RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com

At 23, Max Santopietro (he/him) is navigating his first national tour, currently on the road with the Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo. In the musical, he takes on the slight challenge of playing 16-year-old high school student Aaron. Ironically, he says, he was unfamiliar with the show before accepting the role. But now, in living with the story, he’s uncovered a depth that is both funny and messy.

“I had not really known too much about it. I had heard a couple of the songs, and I knew it won all these awards. But that’s it,” he shared. “It’s hard to read on paper because it is about so much. But when I first joined the cast — Oh, I get it!”

The show centers on Kimberly, a teen dealing with a rare premature aging condition, which forces her to confront her mortality while also navigating a dysfunctional family and a new school environment. Broadway Dallas presents Kimberly Akimbo at the Winspear Opera House from Jan. 6-18.

Santopietro’s character, Aaron, is a key part of the “teen quartet” that acts as a kind of Greek chorus in Kimberly’s life. They are also caught up in what Santopietro calls a “tumultuous love square.”

“Aaron is a silly guy, and, I’d say, the sweetest of the group. But we’re all the comedic relief,” he said. “We aren’t the popular kids, but more a group of friends by default who found each other through doing art.”

In other words, they aren’t Kimberly’s mean girls.

What’s been fun for Santopietro has been the ability to go back to high school. Yet, his first time around in high school isn’t that far removed from him right now. That has helped him find a unique advantage in taking on the role.

“To have perspective on those years — it helps. Having some years on that, I feel like I have the perspective needed to approach Aaron, especially with all this romance, this unrequited love storyline. I totally remember those feelings.” he said.

While his character isn’t queer, and Santopietro is, he does find parallels with some of his own Connecticut high school experience to the story.

“We had a strong Gender/Sexuality Alliance, so that and the theater program there helped me find my safe space,” he said.

Now his safe space is in the on-the-road family he’s made that helps him adjust to life on tour.

Talk about a crash course in professional theater!

“There has definitely been a lot to learn. It was like jumping onto a moving train. But they have been so sweet and supportive of me, and despite being this big musical, we’re a pretty small cast and crew,” he said.

Life on the road requires establishing a sense of normalcy, a secret Santopietro learned from a castmate. His routine involves setting up a “home base” in each city, complete with small comforts.

“I have my candles to know what ‘home’ smells like. I have my stuffed animals, and, also, there’s the importance of not overextending myself. We are here for work,” he said.

There’s another parallel for Santopietro between the timing of his big gig and the show itself: Kimberly’s time is finite while she’s also going through the usual teenage travails. This isn’t lost on the actor. He believes that tells a powerful message.

“She can’t wait around to do the things she wants to. Her clock is ticking, so she has to live in the moment. I think this is really a lesson for life, especially now,” he said.

For tickets, visit BroadwayDallas.org.

Related