Geoffrey Johnson Dead At 91: Longtime Broadway Director Tragic Cause of Death Revealed

By Kate Hill

The casting director behind longtime-running Broadway shows, Geoffrey Johnson, reportedly passed away at Henry J. Carter Hospital in New York. He was 91.

It was confirmed by Variety that he died last Friday, November 26, 2021, due to respiratory failure. According to the source, Johnson has worked with Broadway for decades which made him work with legends such as Hal Prince, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Merrick and Noël Coward.

Coward was also said to be the reason why the director received an early break by turning him to a stage manager for Broadway's "Sail Away" in 1961, where late Elaine Stritch had her "key stepping stone" in the theater industry.

His Career In The Theater Industry

New York native Johnson was born on June 23, 1930. He was a University of Pennsylvania and the Yale School of Drama alum. Based on the report, before he worked behind productions, he also had a chance to become an actor on Broadway's "Saint Joan," back in 1956.

His experience of becoming a star on the stage helped Johnson assess acting talent as a casting director. He worked with his business partner Vincent Liff for their casting agency "Johnson-Liff," which handled some of the longest-running Broadway shows in history.

And the list has "Cats," "Les Miserables," and "The Phantom of the Opera." They also worked for other projects like "The Producers," "The Wiz," "The Elephant," "Dreamgirls," "Miss Saigon," and "Kiss of the Spiderwoman."

During their becoming casting directors, they were recognized by Tony's and awarded in 2003 for excellence in theater. The two continued to bag: the Hoyt Bowers Award and numerous Artios Awards from the Casting Society of America. The same year, Liff died due to cancer.

Deadline stated that he, later on, became a part of the Tony nomination committee for several years and also became a person behind the Noël Coward Foundation and the Life President of the Noël Coward Archive Trust.

Johnson established the Geoffrey Ashton Johnson/ Noël Coward Scholarship at his old school, Yale School of Drama, honoring Coward's contribution to the art form and his legacy as playwright and performer per source.

Geoffrey Johnson's memorial service will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Noël Coward Foundation, the Calvary Hospital Foundation, or The Actors Fund.

Geoffrey Johnson Dies: Tony Award-Winning Casting Director For ‘Cats’ And ‘Les Miserables’ Was 91 https://t.co/KxNLegK8vj
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 28, 2021