Johnny is the Founder and the first Artistic Director of the award-winning Utah Repertory Theater Company and has produced the bulk of the company’s theater productions. The innovative company has been recognized as Best Theater Company of the Year from BroadwayWorld and has received City Weekly Best of Utah honors and BroadwayWorld Regional Awards for shows Johnny produced. [title of show] received City Weekly Arty Awards for Best of State production, and stagings of Rent and the regional premiere of Doubt were honored as Best of the Year by Utah Theatre Bloggers Association.

For Bonnie & Clyde, the show’s lead actors and director were able to meet personally with Composer Frank Wildhorn during preproduction. And a member of the original Broadway cast, Talon Ackerman, who created the role of Young Clyde on Broadway, attended a performance and joined the cast and audience members for a post-performance talkback. 

Amadeus was recognized as BroadwayWorld’s Regional Best Play and Roger Dunbar named Best Actor for his performance as Antonio Salieri. BroadwayWorld selected A Little Night Music as one of its top five Utah productions for the year.

Utah Rep hosted the Tony-nominated [title of show] Author Hunter Bell for opening weekend celebrations and invited theater students and theatergoers to his popular Die, Vampire, Die! workshop. Adam Gwon, the composer-playwright of Ordinary Days, was also a guest on opening night, marking production 100 of his musical. Ordinary Days was nominated for two City Weekly Arty Awards: Best Production and Best Actress, Brighton Hertford. Additionally, Bare received awards from City Weekly and Utah Theatre Bloggers Association. 

Utah Rep also participated in the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festivals, producing original works, including Exposure, which received the festival’s top honor, the Audience Choice Award.