The Producer's Perspective Podcast with Ken Davenport

Today, I explore what it would mean if Broadway was allowed to run less than 8 shows a week.

Referenced in this episode:

1. "8 Shows a What?": https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2007/11/8-shows-a-what.html
2. The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio
3. Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway
4. The Producer's Perspective: www.theproducersperspetive.com

About the podcast:

After 6 years of podcasting with one style, we're shaking it up here - no guests! Just me! I'm giving you micro-episodes with my perspective on Broadway and the comeback on Broadway.

About me:

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer and writer whose credits include Once On This Island (Tony Award), Gettin’ the Band Back Together, The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It’s Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Broadway - Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto, Australia, and West End), and more, including multiple Off-Broadway productions! Ken’s shows have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world.

He is the founder of TheaterMakersStudio.com, a one-of-a-kind "masterclass" community that provides training and inspiration from Broadway's best to writers, directors, producers and more.

Ken also serves as the Executive Producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group. Outside of theatre, he has produced award-winning content for both film and TV. Ken’s unique production and marketing style has garnered him international attention in numerous publications, including Vanity Fair and The New York Times.

Upcoming projects include Broadway Vacation, Joy the Musical, My Life In Pink, Harmony: A New Musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, a musical based on the life and songs of Neil Diamond, and a musical based on the life of Harry Belafonte.

Keep up with me @KenDavenportBway on Instagram.

Check out my blog for daily content: www.theproducersperspective.com

This episode was produced by Mary Dina.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most fun and most productive events we had this year was our “Take Charge of Your ’21” Challenge in January. Over 500 TheaterMakers joined us to hear tips and strategies on how to have your best year yet from super successful people in the business.

We learned how to crush writer’s block, how to squeeze a few more hours into each day for your REAL work (not that day job work), how to increase your confidence . . . and more.

We got such great feedback on this free event that we decided to do it again! But better. 🙂

I’m proud to share our free “Places, Please” Challenge which will kick your theatermaking in high gear!

Why now?

Two reasons.

First, I don’t know about you, but even though I’ve been out of school for (mumble, mumble) years, I STILL think the start of the school year is the start of a NEW YEAR for me.

So what better time than RIGHT NOW to re-evaluate where we are, and develop a plan on how to accomplish all that we want to accomplish as we sprint toward the end of the year.

Second, this is a PIVOTAL time for the theater and for theater-making. First, we’re finally opening up again. So not only do we need to be ready to get out of the zoom rooms and into a rehearsal room again, but I believe that a renaissance is around the corner. And that means opportunities. Opportunities for more new voices in the theater than ever before.

And you want to be ready, right? I mean . . . we just went through a crapper of a year. Well, the sun is coming out tomorrow, so let’s take advantage of it.

That’s why I assembled some of the smartest and most motivational and inspirational theatermakers I know to give you strategies on how to be ready for the renaissance.

And they are all coming to you for free as part of the “Places, Please” challenge!

Referenced in this episode:

1. Check out the TheaterMakers Summit: www.theatermakerssummit.com
2. The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio
3. Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway
4. The Producer's Perspective: www.theproducersperspetive.com

About me:

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer and writer whose credits include Once On This Island (Tony Award), Gettin’ the Band Back Together, The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It’s Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Broadway - Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto, Australia, and West End), and more, including multiple Off-Broadway productions! Ken’s shows have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world.

He is the founder of TheaterMakersStudio.com, a one-of-a-kind "masterclass" community that provides training and inspiration from Broadway's best to writers, directors, producers and more.

Ken also serves as the Executive Producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group. Outside of theatre, he has produced award-winning content for both film and TV. Ken’s unique production and marketing style has garnered him international attention in numerous publications, including Vanity Fair and The New York Times.

Upcoming projects include Broadway Vacation, Joy the Musical, My Life In Pink, Harmony: A New Musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, a musical based on the life and songs of Neil Diamond, and a musical based on the life of Harry Belafonte.

Keep up with me @KenDavenportBway on Instagram.

Check out my blog for daily content: www.theproducersperspective.com

This episode was produced by Mary Dina.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Hoebee is a producing artistic director at the Paper Mill Playhouse and has been since 2000. Under his leadership, Paper Mill was presented with the Regional Theatre Tony Award in 2016 and in recent years launched such noteworthy projects as the world premieres of Newsies, Honeymoon in Vegas, Ever After, Bandstand, A Bronx Tale, The Honeymooners, My Very Own British Invasion, and The Sting, as well as the American premieres of the 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, and Stephen Schwartz’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the national tour of The Bodyguard. He has directed national tours of Victor/Victoria, Dreamgirls, Company, and An Evening of Lerner and Loewe. His directing credits at Paper Mill include West Side Story; Beauty and the Beast; Annie; Mary Poppins; Dreamgirls; Hello, Dolly!; The King and I; Miss Saigon; Smokey Joe’s Cafe; Oliver!; Damn Yankees; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Curtains; and The Full Monty.

Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear what it’s like to run one of the most powerful regional theaters within kick-ball-change distance of Broadway as well as . . .

• What Broadway had to do with the Paper Mill’s recession.
• How he looked at himself as an audience member, not an Artistic Director, in order to program his seasons.
• Working with commercial producers on out-of-town tryouts.
• Why Cameron Mackintosh started stumping for Paper Mill.
• The difference between the relationship with the consumer on Broadway versus the consumer at a Regional Theater, and how we can learn from each other.

Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway

www.theproducersperspective.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Douglas Hughes is an American theatre director. He has directed both Off-Broadway and on Broadway. Hughes worked for 12 years as the associate artistic director of Seattle Repertory Theatre, from 1984 to 1996. As a Resident Director of the Roundabout Theatre, he has directed many plays for the Roundabout, including The Big Knife and Mrs. Warren's Profession. He directed Doubt: A Parable Off-Broadway and on Broadway, for which he won the 2005 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play, and the 2005 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. Other directing credits include Death Takes a Holiday, Inherit the Wind, Outside Mullingar, The Father, and Junk: The Golden Age of Debt.

What surprised me about this podcast, was how Doug didn’t start off wanting to be a Director or even in the theater at all (despite the theatrical heritage he comes from) . . . and how coming about his career as a last resort helped him develop even greater skills than studying it from birth.

Listen in to this podcast to hear Doug talk about that, as well as:

• Why his research for plays gets him a lot of frequent flyer miles.
• How directing a play is like a lawyer trying a case.
• What his biggest responsibility is when working with Actors.
• How he gets feedback, and what he does with it, including sometimes ignoring it.
• How being a scientist is like being a Director.

The War of Art is a terrific book by Steven Pressfield. It’s about overcoming resistance, and getting down to your business, which is the business of art. One of Steven’s key points was how you should become a “pro.” The difference between an amateur and a pro is all about the attitude of the professional, and it made me think of our own site, The Producer's Perspective Pro, which we just revamped. Check it out at theproducersperspectivepro.com and make sure you read The War of Art.

Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway

www.theproducersperspective.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Schumacher serves as President & Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, overseeing the development, creation and execution of Disney’s legitimate stage entertainment worldwide. The division’s Broadway, West End, touring and international production credits include Beauty and the Beast, King David, The Lion King, Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, Mary Poppins, On the Record, TARZAN®, High School Musical, The Little Mermaid, Peter and the Starcatcher, Newsies, Aladdin, Shakespeare in Love and Frozen. The company has collaborated with the nation’s preeminent theatres to develop new stage titles including The Jungle Book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday and Hercules. As a part of the recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Schumacher also heads the Buena Vista Theatrical banner which licenses Fox titles for stage adaptations including Anastasia; Moulin Rouge! The Musical; Mrs. Doubtfire and The Devil Wears Prada. Recently he served as Executive Producer for the 2019 remake of The Lion King, the live-action Beauty and the Beast and the Disney Channel Original Movie Freaky Friday.

You can hear him talk about...

• How the film version of The Little Mermaid gave musicals back their voice
• How theatre and Disney become part of your family heritage
• What Broadway definitely needs to learn about diversity from Disney's Mulan.
• How Disney's purchase of the New Amsterdam Theater helped revitalize Times Square.
• A hint what might be next for Disney on Broadway.

When we discuss an upcoming production of Beauty and The Beast, please note that this is not a Broadway production. This is an overseas tour!

My pal Justin Guarini wants to help you nail your next audition! Sign up today for his online vocal audition audit! We love working with Justin and I know you will too.

Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season!

This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Grace McLean! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.gracemclean.com or check her out on Instagram & Twitter @thatgracemclean.

Keep up with me @KenDavenportBway on Instagram.

Check out my blog for daily content: www.theproducersperspective.com

This episode was produced by Mary Dina.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices