When Bonnie Milligan first moved to New York from her small town in Northwest Ohio she played one of her favorite songs the moment she arrived in the city. As her mother and stepfather drove her into town Milligan played “Not For The Life Of Me” from the show Thoroughly Modern Millie.
Bonnie Milligan
In the musical Millie Dillmount comes to New York City from Salina, Kansas determined to live the life of her dreams. “Burn the bridge, bet the store. Baby’s coming home no more. Not for the life of me,” sings Millie in the song and then rips up her return ticket back to Kansas.
For Milligan the musical with music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Dick Scanlan and particularly that song, felt so apropos. Especially in the moment as she was coming to the city where she would pursue her dreams. “I thought, here’s Millie leaving a one light town where the light is always red. And we have very few stoplights in the town where I was coming from and I was going to the big city,” says Milligan. “It felt so real.”
Cut to May, 2023 and many shows later, including making her Broadway debut as Princess Pamela in Head Over Heels. In addition to her fine timing and excellent acting chops, Milligan would become known for her fierce and ferocious belt and vocal range.
Just last week Milligan received her first Tony nomination for her priceless portrayal of Aunt Debra in the hilarious and deeply moving musical, Kimberly Akimbo, now playing at the Booth Theatre. A recipient of eight Tony nominations, including Best Musical, the show features a book and lyrics written by David Lindsay-Abaire, with music by— wait for it… Jeanine Tesori.
That’s Jeanine Tesori, who wrote that all-important song that Milligan played when she first arrived in New York City. "It's an incredible and full circle moment,” says Milligan. “Now I’m on Broadway doing an original Jeanine Tesori show.”
The musical takes place in a pre-cellphone world in 1999. Kimberly Levaco (Victoria Clark) is a New Jersey teen with big dreams and even bigger zest for life. She also has a bunch of giant roadblocks in her way. Born with a very rare, (and fictional), aging disease that only occurs in one in 50 million people, her body ages at lightning fast speeds. That means that Kimberly looks decades older than her peers.
Kimberly also has an incredibly dysfunctional family, including an alcoholic father (Steven Boyer) and hypochondriac/narcissist mother (Alli Mauzey). Brand new to town, somewhere 40 miles from Metuchen, one bright spot is Kimberly’s anagram-loving, tuba playing, deeply caring friend Seth, (Justin Cooley).
Bonnie Milligan with clockwise, from left: Nina White, Michael Iskander, Olivia Elease Hardy and ... [+]
In the show that is choreographed by Danny Mefford and directed by Jessica Stone, Milligan plays Kimberly’s carpe diem con artist aunt Debra who needs help with her big scam. As she sings to Kimberly in her anthem song “Better,” “When opportunity knocks, when possibility calls, take the bull by the horns, grab life by the balls. You gotta take the reins, break the rules, so you can make your shitty life better.”
As Milligan explains that number to Kimberly is a true act of love for her niece. “She’s saying, ‘babe, it might be hard and weird, but it's going to be liberating if you don't wait for your train wreck set of parents to do anything for you. Go do things for yourself like I did.’”
Like all the characters in Kimberly Akimbo, Aunt Debra is multifaceted and human. “She’s not just some criminal bad person. I believe I deeply love Kimberly and play it that she is my favorite person in the world. Kimberly is probably the one person who doesn't just tolerate, but likes being around me. And, I have found amazing connection and friendship in Vicky Clark,” says Milligan.
“Aunt Debra is a survivor and is someone who has been through some stuff,” says Milligan, who already won the 2022 Lucille Lortel Award and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award when Kimberly Akimbo debuted at the Atlantic Theater Company. “No spoiler alerts, but something big recently happened and she has to get out of town. The stakes are high. And I just need one quick scam to get me the money to leave.”
At the Meet The Tony Nominees press event at New York’s Sofitel Hotel, just days after her Tony nomination, Milligan offered her refections, including who she would bring as her date to the Tony Awards.
The cast of Kimberly Akimbo, now playing at the Booth Theatre
Jeryl Brunner: Where were you when you found out you were nominated for a Tony Award?
Bonnie Milligan: I got up early to watch the first few nominations. And then four friends came over who brought coffee and bagels. We watched the announcements, streaming it on my TV. I cried on and off all day. I've never gotten more texts, social media messages or phone calls in my life. It was overwhelming and really beautiful. And all I knew is that I had a bagel at 9:15am and then at four o'clock I thought, what? I hadn't eaten, I hadn't done anything because I had been so busy. And then we had a show that night, so it was crazy. Also, my friends surprised me by coming to the show. So that was really moving and special.
Brunner: How did your family react?
Milligan: I had a long chat with my mom and my brother the night before. And when I did talk to her, my mother was, of course, crying. Many years ago I said, “if I ever get to the Tonys, you're my date.” So she has reminded me that she is my date and that's very fair. She gave me a lot of support and love to get me here.
Brunner: You have told me about waiting tables for years and how hard it was sometimes, especially during a bad shift when you so desperately wanted to perform and not be a server. If someone would have said to you back then, “one day you will be performing on Broadway and a Tony nominee,” what would you say?
Milligan: I would probably start crying and say, “okay, great.” It would help get me though those really hard days. I didn’t always have bad customers, but there were days that were difficult. I waited tables with Kennedy Kanagawa, who plays Milky White in Into The Woods. And we would get private karaoke rooms and sing out our feelings. We held onto those dreams and said, “it's all going to be be worth it.” That's why you have to keep telling yourself, “I will break through.” So, I think she would be very excited, proud and would happily go into her shift the next day with a little bit more pep in her step.
Brunner: You originated the role of Aunt Debra and have been with her for years now. How has playing her changed you?
Milligan: The message of the show, about enjoying the time we have, is so palpable. Also, having just lost my father right before getting this audition, this show has helped me in my grief. It has helped me remember the joy of the stage and feeling like I get to honor people in my life. I think of my grandparents who drove me and paid for musical theater camp. And the people who aren't on this plane anymore who are in me and a part of me being here.
Brunner: Is there something you wish you could tell Debra?
Milligan: Getting a job is not the worst thing in the world. You don't have to put yourself in the scariest of places. And think of community college. It’s 1999. They didn't need that many degrees back then. I don't think anybody has really told Debra that she is smart and charming. She is doing what she has to do because nobody believes in her. But if somebody believed in her a little bit and said, “you could do more,” I think she would.
