Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim Hudman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have been a performer since the age of 4 and successfully became professional at age 18. My first contract was overseas in Macau working on a casino show, from there I travelled the seas on cruise ships, performed at Universal Studios in Singapore, dazzled the seas of Sydney Harbour on the Sydney Showboat and gained my first musical tour, Dirty Dancing, in Australia in 2014. My love for music theatre only grew after that first contract, and I knew that’s where my heart was. In 2019, I made the decision to pack up my life in Sydney and start a fresh in New York (the greatest city in the world- Hamilton reference). I left everything behind, my well paid job, my family and friends, my career and I came over with a suitcase and a dream. I gained one of the hardest US visas you can receive- the O1. It is described to the USCIS as, “An Alien with Extraordinary Ability”. It took 1-2 years to successfully receive. I did not have any job prospects or any idea how I was going to get into the industry. I went from one audition to the next and after two months of living in NYC, I was offered a swing role for the Off Broadway musical- Oscar at the Crown. The season ran for six months and after doing a few other smaller gigs during 2019, I felt I had made it. Until March 2020, when the pandemic came and our industry shut down, as most others did. I was out of work and no sign of performing in the near distant future. It took two years before I was on stage again. I received a call to be the swing for the successful production of, On Your Feet. After connecting with some creatives, my luck had turned and I was being offered jobs by networking from previous contracts. It led to back to back shows including: The Wedding Singer, Cabaret and Escape to Margaritaville. My hard work and determination was being recognised. I was offered Dance Captain for a lot of these shows as well, which is something I have always been interested in. In 2023, I was asked to be the Associate Choreographer for a second run of Oscar at the Crown, this time at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This led to one of my highlights of my career which was being asked to be Katie Spelman’s (Choreographer of Broadway’s, The Notebook), Associate Choreographer for The Music Man in Chicago. I have always admired her and being a female creative in this industry is no easy feat. She showed me what a true leader should be, and that we need more women in power in the arts. I followed her closely and now am lucky enough to call her my friend. I know I mention that my luck had turned around in 2022, but that wasn’t due to just timing and waiting for the right gig. In the two years where I didn’t perform, I auditioned around 200 times. Self tapes, in-person callbacks and countless submissions online to try get back into the industry. I almost quit and turned my focus solely into fitness, which is my other career. If I hadn’t received that call to join the cast of On Your Feet, I may have never performed again. The one thing that kept pushing me to keep auditioning, keep showing up to class etc was knowing that I had sacrificed my whole life at home in Aus to come and do this. Was I just going to stop now? I didn’t feel I had given it enough time and I felt robbed by the pandemic. The hunger in me was fighting to continue and to just keep showing up. That was half the battle, showing up time and time again, and doing the thing. I am forever grateful for that day as it has led me to many opportunities I couldn’t even imagine. I am doing things I never thought possible. I come from a small town in Queensland, Australia and to have a dream this big felt impossible. If you had asked me ten years ago if I would ever make it to NY as a performer, I probably would have said no. It took a little bit of courage and a lot of hard work to pursue this, and I don’t regret it for a moment.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up on the Gold Coast, Australia and my mum was a performer. She also owned a performing arts studio that is highly recognised for young performers. She always encouraged my aspirations but let me make my own decision about being in the performing arts industry. She never pushed or forced me to go to classes. She said, if you want to do this, you have to want it on your own. I remember one day I said I felt sick ( to get out of going to class). Her reply was as simple as, “Ok, quit. If you don’t want to commit and aren’t ready to, then quit.” That is all it took for me to turn around and say I am not quitting and I went to class. She taught me to fight for things on my own and if I really wanted something, I needed to put in the work to get it. When I graduated high school, I went to a full time college where I studied Ballet and Contemporary. Even though I wanted to pursue a career in Music Theatre, I wanted the technique and discipline that Ballet provides. One of my teachers at the College connected me for my first professional job in Macau, dancing at the Sands Casino for 6 months. This contract then led to cruise ships and other overseas adventures. Coming from Australia and now performing in NY, I feel us Aussies bring a different strength to auditions. In Australia, we are trained to be good in every field- Singing, Acting, Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Commercial etc. You have to be well versed in every style. So I may not be the best at one particular style but I work really hard to be very good in everything. This allows me to be mouldable and versatile for any show. I truly believe that sets me apart from other performers in New York.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I want to share something very personal about auditions and how performers get jobs. I know everybody has to go through an employment process but I truly believe auditions are the most challenging way to gain a job. Imagine having to do a job interview seven times a week, but all year long? That’s what auditions are. At any given time, you can audition 1,2 up to 10 times a week if you are going for a lot of shows. So that feeling of nerves, anxiety and then possible rejection comes up multiple times a week. You take class, you train, you do all the things you need to to prepare, and you will always get more knock downs and rejections than any other industry. You are also putting your body through the most rigorous feat. Sometimes you can be in there for hours learning a routine, showing athleticism, picking up choreography in a short period of time and all whilst trying to show your own personality and special skills. You could be asked to come back two, three or even four times if the creatives need to see if you would be right for the show. The other part of it is the mental toll it can take. Not only do you have to show your skill set but you are being judged on how tall or short you are, what body type you are, if your facial features fit or you can partner with someone of the same build. The most personal parts of yourself are being put on display for everyone to see and even though you may be the most talented person in the room, if you don’t fit the mould that they need, you won’t get the job. No other occupation relies so heavily on not only your talent, but your physical make up, to gain a job. Therefore, you are rejected for not fitting that role and have to deal with the defeat and disappointment of not being the “right person”, all because you may just be too tall. Yet, we as performers, will go out the next day, put on another face of make up and a smile and do it all over again. It takes a very special human with thick skin to be able to do this as often as we do, and show your most vulnerable self.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe the biggest reason artists do what they do, is that feeling on stage. Nothing can beat it. When you are sharing your talents and joy with audiences and you see their reactions and how much happiness they feel, it is an adrenalin rush like nothing else. It lights up our souls. Bringing entertainment to people is the most rewarding thing and any performer will tell you, we thrive on audience’s reactions, cheers, standing ovations etc. It brings us so much joy and is worth every exhausting part of training, failed auditions and those moments where you want to give up. I also love seeing how proud my family and friends are when they watch me. It gives me life and it’s a feeling I have never felt anywhere else.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Kim.c.hudman

Image Credits

Katie Mollison- Kamera Shoots