BY CARY GINELL
Today we conclude our preview of some of the members of the Mary Poppins cast with a brief visit with Aussie import Kim Taylor, who will be dancing in the ensemble. It’s too bad you only get to see her, because she has a delightful Australian accent.
VCOS: How long have you been in the States?
KIM: I’ve been here full-time since 2014, but I was here in 2012 and 2013 on a working visa. When I was here doing that, I was able to do some musical theater. I did Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at La Mirada down south and 9 to 5 and I also did Chicago at the Hollywood Bowl, which was pretty cool. That was awesome. Then I went home for six months and was able to come back. I got married to my boyfriend, so I’m here permanently now, which is also awesome.
VCOS: So are you basically a dancer or an actress?
KIM: I’m mostly a dancer. I grew up doing ballet and so I was a “ballet girl” in Australia. In Australia, it’s a lot different; there’s not a lot of regional or community theater. It’s all professional, very competitive, and there’s not a lot of chances to get the experience you need. So it’s great to be out here and be able to audition for stuff all the time and to perform all the time.
VCOS: Do you find this to be a very rich community of opportunity for you?
KIM: Yeah, definitely. And it’s great that there’s that opportunity for everyone, especially young kids, like we have two kids in the ensemble in Mary Poppins who are in high school. I wish I had that opportunity when I was their age. Because they can just make that leap into professional companies so much easier.
VCOS: Tell me about the dancing that you have to do in Mary Poppins.
KIM: In this show, there’s a little bit of everything. I’m a tapper and also a ballet girl, so there’s a lot of tap in the show, but there are people who haven’t done it as much, so we’re all getting in there and doing it. It’s really fast and energetic and exciting. There are also some ballet parts and some statuesque kind of things, and I do that as well. There is also some jazz and cabaret type of things, like in “Supercalifragilistic,” so there’s a little bit of a mixture of everything. It’s great for the ensemble.
VCOS: So you’re going to stay around this area?
KIM: Oh, definitely. My husband and I are both performers and there are definitely a lot more opportunities for us to continue doing that as a profession, rather than having to go into other fields.
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You can see Kim and the other members of the Mary Poppins cast when the show makes its premiere Friday night. For dates and showtimes, consult the VC On Stage Calendar.
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