All stories by Alaina Johns on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The man who called me an optimist: Remembering writer Tom Purdom by Alaina Johns

In January, the BSR community lost one of our founding members: science-fiction and music writer Tom Purdom. Near the end of his career, he never balked at having a youngster for his editor.…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 02:59PM
Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Philadelphia Theatre Company presents Martyna Majok’s Cost of Living by Alaina Johns

The Philly nonprofit Art-Reach, which connects our disability community to our cultural scene, partners with Philadelphia Theatre Company for Cost of Living, a show about the complexities of…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 02:19PM
Tuesday, January 9, 2024

I’m an editor, but I want 2024 to be the year we stop harping on typos by Alaina Johns

One drawback of working in the media is that your smallest mistakes are extremely visible to the public. Everyone loves to point out typos and errors, but only some of us are helping. Alaina…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:37PM
Monday, December 18, 2023

A look back at Philly's 2023 cultural scene through the eyes of local artist Chuck Schultz by Alaina Johns

Philly artist Chuck Schultz has been in the audience at concerts, plays, and dance performances throughout 2023. Now he shares the performances through his own eyes in this one-of-kind BSR g…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 12:19PM
Tuesday, December 5, 2023

BSR Behind the Scenes: An inside look at our editorial process by Alaina Johns

Did you know that BSR is Philly's top destination for professional arts journalism...and that we're a small, independent nonprofit made up entirely of remote-working part-timers? Here's how …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 05:31PM
Tuesday, November 21, 2023

BSR Behind the Scenes: Why do we need arts criticism? by Alaina Johns

In our experience, some people opine that the critics are just dragging the cultural scene down—especially when a review is mixed or negative. But is that true? Not at all. Alaina Johns ex…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 04:11PM
Monday, November 13, 2023

BSR Behind the Scenes: what does public relations have to do with arts journalism? by Alaina Johns

What does arts journalism have to do with PR? As arts writers and editors, we often work closely with PR people. How do we collaborate? And what are the boundaries between our roles? Alaina …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 04:10PM
Tuesday, November 7, 2023

As we close out 2023, BSR is taking you behind the scenes of our arts journalism by Alaina Johns

When we ask for your support, we want to be sure we’re stepping up to explain our work. But whether or not you can donate, if you’re a BSR reader, we bet you’ll enjoy this window on ho…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:57PM
Friday, October 6, 2023

The Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Shubert Organization present the national tour of Tina Fey’s Mean Girls by Alaina Johns

Mean Girls has been a sensation since the original film premiered in 2004—but it’s as funny as it is problematic. The Broadway musical, now on its national tour, is even more offensive, …

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 11:30AM
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

A closer look at depictions of domestic violence in Gunnar Montana’s BLACK WOOD by Alaina Johns

BLACK WOOD, the latest from Gunnar Montana Productions, is an immersive, creepy, atmospheric experience perfect for spooky season. But we shouldn’t view it without talking about the violen…

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 03:16PM
Monday, September 25, 2023

Opera Philadelphia presents Rene Orth and Hannah Moscovitch’s 10 Days in a Madhouse by Alaina Johns

Festival O23’s world-premiere production of composer Rene Orth and librettist Hannah Moscovitch’s 10 Days in a Madhouse is fresh, urgent, and relevant. Alaina Johns reviews.

SOURCE: Broad Street Review at 08:32PM
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

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards