Rollin’ on the Bayou Rising Star Ayvah Johnson

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIM BERGERON

Rollin’ on the Bayou

Rising Star Ayvah Johnson

SOME PEOPLE ARE BORN to be on stage. Ayvah Johnson is, without question, one of those people. From as young as the age of two, Ayvah loved to sing and dance. By the time she was four years old, she followed the yellow brick road to The Wiz at Slidell Little Theatre. It was here that she took on her first theatrical role as a yellow munchkin. She would go on to perform in quite a few more productions at SLT, including The Happy Elf and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and in the role of Molly in 30 by Ninety Theatre’s production of Annie.

It was her SLT performance in Once on This Island that led to her big break. A family friend with connections to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival who was aware of Ayvah’s role as young Ti Moune suggested that she audition for the same role in the festival’s production. She submitted an audition tape and landed an eight-month contract for the role.

She and her mother headed to the northwest coast in February of 2022, and a month later, she stepped onto that big stage for opening night, laying the foundation for bigger things to come.

Shortly after booking the Oregon gig, she had signed a contract to perform as Young Anna Mae Bullock (who would grow up to be known to the world as Tina Turner) in the Broadway National Tour of Tina: the Tina Turner Musical, set to hit the road later that year.

But while still in Oregon, Ayvah received an offer she couldn’t refuse: a three-week “vacation swing” role in the current Broadway production of Tina. With the Oregon production’s

blessing, she departed for New York, spending a week learning the roles of Young Anna Mae Bullock and Young Alline, Tina’s sister, with an additional two weeks marked for performing each of the roles. When the actor performing as Young Eileen fell ill, Ayvah stepped into that role, marking her Broadway debut. Three shows in, her opportunity was cut short when she contracted COVID-19. While disappointed, she remained ecstatic for having enjoyed the big stage debut.

Ayvah and her mother returned home to Slidell, heading back to New York in August of 2022 to begin rehearsals. A month later, the 33-city tour opened in Providence, Rhode Island. It was a grueling schedule, with the cast performing five to six shows a week, traveling by tour bus to cities within a fourhour radius, and by plane for more distant venues. Along with rehearsals and performances, the young cast members were tutored during down time, typically three to four hours a day.

For three months during the tour, Ayvah’s father, Avian Johnson, Sr., joined her while her mother returned home, providing each of the parents an opportunity to spend much-needed time with their other child.

Then came a call from The Jennifer Hudson Show in Burbank, California. The talk show’s producers spotted videos of Ayvah singing on her Instagram page--which has more than 117,000 followers—and invited the young starlet to perform on the show. Hudson had achieved “EGOT” status after being honored with the entertainment industry’s highest honors—Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, following her supporting actress role in the 2006 musical Dreamgirls. For the performance, Hudson selected the song that Ayvah performed on the show: “One Night Only,” which Jennifer had performed in her award-winning role as Effie in “Dreamgirls.” The talk show host proclaimed Ayvah a “shining star.”

The Tina tour is set to resume soon, and Ayvah has been extended an offer to renew her contract. Additionally, numerous offers have been presented for her consideration, including a major Broadway production, a television network regarding a potential series, and recording opportunities with a few musical superstars. Kaula says the family is contemplating all of the offers, but any decisions are currently on hold until such time as the ongoing SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike continues. Regarding her daughter’s achievements, Kaula expresses great pride.

“At just 10 years old, she already has an incredible work ethic plus the ability to push through the challenges. I tell her when I grow up, I want to be just like her."

Her father sums up the experience in just four words: “My baby can sing!” Her brother is equally proud of her, and the two enjoy opportunities to spend time together. Like his sister, he has performed in a few local community theatre productions. But unlike his sister, his first loves remain football and baseball.

So what's Ayvah's dream role? Matilda. On Broadway. With a bit of hesitation, she adds, “I hope they don’t require that I perform that with that [British] accent."

No matter where her journey takes her next, one thing remains certain: this young star has a bright future ahead. Let the next chapter begin.