Robert Johanson
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TIMELINE AND CHRONOLOGY
(Early Life and Education)Pre-1960`s:
I was born in 1951 in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere – Kemblesville, PA – it had about 10 houses and an Esso gas pump. There were no kids my age so I developed an enormous imagination. We moved when I started school to a slightly larger town – Stanton, DE. There I was the oldest child and as much younger ones came along, I directed them in plays in the basement. I sang in the Cherub Choir, school concerts and my breakout roles were Old King Cole in Mother Goose and the wedding soloist in The Tom Thumb Wedding. (A wedding entirely acted by children, I sang “I Love You Truly” and “They tried to tell us we’re too young…”)
The 1960`s:
By 6th grade I was writing. directing and starring in my own productions and putting them on for the entire school: a fairy tale musical The First Weeping Willow; historical dramas The John Peter Zenger Story & The DuPont Story; a farce in 4 acts Holiday Hotel; and an avant garde nuclear holocaust play The End of the Beginning. But in high school, I got to appear in real plays written by real people: You Can’t Take It With You (Ed), The Man Who Came to Dinner (Bert), The Sound of Music (Rolf), Arsenic and Old Lace (Mortimer) and the show that would change my life: West Side Story (Tony). This decided me to pursue a career in music and theatre.
(Ithaca College) Early 1970`s:
I enrolled at Ithaca College, embarking on my formal education in theatre. I was ready for Shakespeare, opera, drama! My first notable role was portraying the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. During my college years, I actively participated in over 30 productions, honing my skills at Ithaca College and nearby Cornell University. My first musical roles included Tulsa in Gypsy. Nestor in Irma la Douce, Matt in The Fantasticks.
The Vineyard Players
The summer of my freshman year I was invited to join The Vineyard Players on Martha’s Vineyard where I played Cocky in Roar of the Greasepaint, Sebastian in Your Own Thing, The Jester in Once Upon a Mattress, but also roles in comedies: Tartuffe, The Show Off , Enter Laughing and You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running in which I played an ancient old man named Herbert. 8 shows in 10 weeks – what an education.
Back to Ithaca
More roles in college as I started to diversify. The leads in Black Comedy, my first operetta La Perichole and operas: Il Tabarro and Amahl and the Night Visitors.
USO Tours
Through the college, I embarked on two USO tours, playing Finch in "How to Succeed" and Adam in "The Apple Tree," I learned on the job in diverse venues, including Greenland, Canada, and Europe performing for soldiers, families and even Inupiat
Final College Years
My last years at college I began directing and choreographing with major productions of Cinderella, The Winter’s Tale, and an unbelievably lavish Mary Poppins that I adapted as well. The summer before my senior year, I joined the Ithaca Rep Company for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well… and What the Butler Saw.
But my final role at college was my favorite and would start me down my dual roads of musicals and Shakespeare: Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. I left college having had the opportunity to try so many things, hone so many skills and begin the process of understanding how to entertain, move and enlighten an audience. I was ready to ‘make it’ in New York.
(Broadway) 1975:
I was only in New York 10 days when I was cast in the Broadway musical Shenandoah. It had tried out at the Goodspeed Opera house and was moving to Broadway – they needed six guys to round out the cast and understudy. Two of my classmates were already in the show – at the audition I told the director that we all were always up for the same roles at college – I sang my song and was given a contract to sign right there. I played various roles for over 1000 performances and would go on to direct the show all over the country.
The Theatre at Monmouth Shakespeare Festival
However, every summer I left the Broadway show, to go to the Maine Shakespeare Festival at Monmouth for half the money. 18 week seasons (3 of them) with four classic plays in repertory. It was one of the richest experiences of my life.
Late 70`s:
Paper Mill Playhouse
I directed a summer tour of Shenandoah that played the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Mass. It was here that I met Producer Angelo Del Rossi and started the association that would continue for the rest of our creative lives. He brought Shenandoah to the Paper Mill Playhouse where it won all sorts of awards and I was asked to stay on to direct Sound of Music and my first venture in directing operetta with The Student Prince. All three shows were big hits and then…the Paper Mill burned to the ground.
Broadway Again
During the three years it took to rebuild the Paper Mill, I had all sorts of adventures. It was a very busy time as an actor, but mostly with my budding directing career. For Equity Library theatre – the prestigious showcase for acting talents – I directed a revival of Canterbury Tales that got rave reviews and was the first musical in the illustrious career of ELT to transfer to Broadway.
I directed the Off-Broadway production of Masterpieces by Arthur Bicknell about the Brontes.
During the same period I served as Artistic Director of the Next Move Theatre in Boston directing Under Milkwood, A Christmas Carol (for which I devised the script) and a musical version of Moliere’s The Miser for which I wrote the music and lyrics and had the distinction of being called ‘a young Sondheim’ by the NY Times.
Darien Dinner Theatre
Meanwhile, I directed 13 productions for Darien Dinner Theatre known for its high quality in the heyday of dinner theatre in the Metropolitan area. What a great opportunity to learn musicals that I would later do at Paper Mill, NY City Opera and all over the country. The Darien Theatre allowed me to discover shows I had never done: The New Moon, Desert Song, Merry Widow, Showboat, Company, South Pacific, King and I, Camelot, and many more.
The MUNY Opera
Also, in the summers I was asked to go to the MUNY opera in St. Louis to direct lavish musicals in the 13,000 seat outdoor theatre: Shenandoah, Hans Christian Andersen, Gigi, Anything Goes, Cinderella, Pirates of Penzance and my own epic version of Sleeping Beauty.
1982:
The Paper Mill Playhouse re-opened in a state-of-the-art theatre, and my career soared to new heights. During the years of its rebuilding I had learned so much. I directed half the shows of the first two seasons in the new Paper Mill and then I was named Artistic Director. I would be there 20 years!
Clips from many of these productions are highlighted on this website, but for so many only a few photos remain. All the talent from the actors to the directors, choreographers, designers was always top of the line.
1980`s - 1990`s:
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Operettas
First off, I became the operetta guy. These wonderful pieces of theatre had long languished, but I rediscovered how pleasing they were to audiences with their soaring melodies, intricate stories and lavish productions. Some I had begun work on in Darien, they would come to Paper Mill and many go on to NY City Opera and be filmed for PBS.
The gala opening of the new Paper Mill was Robert and Elizabeth – a beautiful British operetta. Helen Hayes attended and was running around at the party afterward telling everyone “It’s better than Cats! Better than Cats!”
New York City Opera
While I was at Paper Mill, I also worked for 10 years at NYC Opera under the incredible leadership of Beverly Sills. I would do 5 very successful productions there (The New Moon, Desert Song, Merry Widow, Cinderella) and make my opera debut as Tobias in Sweeney Todd.
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Paper Mill Repertoire
During my 20 years at Paper Mill I would direct a wide range of programs: new works, dramas, literary adaptations and revivals of great musicals, as well as, musicals that had been considered failures. My idea of a revival is to breathe new life into a production, not recreate what had been done before, but look at it with fresh eyes.
2002 to the present…
After leaving Paper Mill, I had many more adventures awaiting me.
On Broadway, I directed the Jackie Mason musical Laughing Room Only-which was an interesting experience.
Revived the haunting musical Nefertiti.
Directed the marvelous holiday musical It’s a Fabulous Life! that played 4 seasons in Miami/Fort Lauderdale.
Algonquin Arts Theatre
Closer to home, I worked at Algonquin Arts Theatre in New Jersey both acting and directing: Tuesdays with Morrie, Oliver!, Joseph…, 1940’s Radio Hour, Spelling Bee, Kids Say the Darndest Things, Spamalot and My Fair Lady.
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