Theatre Seating
About

Hayley Johnson (Nee Power)

Hayley has enjoyed a varied career as a musical theatre/cabaret performer, teacher and musical director throughout Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Osaka, Atlantic City and New York City. Combining her passion for the Arts, and family background in business with her career contacts, she initiated the involvement of The BMD Group and Power Arts as major sponsors, investors and co-producers for theatrical pursuits.

Hayley started ballet lessons at 6, piano at 7, and made her professional performing debut at age 12, as a Night Hour in the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company’s production of Coppelia at the Brisbane Riverstage.  She later toured internationally throughout high school and university with bands, orchestras and vocal groups, and whilst performing in professional children’s shows and local musicals, she went on to gain her A.Mus.A, and L.T.C.L in piano, and a BA (mus) from the Queensland University of Technology – majoring in piano and minoring in voice. Soon she consolidated all of her skills by completing a BA (music theatre) at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

Hayley returned from the US in 2010,  having played the lead role of Doris in Jersey Shore Entertainment’s musical production of Miracle On 34th Street at the Tropicana in Atlantic City. She graced famed New York cabaret venues Dillon’s, The Duplex and Don’t Tell Mama with her solo shows, Tonight’s Star and The Hour Of Power, and the Pop Review Back To The Night. She performed regularly with Village Playback Theatre Company and starred in the New York International Cringefest productions of Biterella and A Touch of Vanilla whilst simultaneously rehearsing and performing as Musical Director of Alvin Ailey’s premier Musical Theatre production, Celebration! She was also musical director for the Off-Off Broadway debut of a new Australian musical Dutch Courage at Wings Theatre, following a successful workshop in Melbourne. She was an extra in several Hollywood films, awarded “Most Outstanding Student” at Broadway Dance Center, and worked with top New York creatives in numerous classes and workshops.

Hayley has worked extensively throughout Australia, with many of the country’s top performers and directors, specialising in Australian and world premieres, including Deborah Mulhall’s new play Cry Wolf, Bat Boy The Musical, Boy Band, Nick Enright and David King’s The Good Fight, and Suddenly Single as part of Ozmade Musicals– a celebration of new Australian work. Her festival performances include Short and Sweet and Tropfest, and she made her solo cabaret debut with Ready Or Not, Here I Am!! at Side-On Café in Sydney. Other role highlights include Ruby (Dames At Sea), Rapunzel (Into The Woods), Marta (Company), Mabel (The Pajama Game), and Chava (Fiddler On The Roof).

As a pianist, she played for Drought Breaker (The Acting Factory), Assassins (Ocean Theatre Company), and was assistant Musical Director for Enright and King’s Mary Bryant and Mitchell, Morrow and Cook’s Better Than Broadway (Magnormos)Whilst completing her performing contract as Bride of Frankenstein/Hip in the Universal Monsters Live Rock’n’Roll Show at Universal Studios Japan, Hayley was musical director for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and Songs For a New World at Kaigandori House, Osaka. Her achievements as a songwriter, accompanist, musical director and teacher of piano, singing, acting, dance and musical theatre placed her in high demand from many well-known Performing Arts training institutions throughout Sydney and Brisbane, for twenty years from 1995-2015.

Since initiating PowerArts  in 2007, Hayley has acquired further knowledge and input through attendances at numerous New York readings, the APAP conference(NYC) and the Performing Arts Markets (APAM) in Adelaide and Brisbane.  She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD); and currently has an active presence in Brisbane, sitting on the Board of the Brisbane Powerhouse, She cultivated BMD’s involvement with the Powerhouse’s highly respected children’s programme, Power Kids,

and was recently appointed a position on the Board of the charity organisation for children with rare illnesses, Jack’s Butterflies.  

Hayley will continue to represent PowerArts, from both a corporate and creative perspective, as they collaborate with high calibre producers, in presenting more opportunities for emerging Australian artists, into the future.