Kim Wood Interview (Absinthe)
Welcome to Australia Kim! According to your Twitter page you sing, dance and make cookies… what’s the tastiest cookie that you’ve made so far?
Hi there! My yard in Las Vegas has a Meyer lemon tree and the juice is a critical ingredient in delicious lemon ricotta cookies. They’re a smash at parties! I’ve also found by adding toffee or caramel chips to any pre-made cookie mix, your friends think the treats are gourmet. It’s fun to trick your friends!
Besides singing, dancing and acting, what else do you get up too?
I love solving The Daily Jumble, which is a scrambled letters word game. I enjoy all-you-can-eat sushi and poking around the library discovering new books or buying used books from the store in the basement. I also love my television shows. I admit it, I love TV. I recently went back to episode one of Buffy to watch the entire series all over again and relive 90s fashion.
Which is your favourite talent and why?
I am a very talented Flip Cup player and have been known to school my opponent with the superb one-try flip. Why is it my favorite talent? Because it’s Flip Cup, duh!
So you’re in Australia for Spiegelworld’s latest circus, burlesque and vaudeville entitled Absinthe. So how did you get involved with Spiegelworld?
March 2014 I was an understudy in Spiegelworld’s production Vegas Nocturne. That led to an audition to be the understudy for The Green Fairy in Absinthe Las Vegas, which led to The Green Fairy on tour. Now I find myself, less than a year from that first audition, in Australia, which is pretty surreal to me.
Can you tell us what Absinthe is about?
Absinthe is a smorgasbord of sexy, daring acts, tempting burlesque, inappropriately hilarious comedy and impressive athleticism. And it’s about leaving your inhibitions at the door, but just because performers may be disrobing, the audience shouldn’t follow by example.
You play the Green Fairy in Absinthe. Can you tell us a little about your character?
According to the 200 year old legend, when someone drinks Absinthe, the Green Fairy appears and guides them through an other-worldly journey. I appear near the start of the show, encouraging the audience to open its mind to the wildly fantastic voyage called Absinthe.
What’s your favourite part of playing the Green Fairy?
Being delivered on the shoulders of four hunky guys to make my grand entrance.
In general, can you tell us your favourite part of Spiegelworld’s Absinthe and why?
I love the extreme variety of the acts. One minute I’m entranced by a beautiful aerial routine, the next minute I’m laughing so hard I cry, the next minute picking my jaw up off the floor because of some insane acrobatic act.
What is the most challenging part of being in Absinthe?
Wearing high heels and not falling off the table which is on top of the stage with the lights in my eyes.
Can you tell us what your training involves before the shows?
I do vocal warm ups to prep for the singing, some yoga-type stretches to limber up for the burlesque and sprinkle glitter. Lots of glitter.
What are you most looking forward to when Absinthe opens in Australia on the 17th of February in Newcastle?
Meeting the audiences. I’ve encountered the most helpful and friendly people in Newcastle I have ever met. I can’t wait to meet more of them and feed off of their awesome energy during the performances.
Are you looking forward to seeing any part of Australia during your breaks?
I want to see all parts that do not involve deadly animals, specifically snakes. This is my first time out of the United States (not counting the two days in Tijuana), so I want to experience all I can of this side of the world while I’m here.
Lastly, what are you planning to do when you return to the states?
Ya know, I have no idea! If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be doing the Absinthe tour of Australia, I would have thought they were loony. Predicting what I’ll be doing when the tour is over in a year or so is beyond me. However, I hope to be performing in Las Vegas and cuddling my kitties that I miss so much.
Thanks again Kim and all the best for Absinthe in Australia!
Thank you!
Photos credits: Denise Turscello (Kim Wood), Kim Wood (The Cat)
To learn more about Kim, please visit https://twitter.com/iamkimwood & http://iamkimwood.com/
www.absintheaustralia.com
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