All Kim wants is a normal teenage existence. Stable parents, a few school friends, and the anticipation of a long and happy life after high school. For Kimberly Akimbo, now on stage at Shea’s Performing Arts Center to March 22, most of this isn’t happening.

Winner of the 2023 Tony Award for best musical, Kimberly Akimbo has some hilarious moments and more moments that are just heart-breaking. Our heroine lives with a rare genetic disorder that is rapidly aging her. While her chronology says she’s 16, her physical appearance and condition are four times that. As she reminds her father who is confronting her beau about matters of propriety, “I went through menopause four years ago, Dad.” This makes her wise beyond her years. Her parents make dysfunction a family norm: dad drinks too much and mom is self-obsessed, pregnant, and recuperating from carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. The family recently relocated and Kim is adjusting to being the new kid and is befriending an endearing group of show choir kids and a lovable nerd named Seth who can and will anagram any name. When Kim’s fugitive Aunt Debra shows up, the story takes a few interesting twists.

I’ll be honest: I’m not a fan of the “dysfunctional parents and all-knowing child” storyline in any medium. What kept catching my ear was some snappy dialogue (full disclosure: plenty of swearing happens and Kim does have a family swear jar where rogue quarters are being saved for a family roadtrip) and some special moments in Jeanine Tesori’s score. Mom Pattie’s song to her in utero child “Hello, Darling” and dad Buddy’s song to Kim “Happy for Her” were especially endearing. Beau Seth’s “Good Kid” is a wistful send-up to his own unconventional family life.

Ann Morrison is very convincing as the 16 year old Kimberly. She’s costumed as a teen with tights and jumpers and long blonde hair and her strong, mature face belies the outer trappings. Her stage movement is intriguing: one moment she’s belly-flopped on her bed writing a letter and then cautiously, laboriously walking through a room. Beautiful expression of her age-mind dichotomy. Marcus Phillips as school chum-maybe beau Seth, Jim Hogan as dad Buddy, Emily Koch as Debra, Laura Woyasz as mom Pattie, are solid, as are the show choir friends Gabby Beredo, Sky Alyssa Friedman, Darron Hayes, and Max Santropietro.

Theatre Companion and I had a difference of opinion on David Zinn’s scenic design: the moveable pieces that created a school library, ice skating rink, and Kim’s home were examples of evocative scenography but perhaps were too stark in act two. Road shows are what they are, and perhaps this was designed to keep us focused on the characters and their storytelling.

I didn’t dance out of theatre humming a tune, but I had plenty of “life is short, carpe diem” moments on my ride home. Maybe that’s what Kim was meant to leave in my head.

Kimberly Akimbo runs a little over two hours with a 15-minute intermission. Find tickets and details at http://www.sheas.org.