Joni Lorraine

Joni Lorraine

Joni joined BroadwayWorld in 2016 after over twenty-five years of involvement in the Central Texas theatre scene.  She has worked as a company member and educator for Pollyanna Children's Theatre. She is a B Iden Payne nominated director whose acting and directing work has been seen in Austin with her own theatre company NxNW Theatre Company, Austin Children's Theatre, The Sam Bass Theatre in Round Rock, The Georgetown Palace, and The Temple Civic Theatre. Joni's diverse directing portfolio includes You Can't Take It With You, Steel Magnolias,The Marriage of Figaro, and the award winning I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change. As an actor, Joni has been seen in dozens of productions including Arcadia, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Man Who Came To Dinner, The Taming of The Shrew, and Hay Fever. Joni is also a spiritual director (not too be confused with theatre director) chaplain and professional photographer. She lives in Cedar Park TX with her wonderful wife Tammy and their quirky dog, Sam. 




LEARN MORE ABOUT Joni Lorraine

First Show:

Camelot

Favorite Show:

The most recent tour of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD with Richard Thomas

Favorite Stories:



MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

Review: HOME, I'M DARLING at Jarrott Productions
Review: HOME, I'M DARLING at Jarrott Productions
March 27, 2024

What did our critic think of HOME, I'M DARLING at Jarrott Productions? Now onstage at Trinity Street Playhouse is Jarrott Productions latest offering to our theatre scene: HOME, I’M DARLING. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2019, playwright Laura Wade’s HOME I’M DARLING raises questions about the authenticity of nostalgia, the pressures of conforming to traditional gender roles, and the ways in which individuals construct their own identities.

Interview: Kyle McArthur of WICKED THE MUSICAL at Bass Concert Hall
Interview: Kyle McArthur of WICKED THE MUSICAL at Bass Concert Hall
March 11, 2024

WICKED comes to town this week! And even though it’s running for nearly two weeks, don’t expect to get seats for much longer, because this show is (yes, I’m going to say it, so go ahead and sing it yourself) POPular. WICKED is in fact, pushing up against THE LION KING as the highest grossing musical of all time. This stands to reason, as it is based on what is arguably the most influential film of all time, The Wizard of Oz. WICKED actually has its roots in lesser known novels also called Wicked, by author Gregory McGuire. And now, after fourteen years of various delays, the film version will finally be released later this year.

Review: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE MUSICAL at Cedar Park Middle School Performing Arts
Review: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE MUSICAL at Cedar Park Middle School Performing Arts
March 5, 2024

When a friend called me and invited me to join her for a middle school production of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS:THE MUSICAL last week, I think it fair to say it wasn’t high on this reviewer’s list of things to do on a free Saturday night.

Review: THE TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS at City Theatre Austin
Review: ALWAYS A BOY at Ground Floor Theatre
Review: ALWAYS A BOY at Ground Floor Theatre
February 21, 2024

A positive testament to a family’s capacity to love and affirm their transgender child. Austin Theatre is currently providing us with some interesting and informative LGBTQ+ perspectives on which to marinate. At Ground Floor Theatre, director Lisa Scheps has taken on Jo and Jeremy Ivester’s ALWAYS A BOY, while just up the road, City Theatre director Andy Burkovsky tackles Jonathan Tolins’s THE TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS.

Review: BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL at Bass Concert Hall
Review: BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL at Bass Concert Hall
February 7, 2024

Maybe BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL, is Gen Z’s ROCKY HORROR SHOW. When THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW first premiered in London in 1973, it received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised its campy humor, catchy songs, and provocative themes, others found its content shocking and controversial. However, it quickly gained a cult following among audiences. Fast forward to BEETLEJUICE: THE MUSICAL. It has campy humor, (somewhat) provocative themes, and a cult following. It has a strong presence on social media platforms, with the cast and creative team actively engaging with fans through channels like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. This has helped to cultivate a dedicated fan base among younger audiences who are drawn to the show's behind-the-scenes content, fan art, and discussions.

Review: GEOFF SOBELLE'S FOOD Texas Performing Arts at The McCullough Theatre
Review: GEOFF SOBELLE'S FOOD Texas Performing Arts at The McCullough Theatre
February 2, 2024

From Geoff Sobelle’s website, we learn that “FOOD is an intimate dinner party performance that uses smell, taste, touch and audience instruction to feed a meditation on the ways and whys of eating. Why do you eat what you eat? Where does it come from? What does it really cost?” I quote it here, because it is entirely accurate. But that only cracks the surface of this deep performance piece that nudges us toward contemplation of the evolution of food and mankind.

Interview: Shohei Iwahama of LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO
Interview: Shohei Iwahama of LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO
January 10, 2024

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, often simply referred to as 'The Trocks,' is a well-known all-male drag ballet company that parodies and pays homage to classical ballet. The company was founded in 1974 in New York City by a group of ballet enthusiasts who shared a love for dance and a desire to satirize the conventions of classical ballet. 'The Trocks,” come through Austin on tour at the Bass Concert Hall on January 19th.

Review: ZACH'S POP! at ZACH Feeds the Body and Soul!
Review: ZACH'S POP! at ZACH Feeds the Body and Soul!
December 19, 2023

I’m sitting in Austin traffic, bearing the half an hour it takes to get from Mopac and Cesar Chavez to ZACH theatre on South Lamar, and I’m in a mood. I fear I’m going to be late to ZACH’s newest and latest Christmas fare: POP! Great, just great. Across the parking lot from the Kleburg theatre, at ZACH’s Topher Theatre, Scrooge is going onstage in an hour and he’s likely less cranky than me. Nevertheless, onward we go.

Review: MY FAIR LADY at BASS CONCERT HALL
Review: MY FAIR LADY at BASS CONCERT HALL
December 8, 2023

MY FAIR LADY rolled into town this week, treating Austin to a classic musical of old. And by “of old” I mean lavish costuming, soaring vocals, a beautiful choral ensemble and lush orchestrations performed by a full orchestra. What a treat! In case you missed it over the last 67 years, the musical tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from Professor Henry Higgins, a phonetics professor, so that she might transform into a refined lady. The musical is based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play 'Pygmalion,' with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. 

Review: JACK & AIDEN at Ground Floor Theatre
Review: JACK & AIDEN at Ground Floor Theatre
December 5, 2023

“Go see this wonderful production, and go see it now.” You’ll be disappointed in the future that you weren’t among those of us singing its praises today.

Review: THE THIN PLACE at ZACH
Review: THE THIN PLACE at ZACH
November 14, 2023

Lucas Hnath's play THE THIN PLACE premiered at the Humana Festival of New American plays in 2019. The play, involving parapsychology, revolves around the character Hilda, a psychic medium who claims to have a special connection to the spirit world.

Review: Jarrott Productions DEATHTRAP Gives Us Classic Thriller Fun
Review: Jarrott Productions DEATHTRAP Gives Us Classic Thriller Fun
November 1, 2023

What did our critic think of DEATHTRAP at Jarrott Productions?

Review: ANTIGONE at Filigree Theatre
Review: ANTIGONE at Filigree Theatre
October 17, 2023

Sophocles Antigone undergoes no less pleasant a fate in this excellent production. How lucky was I this Friday the 13th? Much more so than Sophocles’ ANTIGONE. Just as she has for centuries, ANTIGONE is working her way through another version of a doomed demise in David Rush's adaptation of Filigree Theatre's production of this classic Greek tragedy.

Review: Austin Rainbow Theatre Comes Out With SORDID LIVES
Review: Austin Rainbow Theatre Comes Out With SORDID LIVES
October 10, 2023

What did our critic think of SORDID LIVES at Austin Rainbow Theatre?

Review: THE BOOK OF LIFE at McCullough Theatre
Review: THE BOOK OF LIFE at McCullough Theatre
October 5, 2023

What did our critic think of THE BOOK OF LIFE at McCullough Theatre? The production is more than just a play, though; it is a poignant exploration of personal history and the power of connecting with one's ancestors.

Interview: Odile Gakire Katese on THE BOOK OF LIFE at McCullough Theatre
Interview: Odile Gakire Katese on THE BOOK OF LIFE at McCullough Theatre
September 26, 2023

Odile Gakire Katese, a Rwandan playwright, actor, director, and humanitarian, is known for her work in using theater and the arts to promote healing and reconciliation in her home country after the 1994 genocide. She is a remarkable Rwandan artist, playwright, and cultural entrepreneur known for her outstanding contributions to the fields of theater, literature, and cultural development. Her life and work have made a significant impact, both in Rwanda and internationally.

Review: MOMIX'S ALICE TAKES US DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE at Bass Concert Hall
Review: MOMIX'S ALICE TAKES US DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE at Bass Concert Hall
September 26, 2023

What did our critic think of MOMIX'S ALICE TAKES US DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE at Bass Concert Hall? Momix’s dance production of ALICE, inspired by Lewis Carroll's timeless classics 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking-Glass,' is a mesmerizing and surreal journey into the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland.

Review: THE GIRL WHO BECAME LEGEND at ZACH
Review: THE GIRL WHO BECAME LEGEND at ZACH
September 21, 2023

What did our critic think of THE GIRL WHO BECAME LEGEND at ZACH? In the heart of Dustbin, where rules and dust reign supreme, I had the opportunity to experience Sarah Saltwick’s charming THE GIRL WHO BECAME LEGEND. This darling production, a commissioned work by The Kennedy Center, now playing at ZACH, is brought to life and staged by the ensemble work of a creative and sturdy cast and their director Liz Fisher.

Review: Get Haunted by Archive Theater's RAVEN WINGED HOURS
Review: Get Haunted by Archive Theater's RAVEN WINGED HOURS
September 19, 2023

If you are seeking an evening of spooky entertainment and a journey into the mind of a literary genius, RAVEN WINGED HOURS is a must-see. Something spooky this way comes, indeed, and it's a hauntingly wonderful experience you won't want to miss.






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