All stories by Alaina Johns on BroadwayStars

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Philly Fringe 2023: Hannah Parke presents Birth. Sparkle. Death. by Alaina Johns

Solo performer Hannah Parke’s new piece on navigating a devastating epilepsy diagnosis is exactly the kind of work that makes the Fringe exciting. If only the venue was bearable. Alaina Jo…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 06:32PM
Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Philly Fringe 2023: the BSR editor’s picks by Alaina Johns

Editor-in-chief Alaina Johns has her picks for this year’s Philadelphia Fringe Festival, including offerings from Cannonball, Free Fringe, and Digital Fringe.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 01:45PM
Wednesday, July 12, 2023

The BSR Weekly Arts and Culture Roundup: Book Week 2023 by Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns and Kyle V. Hiller curate a variety of books from a variety of writers living with disabilities for this year’s BSR book week.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:12PM
Monday, July 10, 2023

Discover books by BSR writers by Alaina Johns

For the first time since BSR’s founding 18 years ago (wow, we know), we’re spotlighting books written by our contributors, who are some of the region’s top critics, essayists, and arts…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 10:10PM
Tuesday, June 20, 2023

“Meeting them where they are”: Museum of the American Revolution CEO on Moms for Liberty booking by Alaina Johns

Last week, the Museum of the American Revolution hosted a screening of Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia while protestors of an upcoming Moms for Liberty party at the museum …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 09:50PM

Announcing the first-ever BSR Book Week: July 10-16, 2023 by Alaina Johns

We're celebrating summer with our first-ever BSR Book Week, July 10-16, 2023, packed with reviews and recommendations. And we want to hear from you, too! Here are all the ways you can join i…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 01:51PM
Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Why are the Philly Marriott and the Museum of the American Revolution opening their doors to Moms for Liberty? by Alaina Johns

The Philly Marriott and the Museum of the American Revolution are drawing criticism for hosting the anti-government, anti-education, anti-LGBTQ+ nonprofit Moms for Liberty. It’s not just a…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 12:04PM
Monday, June 12, 2023

The Wilma Theater presents William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night by Alaina Johns

The Wilma’s new Twelfth Night, from co-artistic director Yury Urnov, promises to “reimagine” Shakespeare (just like every theater company does). But this show has plenty to delight and…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 09:33PM
Friday, June 9, 2023

Arts advocates rally again to fight proposed cuts to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund by Alaina Johns

In Fiscal Year 2023, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund received $5.5 million in city funding—a lifeline for 275 PCF grantees this year (including BSR). But the mayor’s 2024 budget proposes …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 04:29PM
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The BSR Podcast, season 7, episode 8: The Power of Food Media panel recording by Alaina Johns

If you missed our May 25 Power of Food Media panel conversation in person, now you can listen to it on the BSR pod! Our guests explain how they got into the biz, why the work matters, and of…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 10:06AM
Wednesday, May 17, 2023

The BSR Podcast, season 7, episode 7: PVLA celebrates 45 years of pro bono legal services by Alaina Johns

BSR is the media partner for the PVLA Arts Affair! Podcast host Darnelle sits down with PVLA leaders to find out how lawyers and artists empower each other, what services PVLA offers, and ho…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 11:44AM
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Join us for The Power of Food Media: A Conversation with Kae Lani Palmisano & BSR by Alaina Johns

It’s a great time whenever the BSR community gets together, and we’re branching out to welcome some of the city’s top food journalists for an exciting discussion panel (and delicious l…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 02:09PM
Monday, May 15, 2023

Philadelphia Artists’ Collective presents Jane Eyre by Alaina Johns

Jane Eyre gets a new stage treatment in this ambitious adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, which showcases the inner life of the passionate and principled governess. Alaina Jo…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 05:56PM
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Are Philly arts-goers incapable of silencing their phones? by Alaina Johns

At last week’s Philadelphia Orchestra concert, Yannick Nézet-Séguin was so frustrated by repeatedly ringing phones that he stopped the music. What’s behind the growing smartphone scour…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 08:15PM
Friday, May 5, 2023

Theatre Exile presents James Ijames’s Abandon by Alaina Johns

As James Ijames’s Pulitzer-winning and Tony-nominated FAT HAM continues on Broadway, his latest world premiere, Abandon, gets a stand-out cast at Theatre Exile. Alaina Johns reviews.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 12:15PM
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret movie joins a modern movement for lifelong sex ed by Alaina Johns

A fairly faithful adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic 1970 novel is hitting theaters. It expands the stories of three generations of women, reminding us that it’s not just tweens who are …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 07:22PM
Friday, March 24, 2023

The Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Shubert Organization present SIX the Musical by Alaina Johns

The new Tudor sensation is finally in Philly, as the national tour of SIX lands at the Academy of Music. Is it “a women’s show”? And what does that really mean? Alaina Johns reviews.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 12:54PM
Friday, March 3, 2023

Will Philly’s next mayor fund arts and culture? by Alaina Johns

At this Kimmel Center debate, nine candidates for mayor took questions about how our cultural sector fits into their platform. Alaina Johns was there.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 06:11PM
Tuesday, February 21, 2023

PTC’s Empathitrax is an unrealistic and irresponsible portrayal of mental illness by Alaina Johns

The regional premiere of Empathitrax, now onstage at Suzanne Roberts, deals in troubling tropes of depression without preparing its audience. Alaina Johns considers.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 11:06AM
Thursday, December 22, 2022

Why support arts journalism in 2023? by Alaina Johns

One thing we've been hearing a lot this year is that people are fed up with the media. Are we a lost cause? Not if you invest in the professionals in your community.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:36PM
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

When I faced a cancer diagnosis this year, I had to get honest and get help. by Alaina Johns

When a crisis like cancer hits, it can feel easier to keep it to ourselves. But humans are not meant to cope alone. Vulnerability is where our real strength lies. Alaina Johns shares her exp…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:21PM
Friday, December 9, 2022

The BSR Podcast: Season 7, Episode 2: DABC (don't always be consuming) by Alaina Johns

BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford gets BSR staffers Alaina Johns, Kyle V. Hiller, and Neil Bardhan in the virtual studio to talk book, TV, and podcast recs for your 2023 feed.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 01:33PM

The BSR Podcast, Season 7, Episode 1: Odd Man Out at Bristol Riverside Theatre by Alaina Johns

BSR podcaster Darnelle Radford interviews producer Carlos Armesto and actor Carmen Borlas about creating an immersive show in at Bristol Riverside Theatre, sans sight.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 01:13PM
Tuesday, October 18, 2022

How did Philly's media cover the PMA strike, and why does it matter? by Alaina Johns

Last week, the BSR team chose not to cross the PMA picket line, and did not attend a preview event for Matisse in the 1930s. We were in the minority, but we weren’t alone. Alaina Johns ref…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 05:08PM
Friday, September 30, 2022

Philly Fringe 2022: Lightning Rod Special presents SPEECH by Alaina Johns

SPEECH, the latest from Lightning Rod Special, features the company's signature stellar ensemble work, skewering our cultural currents. Alaina Johns reviews.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 11:07AM
Monday, September 12, 2022

Philly Fringe 2022: TheatreXP presents Fresh Ink Shorts by Alaina Johns

A wider range of voices would have benefited this production of new short plays, which marks the Philly debut of TheatreXP, a recent transplant from South Florida. Alaina Johns reviews.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 10:10AM
Wednesday, August 31, 2022

A gastronomic guide to the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival by Alaina Johns

Chances are if we missed being in the theater, we also missed meeting up for a bite. Many artists of this year’s Fringe are bringing us together over food. Alaina Johns rounds up.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:52PM
Tuesday, August 30, 2022

What getting my first tattoo taught me about body acceptance by Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns always admired others’ permanent body art, but she didn’t think she could ever make the jump to get tattooed herself, even though everyone else in the neighborhood is. This …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 07:48PM
Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Lexi Schreiber presents Fitting In: Tales of the Fat Ingénue by Alaina Johns

With her new solo show, Philly performer Lexi Schreiber asks why fat actors have to create and star in their own shows, instead of simply being cast in roles that already exist. Alaina Johns…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 07:18PM
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

As Pennsylvania moves to ban abortion, fight the rhetoric that threatens our rights by Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns has found that even in pro-choice spaces, the rhetoric around abortion can be hard to separate from the facts. But we all need to sharpen these skills, especially as Pennsylvani…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 04:56PM
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Why I joined a Pride march with the church I avoided for almost 20 years by Alaina Johns

As an atheist and a divorced woman who supports gender justice, Alaina Johns definitely doesn’t belong in the church that raised her. But when the church’s more inclusive community membe…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 04:05PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic