top of page
IMG_5107.jpg

 

Frankie Johnson is an actress and writer currently working in New York City.

 

She wrote the book and lyrics to the musical dark comedy The Hills Are Alive! with composer Eric Thomas Johnson, which had successful runs at both the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival and the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Her Sci-fi buddy comedy pilot, Flying Blind (co-written with Sarah Morgan Ashey), was a winner of the First Ten Pages Competition and her web series Dead Space was a finalist for the 2018 Sundance/YouTube New Voices Lab. Her work has been performed at several venues around NYC, including The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, The Peoples Improv Theater, Theatre 80, Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex, and The Tank. She also regularly writes and produces sketch videos and short films, both comedic and dramatic, independently and with Eric Thomas Johnson.

​​

As an actress, she has been seen in various productions in regional theatre and in NYC. Credits include: The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Hills Are Alive!The Future Is in EggsEurydiceFaith, Hope & CharityThe Complete History of America (abridged)Hay Fever,​ The Pirates of Penzance, among others. She also performs as a comedic improviser and sketch actress with various groups around the city, including the Boogiemanja Sketch Collective and the Magnet Theatre House Team Milwaukee.

​

She is a recipient of a Bronx Council on the Arts (NYSCA) grant for her work as well as a member of the Dramatists Guild. She holds a degree from Vanderbilt University, where she studied music and theatre.

Reviews for The Hills are Alive!

"Parody is a tricky art to pull off and The Hills Are Alive! deftly and hilariously succeeds at it."

- Brian Gillespie, NYTheatre.com

"...hilarious, darkly campy [...] If you like The Sound of Music, you're certain to get a kick out of this show."

- Suzy Evans, Backstage

"I laughed loud and often and--beyond that--admired the craftsmanship, the mix of precision and loopiness, the go-for-it spirit and the bucketloads of talent."

- Rob Lester, NiteLifeExchange.com

"...reaps the rewards of producing a parody of exceptional quality that should continue to please theatergoers  hopefully for a long time."

- Joseph Verlezza, Theatre Reviews LTD

"Come for the squabbling siblings in braids and lederhosen, stay for the witty musical numbers..."

- David Kennerley, Gay City News

NYMF- Hills - 288.jpg

The Hills Are Alive! follows the story of a prominent Austrian family who, trying to escape the Nazis, decide to cross the Alps into Switzerland. They encounter many obstacles along the way, including wild animals, strange mountain people, and sibling rivalry--all the while singing their way through any trouble. Will they survive? Will their relationships remain intact? And more importantly, where is that yodeling coming from?

​

The Hills Are Alive! premiered in New York City at the Westchester Square Arts Festival May 18-20, 2012 at the Cephas Center for the Arts. Shortly thereafter, it was a part of the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival. Most recently, it was an official selection of the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival. It has enjoyed an enthusiastic reception by critics and audiences alike.

​

The Original Developmental Reading Cast Recording, which was one of Talkin' Broadway's 2012 Top Ten Cast Albums, was released in May 2012 and features Rin Allen, Ashley Ball, Lauren Aliya Berger, Daniele Hager, Frankie Johnson, Honey Ribar, Christopher Tiernan, Trenton Weaver, and Becky Whitcomb. It is available on iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers. If you're interested in a physical CD, please contact info@thehillsarealivemusical.com.

bottom of page