Bobby Johnston Announced as Production Designer/Technical Director at Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Atlanta Lyric Theatre Artistic Director and General Manager Brandt Blocker announced today that Bobby Johnston has been hired as full-time production manager and technical director for the 32-year-old musical theatre company.

Johnston has toured with some of the world’s most successful musical acts such as the Eagles, Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, LeAnn Rimes, Sugar Ray, Collective Soul and Chris Isaak. He has also been involved in some of the largest events and television shows in the world including the Country Music Awards, the Dove Awards, the ESPY’s, the Atlanta Peach Drop, the lighting of Rich’s Great Tree (now the Macy’s Great Tree), and the Super Bowl Fan Fest.

In addition to his audio design and engineering work with the Lyric, Johnston has also designed for Aurora Theatre, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre and Georgia Ensemble Theatre. He has been nominated for three Suzi Bass Theatre Awards, including one for his sound design of I Dream, directed by Jasmine Guy at the ALLIANCE THEATRE, and another for The Lyric's hit production of RENT in 2011. Johnston remains the sound designer for Unto These Hills, an outdoor drama produced by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina which is seen by over 50,000 people every year.

As a partner in Wolfman Productions Inc., a Marietta-based entertainment Production Company, Johnston’s resources and local community involvement will add new depth to the Lyric’s ability to produce quality, professional entertainment.

Johnston joins Artistic Director and General Manager Brandt Blocker, Associate Artistic Director Alan Kilpatrick, Director of Development Amy Davis, Director of Marketing and Community Relations Dianne Butler, Business and Box Office Manager Amy McGuire, Assistant Technical Director Daniel Pattillo, and Orchestra Manager Jeff Macko as the staff of Atlanta Lyric Theatre.

About Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Atlanta’s only local professional musical theatre company, was formed in 1980 as the Southeastern Savoyards, a repertory theatre company dedicated to presenting the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. Since then, the company has grown into a highly regarded regional musical theatre company. In August 2008, Atlanta Lyric Theatre announced its partnership with The Friends of the Strand, Inc. to relocate to the historic and newly renovated Strand Theatre located on the Square in Marietta, Georgia, as the new performance home of Atlanta Lyric Theatre. Since Brandt Blocker joined the company as Artistic Director and General Manager, Atlanta Lyric Theatre has retooled its business model by securing a new theatre home at the newly renovated Earl Smith Strand Theatre and increased its season subscriber base by over 300 percent. The company has received critical acclaim for the consistent quality of its productions, and in 2011, Atlanta Lyric Theatre was nominated for 21 Suzi Bass Awards (Atlanta’s equivalent of the Tony’s), second only to the regional ALLIANCE THEATRE. The Lyric received the 2009 Suzi Audience Choice Award for best overall season and the 2010 Suzi Award for Best Musical. For more information, visit www.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.

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