Award-winning musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ now on stage at the Dr. Phillips Center
Jim Hogan who plays ‘Buddy’ joins WESH 2 to preview the hit Broadway show taking the stage April 14-19 in Orlando
SHE’S A 16 YEAR OLD TEENAGER NAVIGATING FIRST LOVE, FAMILY DRAMA, AND A RARE CONDITION THAT MAKES HER LOOK LIKE SHE’S READY TO RETIRE TO THE VILLAGES. THE TONY AWARD WINNING MUSICAL KIMBERLY AKIMBO IS ON STAGE AT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER, AND JOINING ME NOW IS ONE OF THE SHOW’S STARS, JIM HOGAN, WHO PLAYS KIMBERLY’S DAD. BUDDY. GREAT TO SEE YOU, JIM. THANKS FOR HAVING ME, I APPRECIATE IT. YEAH, THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING TIME BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BROADWAY AND ORLANDO LIGHTS UP DOCTOR PHILLIPS AND WE’RE K IN THIS THING WHERE ONCE A MONTH WE GET AN AMAZING SHOW THAT COMES IN HERE LIKE KIMBERLY AKIMBO. IT’S WON A FEW AWARDS HERE, A COUPLE. YEAH, FIVE TONYS. RIGHT? RIGHT. YEAH. AND YOU WERE PART OF THE BROADWAY CAST NOW ON TOUR. WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE SHOW? I TELL PEOPLE THAT THE SHOW IS ABOUT LIVING YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST, GROWING UP AND GROWING OLD, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. AND THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN OUR SHOW. AND THAT’S WHY I FEEL SO LUCKY TO GET TO BE A PART OF IT EVERY NIGHT. OKAY, SO YOUR DAD, YOUR BUDDY KIMBERLY’S DAD HERE? WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER? BUDDY IS A LOVING FATHER WHO IS A LITTLE TROUBLED, AND WHILE HE IS TRYING AS HARD AS HE CAN, HE FINDS A WAY TO COME UP SHORT. BUT IT IS BECAUSE OF BUDDY AND PATTY AND AUNT DEBORAH AND ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO COME INTO KIMBERLY’S LIFE THAT ENABLE HER TO ACHIEVE HER TRUE DREAM. AND SO IT’S IT’S A. THAT’S JUST WHY I FEEL LIKE IT’S AN IMPORTANT STORY AND A GOOD ONE THAT I GET TO TELL. AND IT DOES FEEL LIKE THERE’S A CENTRAL THEME OF LOVE. AND YOU MENTIONED GROWING UP AND, AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, BUT IT IS ALSO ABOUT THAT. AND KIMBERLY NAVIGATES THAT IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HER DAD, WITH, YOU KNOW, A RELATIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP. YEAH. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT CENTRAL THEME OF LOVE IN THE SHOW. YEAH. YOU KNOW, KIMBERLY IS JUST A NORMAL, NORMAL TEENAGER WHO HAPPENS TO HAVE THIS RARE GENETIC DISEASE THAT AGES HER BODY 4 TO 5 TIMES THE NATURAL RATE. AND SO SHE HAS THIS IMMEDIATE OBSTACLE PLACED RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. AND IT’S THROUGH THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHE EXPERIENCES, THE LOVE WITH HER CLASSMATES, HER PARENTS. AND THEN THIS, THIS ONE PARTICULAR LOVE INTEREST THAT I WON’T GET, I WON’T SPOIL ANYTHING. BUT IT IS BECAUSE OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHE GETS TO ACHIEVE THIS INCREDIBLE THING. AND FOR YOU, IN REAL LIFE, THERE’S SOME LOVE ON TOUR. YEAH, YEAH, I’M VERY FORTUNATE TO TOUR WITH MY FIANCE, EMILY COOK, WHO PLAYS AUNT DEBORAH. SHE’S INCREDIBLE IN THE SHOW. SHE’S INCREDIBLE IN LIFE. I AM VERY LUCKY IN THAT REGARD. AND SO IT’S IT’S RARE THAT WE GET TO DO THIS. AND WE’RE VERY GRATEFUL TO GET TO WORK TOGETHER. YEAH, I HAVEN’T SEEN THE SHOW YET, BUT I’VE HEARD SO MANY OF THE REVIEWS AND THEY TALK ABOUT HER AND THIS VOICE THAT IS GOING, OH, WOW, SHE’S MAYBE I’VE HEARD THAT BEFORE AND PROBABLY HAVE BECAUSE SHE’S BEEN IN SOME BIG ROLES. SHE HAS. YES, SHE’S AN ELPHABA. WE MET. SO WAS IT WICKED? SHE WAS IN WICKED. YEAH, WE MET IN WAITRESS THE MUSICAL, WHICH WAS THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE IN ORLANDO AT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS. SO WE HAVE JUST BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO GET TO DO SOME COOL THINGS OVER THE YEARS. WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE. IT IS A WARM TIME TO BE IN TOWN. WE’LL GET TO 80S AND 90S INTO THE WEEKEND. KEEP IN MIND, THE SHOW DOES RUN THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND JIM LAST THING HERE AS WE TALK ABOUT KIMBERLY AKIMBO, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT THE ORLANDO AUDIENCES TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS SHOW? WHEN WE LEAVE AT THE END OF A PERFORMANCE, IT’S A REALLY SIMPLE MESSAGE. IF YOU’RE SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE A POWER AND YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR LIFE BY THE REINS AND KIND OF LIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE FULLEST, THAT’S THE MESSAGE YOU’RE GOING TO GET FROM SEEING KIMBERLY AKIMBO. AND I THINK THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY, FOR SURE. THE MUSICAL IS ON STAGE AT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER NOW THROUGH SUNDAY. JIM HOGAN. LOOK FOR HIM. HE’S PORTRAYING BUDDY IN THE CAST OF KIMBERLY
Award-winning musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ now on stage at the Dr. Phillips Center
Jim Hogan who plays ‘Buddy’ joins WESH 2 to preview the hit Broadway show taking the stage April 14-19 in Orlando
Updated: 9:39 AM EDT Apr 15, 2026
The Tony Award-winning musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ is now on stage at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando. Jim Hogan who plays ‘Buddy,’ Kimberly’s father, joins WESH 2 to preview the hit Broadway show taking the stage April 14-19, 2026. Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The Tony Award-winning musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ is now on stage at the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando.
Jim Hogan who plays ‘Buddy,’ Kimberly’s father, joins WESH 2 to preview the hit Broadway show taking the stage April 14-19, 2026.
Click here to learn more.