Regene Seven Odon

In a musical season filled with bold new stories, Kimberly Akimbo stands out for its heart, humor, and humanity. Centered on a teenage girl navigating a rare aging condition while trying to make the most of life, the Tony Award-winning show mixes quirky comedy with deeply emotional truths. It’s a celebration of outsiders, resilience, and the beauty of being exactly who you are. At the heart of this ensemble is actor Regene Seven Odon, whose performance adds warmth, wit, and unexpected depth to the production.

Kimberly Akimbo, the winner of five 2023 Tony Awards including Best Musical is hailed as one of the most critically acclaimed shows and will take the stage at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a strictly limited two-week engagement, running June 10–22.

GoPride sat down with Regene to talk about what makes Kimberly Akimbo such a powerful and personal story, how it resonates with LGBTQ+ audiences, and how he brings authenticity and joy to every role he plays. From backstage rituals to onstage breakthroughs, Regene shares insights into life in the theater and the importance of visibility, vulnerability, and queer representation.

MI: (Matt Inawat, GoPride): Congratulations on landing Kimberly Akimbo! It's such an amazing musical and we're glad to see it on tour.

RSO: Kimberly Akimbo is a coming-of-age story—but not your typical one. There's a twist, and people will just have to come see it to find out what that twist is!

MI: Tell us about your characters in the show.

RSO: I understudy three very different characters, which makes it both fun and challenging. Each one has a trait that I gravitate toward, and I love bringing my own twist to them every time I go on stage.

Martin is a closeted teenager, and I really relate to that experience from when I was younger. He’s fabulous but feels like he has to hide that part of himself to avoid being an outsider. Aaron is just this awkward teen—and while I wasn’t that awkward, I think we all had our moments growing up. And then there’s Seth, the lead character. He’s full of hope. Even when it gets shot down, he always finds another way to reach his goal and make others happy. That kind of resilience really sticks with me.

MI: How do you think Kimberly Akimbo challenges traditional narratives in musical theater?

RSO: I could go on forever about that. Kimberly Akimbo is so intimate and grounded. It doesn’t rely on big flashy numbers. It’s emotional, real, and raw—which is something I absolutely love about it.

MI: What’s been the biggest challenge in preparing for your roles?

RSO: The biggest challenge was definitely learning three different roles—and three different harmonies! Jeanine Tesori wrote such beautiful music, but each character has a different harmony, so it was very challenging. Luckily, I’ve had help from amazing Broadway veterans. And now most rewarding part is getting to tell this story and work alongside idols like Carolee Carmello. Getting to work with her is like a "pinch me" moment every day 

MI: How has the audience reaction moved or surprised you during the show’s run?

RSO: The show itself is hilarious, so I was not surprised by all the laughs and the reactions and the "oohs" and "aahs."  I'm just so thrilled that people are appreciating this show so much, even on the West Coast, because the show takes place in the East Coast. They even warn audiences about the New Jersey vernacular! I think that that's has been such a cool thing to see from audience members, seeing them at the stage door and telling us how much they loved it!

MI: As a queer artist, how does your identity inform or empower your work on stage?

RSO: This show allows me to be myself. The people I work with make me feel safe, and most of all, they make me feel seen. So it's really easy to have fun at work and be myself whether I'm interacting with coworkers or being on stage.  And I think that makes way for a better performance and I am allowed to give it my all every single night.

MI: That representation you bring will inspire future performers, too! Who are some of your biggest influences—onstage and off?

RSO: I am one of the biggest Beehive members in the world. I love Beyonce. I grew up listening to Destiny's Child, and I was just so inspired and maybe hypnotized. Beyonce's voice, her stage presence, her dance moves, and her aura is just so mesmerizing and inspiring, and she's one of my biggest influences.

MI: So, you're auditioning for the Beyoncé musical when it happens?

RSO: Oh, of course, and even if I'm not in it, I, I'm gonna see it every night. I'll work as a stage hand!

MI: So how did your theater journey begin?

RSO: I have always been involved in music my whole life. When I was growing up in the Philippines, my grandmother and my mother were the root of my love for music. They introduced me to music and then when my mom found out that I wanted to do it on stage, she would enter me in competitions in the Philippines.

And eventually when we moved to the United States, I discovered musical theater. The musical theater scene is not really that huge in the Philippines. I mean, there's Lea Salonga, but it wasn't as big as it was here in the US and I fell in love with it. My first ever show that I was on stage playing a character was in Guys and Dolls, as Nicely Nicely Johnson, and from there on out, I knew that I wanted to do it professionally and just fell in love with it deeper and deeper.

And now we have people like Rachel and Nicole Scherzinger representing, too. It’s so inspiring.

MI: So what's one backstage ritual or superstition you have before every show?

RSO: I am responsible for the stage managers having to constantly refill the Ricola jar that we have backstage because I have to have thousands of Ricola no matter what show I'm doing. Especially if it's a vocally challenging one, I have to have a Ricola. Even if I'm feeling healthy vocally, I'm shoving Ricola in my mouth.

MI: If your life were a musical, what would the opening number be called, and what genre would it be?

RSO: Hmm… I’d call it Let’s Make the Most of Our Day. Especially on tour, when you’re in a new city every week, I try to explore as much as I can. Not everyone gets to travel and work like this, so I want to take advantage of it.

MI: That’s a great mindset. So finally, what are your top three things to do while you're in Chicago for the show?

RSO: First: deep-dish pizza! I’ve never had it, and my coworkers said I had to wait until we got to Chicago to try it properly.

There was a deep dish pizza while we were in a stop in Denver, and one of my co-workers was like, "you're not going in there. I know it's a long time, but you're gonna wait till Chicago. Not that I'm not saying that the deep dish pizza in Denver was not proper, you're going to have to have it in Chicago if you want to have that experience." So....

We're going to be there in the summer and one of my co-workers' girlfriends is from Chicago and works a lot in the Chicago area, and I'm excited to check out the beaches because I'm from a shore town in New Jersey, and I've heard a lot of great things about the beaches in Chicago and how they're awesome and they're right in the middle of the city, so it's like very cool.

And then third would have to be seeing shows, whether that be the theater scene or drag shows. The Chicago drag scene is out of this world from what I've seen online and hopefully I get to experience the drag culture there!

MI: Regene, hope you have an amazing visit to the city and thank you so much for chatting with us! See you on stage soon!

The North American Tour of KIMBERLY AKIMBO is produced by David Stone, The Atlantic Theater Company, James L.
Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, and Aaron Glick.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO opened on Broadway to unanimous rave reviews on November 10, 2022, following its world
premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company in November 2021. Upon closing on Broadway, KIMBERLY AKIMBO played 32
previews and 612 performances.

Ticket Information

Individual tickets for KIMBERLY AKIMBO are on sale now and range from $35.00 - $125.00 with a select number of
premium tickets available. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more
by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 . For
more information, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.

About Broadway in Chicago

Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 25 years has grown to be one of the largest
commercialtouring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago
Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full
range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop
including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the
Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.