'Moving Forward': a conversation with Kevin Ray Johnson

Kevin Ray Johnson is a singer, actor, playwright, and writer for OnStage Blog (5 questions series) and The Midcarders (Quick Shoot Series) where he recently over the summer celebrated his 100th interview with Samantha Barks. Acting Credits: Standby in the Grammy Nominated production of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess at The Metropolitan Opera, King Lear (The Royal Shakespeare Company), Merrily We Roll Along (Astoria Performing Arts Center), The Love Note (Original Off-Broadway Cast, Actors Temple Theatre), Showboat in Concert (Joe). 

Kevin is currently performing in Hollywood, Hearth and Home at Myers Dinner Theatre (Directed by Jeremy Littlejohn) in Indiana where he has also been seen in The Little Mermaid as King Triton. Playwrighting Credits: The Unpredictable Times (Industry Reading at Broadway's Hudson Theatre in 2018), A (Funny) Imagination! (NY Theater Festival). He is married to fellow performer and choreographer Rachael Henry Johnson who is the resident choreographer at Rise Above Performing Arts in Sarasota, Florida. 

Kevin and I recently connected through Facebook since we both submit articles for OnStage Blog. I’m looking forward to your future blog readings, Kevin, and perhaps when it’s safe to return to the theatre, I’d really like to attend one of your performances. 

We conducted our conversation via email:

It has been an exceptionally long eight months since the pandemic began, and now the numbers are edging upward again. How are you feeling about this? Will we ever emerge to some new way of living in your opinion? 

I truly feel that our way of living is never going to be the same again. This is something we will always have in the back of our heads even after a vaccine. With the spikes happening again it is scary, but I am at a point where I can only look out for my wife and I. We are definitely taking the proper precautions to stay safe and can only hope and pray others will do the same (even in this stubborn country). 

How have you been faring? How has your immediate family been doing during these last eight months?

My family is doing well. My mom is staying strong and loves to remind me about how bad it is getting, but I know that's my mom being a mom even though I am 34 years old. 

As an artist within the performing arts community, what has been the most difficult and challenging for you professionally and personally? 

I would say when shows you are contracted in are cancelled and seeing your friends out of work. 

Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? 

I also had the chance to perform in ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Myers Dinner Theatre and am currently in their Christmas show. Each time I prayed and thought about it deeply before I decided to perform with Myers. The numbers in this county have even surpassed 700 total cases and the town I am performing in is a population over a little under a thousand. Myers has gone beyond the call of duty to make us feel safe. Also, we all know that it can shut down at any time if the governor or above says so, so we are all mentally prepared for that.  

I was also fortunate enough to be a standby in Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera (recently nominated for two Grammy Awards) which closed a couple weeks before everything starts shutting down. I was also performing in their Opera Turandot and when that Opera got cancelled it was definitely a punch in the gut.

What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? 

Spending time with my beautiful, amazing, and supportive wife Rachael;  Writing and watching A LOT of Netflix and Hulu. 

Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty? 

I do feel that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. My advice is patience. I have been doing this for 18 years now and the one thing I have noticed is that a lot of artists don't make it because they are unable to stick it out. The elevator to success is always going to be broken and not perfect so always take the stairs. 

Do you see anything positive stemming from Covid 19? 

I feel a theatre renaissance is truly upon us in the next couple of years when this is past us.  

Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Broadway/North American performing arts scene?

I really feel the New York scene is going to come back STRONG but I also feel that it will never be the same. I am really intrigued to see if Producers will still invest in out-of-town tryouts for shows or if they are just going to throw all their chips in and just go straight to Broadway. I also really hope that when things open back up that more doors will open for new works and not just revivals. 

Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown?

I think a lot of online theatre companies are going to be created from this which is more opportunities for performers - always a good thing. As a playwright I also will wonder how this will affect the "industry readings" in the business which can cost up to 20,000 dollars to do (something I truly will never understand). 

Despite all this fraught tension and confusion, what is it about performing that Covid will never destroy for you?

The ability to give people the chance to escape in a story for 2 to 3 hours is one of the greatest gifts I feel you can give anyone. The opening night feeling before you walk onstage, and those butterflies kick in is always such a great feeling.