Kelly Hudson

Out of the treasure trove of talent in the Lewisville Playhouse’s Ragtime comes the remarkable Kelly Hudson. Kelly brought such intensity and strength to the character of Emma Goldman that she became Goldman and made her a compelling, riveting presence. It was the perfect melding of actor and part. Kelly, who is also a splendid vocalist, is an actor with unlimited potential and I can’t wait to see where her exciting talents take her. Take a few minutes to read bout Kelly Hudson’s journey in the performing arts.

When was your first time on stage?

The first time I remember being on stage was in third grade for my elementary school’s production of The Wizard of Oz. I was Dorothy and I specifically remember being very stressed out about remembering all my lines. Being a lead is a lot to ask of a nine year old! 

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I knew I wanted to be an actor after watching a behind the scenes interview with the cast of “Race to Witch Mountain” with Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Anna Sophia Robb, and Alexander Ludwig. They all looked like they were having so much fun and they talked about how much they enjoyed working with each other. After releasing that performing was something I wanted to do I started taking it more seriously. I took theater in middle school as an elective and started doing productions in high school. I took voice lessons and paid for an acting coach. In my young person mind these were all things I needed to do to help me become more professional in show biz, now that I’m a bit older I know a lot of the success that comes with being a performer is just being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. I’m still glad I did all those extra effort things, I just wish I wouldn’t have put so much pressure on myself. 

Who is your greatest mentor?

I would say my greatest mentor would probably be my mom, she was an elementary school music teacher for twenty eight years at a title one school. Her love for music and performance bleed out of her to me and all the other students she got to teach. She believed in the power of enrichment opportunities for kids and advocated for fine arts field trips to the Majestic, Winspear, and Dallas Children’s Theater so we would have the opportunity to see real artists in their prime and have something to aspire to. She was the parent who put me in dance classes, pushed me to audition for school plays and musicals, paid for my voice lessons for many years. Without her I’d probably be a very different person. 

What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

In high school I got to play Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and that was really magical. I got to sing with a live orchestra for the first time, we did community outreach events to do story time at the elementary school libraries in my city. We also did a special breakfast with Belle where the kids ate pancakes and got to take pictures with the characters. I walked away from the show feeling really special and that’s an opportunity I’m really grateful for.

Do you have a dream role?

My current dream role is Velma Kelly in Chicago. I love the music and costuming in that show. In the future when I’m a bit older I’d love the opportunity to play Carrie’s mom in Carrie the Musical, she is such an interesting villain and her songs are sooo powerful.

What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

Two actors I would love to share the stage with is Emma Thompson and Hugh Jackman. Both have blended their film and stage appearances seamlessly through out their careers and made distinct characters with their acting choices that people love. I would just want to pick their brains about how they feel about the differences between the two mediums and what they have done to help them self’s grow as performers. 

What performances have you seen that impressed you?

I got to see the ballet Giselle at the Winspear in Dallas not to long ago and in the Act two the ghosts of heartbroken women are cursed with protecting the cemetery where Giselle is buried for all eternity. I forgot how beautiful it is to watch 30-35 women on stage dance in complete unison and with such ease and elegance. The artistic director chose to use fog machines, and it made the dancers look like they were really hovering. It was so eerie. 

What are your career goals?

Right now my five year career goals are to finish up my physical therapy assistance program and pass the NPTE while continuing to do theater locally. In twenty years I hope to be a practicing sports medicine physician working with performers either in a professional dance company or Cirque du Soleil! 

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Something people may be surprised to learn about me is that when I was nineteen, I got to fly to New York and audition for Juilliard’s acting program. The acting coach I had at the time recommended I try; she helped me pick monologues and set me up with a very professional looking prescreen so I’d have a fighting chance ha-ha. Well I guess I stood out enough because I was selected for an in-person audition. I remember walking to my audition being very determined to get there fifteen minutes before like my acting coach had said but all these people in fuzzy pink hats and signs the read things like “Me Too” and “I’m with her” were crowding the street. I had no idea I was close to the heart of the Women’s March! To have been in New York City on that day was a very special experience, one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.