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When Bonnie Milligan sings her first few strains in her show-stopping quantity ‘Higher,’ it’s crystal clear she’s a pressure. It is likely to be stunning for individuals to seek out out that her portrayal of the felonious but loving Aunt Debra in Kimberly Akimbo is simply the Ohio-native’s second Broadway manufacturing. Bonnie marked her Broadway debut in Head Over Heels in 2018 to rave critiques, however almost a 12 months after the present closed, the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown Broadway for 20 months, main her to grapple along with her subsequent steps.
“I feel with something that is available in life, when issues occur to us, we develop and deepen as human beings. I’ve seen a variety of life and loss prior to now 5 years and there may be only a true sense of preciousness I feel that I really feel about life generally, however particularly about being on a Broadway stage when the pandemic shut every little thing down,” Bonnie defined to HollywoodLife.com in an EXCLUSIVE interview for the 2023 Tony Contenders collection. “There was a concern at occasions of ‘Will this business ever come again?’ and ‘Will I’ve to select a brand new profession?’ ‘What will occur?’”
Bonnie booked the position of Aunt Debra in Might 2020, shortly after the heartbreaking passing of her father, whereas she was nonetheless house in Ohio and ‘Zooming’ into script readings. “We didn’t actually get began till ’21 in particular person, and I took such delight within the collaboration of being in a room with individuals. And there’s simply nothing like collaboration, that’s what’s so lovely about theater — you actually get to be within the room with the writers, with the administrators, the choreographers, the opposite actors from the bounce and also you’re all creating one thing collectively,” she gushed. “I feel that has deepened for me as a performer. There’s simply gratefulness and a preciousness to additionally realizing that this might go away at any time and to actually be within the second, which is the message of my present too.”
Bonnie continued, “My head area is what’s taking place now and being grateful for the place we’re and no matter occurs, occurs. However let’s be right here.”
The story of Kimberly Akimbo, by David Lindsay-Abaire, follows lonely teen Kimberly Levaco (Victoria Clark) who suffers from a illness just like progeria, which causes her to age quickly, giving her the looks of an aged girl. The poor, younger lady is surrounded by dysfunction, as her father is an alcoholic, her pregnant mother is a hypochondriac and fairly probably a narcissist and her aunt, performed by Bonnie, is a felony. “Debra’s not some malicious particular person. She’s a survivor. She’s a fighter. She is getting by with what she is aware of she has. She’s not precisely educated or has cash, however she’s actually good at charming individuals,” Bonnie defined, evaluating her character to a modern-day Harold Hill from The Music Man.
“On the core of that, what I discovered so vital was her precise, very real, deep love of Kimberly. I feel it’s a really difficult love from an individual who’s egocentric, who on the finish of the day must select herself. However, I need to discover the complication in that,” she continued. “I’ve recognized some very difficult individuals on this life which have accomplished difficult issues, they usually’re not unhealthy individuals. they’re simply broken. So, that was tremendous vital to me and that’s what I needed to come back throughout within the viewers.”
Bonnie admitted that being part of manufacturing the “largest pleasure and pleasure,” including that it has “helped [her] in [her] personal grieving” and “staying current.” “I’m within the head area of telling the story and getting to inform the story, and that’s actually thrilling and refreshing to me,” she gushed.
Kimberly Akimbo is presently on Broadway at The Sales space Theater.
Bonnie Milligan is a part of HollywoodLife’s Tony Contenders collection, by which we interview the most important present stars on Broadway who’re in competition for the upcoming Tony Awards on June 11, 2023.
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