression of, like, letting it all go in a way that just feels right. And that’s my way of explaining it without giving away little details.
Being Latino, what has the experience been of being on stage and knowing that there’s people out there that look up and might see themselves in you. That maybe there is kids that believe that they can also see a future on the stage?
I mean that in itself makes me, like, so inspired and want to do this, like, forever. I have, like, a Venezuelan flag in my dressing room, and every time I’m about to go on stage I look at it and I’m like, “llegamos. We made it.” The fact that I’m here and it’s what I’ve dreamed about my entire life. And I know that my parents are so proud of me, and they worked so hard so I can be here. So that in itself makes every single show feel like it’s opening night.
And the idea of representation, like not just me. One of my best friends just started doing The Notebook, and he [plays] young Noah, and I have had so many conversations about how special it feels to know that we are the next generation of artists that are coming up and that it’s us Latinos that are working hard to continue this art.
I had people who really inspired me growing up and to know that if I have any kind of impact on other people that are Latinos as well, that they want to chase after their dream of doing theater, then that was my goal. And I know that if I’m a part of that, then I’m making myself fulfilled, you know, that’s what I want to be doing.
What do you hope that audiences take away from Kimberly Akimbo when it comes to San Francisco in November?
Well, I hope that audiences are leave feeling uplifted. I hope that they have a full emotional journey alongside with us and that they see that the story of Kim is the same as all of us in the sense that, “why not make the most of the time we have and make life a great adventure?”
