#FFB: Kathryn Allison
"Hi I’m Kathryn and I singer, actor, content creator and now a recording artist ahhhh! This is a very new thing that I have been working on and very excited about. I am also a body activist and lover of all things fashion and of course the ultimate Broadway nerd :). You can find me most Saturday mornings before a two show day watching youtube videos from Patti to Audra to Cassie Levy. I LIVE for a B’way Diva! And the fact that I get to be apart of this amazing community is something I could’ve only dreamed of!”
I LOVE this industry. The magic of theater. What I get to do every day is pure magic and what it takes do what we do is different for everyone. Some days are more challenging than others, some are rewarding. The transition of being a theater nerd ( for example seeing Spring Awakening OBC 5 times…I could do the choreo in my sleep) and being a lover of the business of theatre to dreaming of being on Broadway to actually doing it; is still WILD to me.
To think of how far I’ve come as person and as an artist since I started this journey 15 years ago is humbling, if 11 year old Kathryn could see me now, she would be gagged honey (lol). But in all honestly I was dealing with so much; I was learning what child obesity was and how for the next 8 years I would try every diet imaginable. At that the same time I learned I had learning disabilities (now called learning differences). My reading and vocabulary was behind, I had major issues with short term memory, amongst a list of other things. This could be perceived as a setback, but that was also when I found singing and theater. For the first time I was really able to express my thoughts and feelings through music and that was a game changer for me.
So how did I combat all this stuff...by being on the life long journey of authenticity and self-acceptance. I had to embrace everything about me and learn how to use those things perceived as challenges to achieve what I wanted. Yes, I know, so cliche. But it’s true! My support network is what keeps me going. My therapist, my friends, my parents, my cast, etc. They hold me accountable, pick me up when I am down and support me in the lowest of lows in and in the highest of highs. Look, I am the most stubborn and competitive person I know. I want to do everything on my own and be the first to do it. Slow down queen, take a deep breath, let go of the pride and ask for help. What I have realized is that your dreams and aspirations are attainable but not without people to help you along the way. So write that crazy idea down, show it to a friend you trust, develop it and soon people will see you in the way you’ve always wanted to be seen!
If you’re reading this and saying to yourself, “I don’t know if I am right for Broadway or I just can’t see it happening for me.” I think everyone is fit for Broadway. It’s an exciting time for our industry. Our audiences are craving not only to see themselves in the narratives that we are telling but also to see society as it truly is reflected on stage. So each show is becoming more diverse than the next and so are the stories that are being told. It’s baby steps, but steps that should be celebrated and supported. Know that people are ready for you and waiting to hear your story.
We live in the instant gratification age where we want everything to happen now. I want to achieve everything I have ever hoped for myself in the fastest most convenient way possible. If I can Amazon Prime everything else, why can’t my life be the same way? Patience, Patience, Patience. That’s my mantra baby. In times when I see others having the things I want, patience. Those things you dream of and meditate on will come even bigger and better and in the way you least expect it. Dream big my Queens! You got this and I believe in you!"
Dialogue with FFB & now, You.
Kathryn is wearing The "Fit for Broadway” Pullover by Fit for Broadway Apparel
Photos & Interview by Jane Jourdan.