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: Check out the TheaterMakers Summit: www.theatermakerssummit.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

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: Check out the TheaterMakers Summit: www.theatermakerssummit.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Thank you for listening to these conversations over the 6.5 years I've been hosting this podcast. We're not saying Goodbye . . . just see ya later! Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

About this episode: Before I crowdfunded Godspell, I had a thesis. “There are thousands of people out there who would love to invest in Broadway shows . . . they just don’t know how to do it, or who to talk to.” Sure enough, when we announced our plans for Godspell, thousands of leads poured in. In between placing all those return calls I remember thinking, “Huh, will you look at that . . . I got this one right.” Of course, not all those people invested (in the end we had about 750 investors), but thousands expressed interest and proved my thesis correct. And all those thousands of people had questions. Five years later, people still have questions about investing in Broadway shows. As I’ve spoken to more and more potential investors, I’ve noticed that many of the questions are the same. That’s why I’ve created this FAQ for Broadway Investing. So whether you’re a potential Broadway Investor looking to dip your toes into our theatrical waters, or whether you’re a Producer looking to raise money for your show, I think you’ll find these Qs and their appropriate As helpful. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

About this episode: This shutdown has lasted longer than we thought possible. And while we're (slowly) reopening now, a year and a half later, there are real reasons why our leadership waited. Listen to this 8-minute episode to find out what our advantage is to reopening. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Things have changed since May of 2020. Shoot, things have changed since yesterday! But since May of 2020, when I first posted my “What The Broadway Recovery Will Look Like” series? Well, dang it, can any of you have imagined that we’d only have one Broadway show running a year later? Not me. Not me. Now that we’ve been through the great theatrical drought of 2020 (thanks, Covid!), I thought it was time to revise my prediction. Because, in case I didn’t mention it. Things have ch-ch-ch-changed. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

I arrived in New York City during the Golden Age of Off-Broadway. Forever Plaid, Nunsense, And The World Goes Round, Cryptogram, Family Secrets, and more, were a few of the shows running in theaters under 499 seats . . . in commercial productions! And many actually recouped!   Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

At the beginning of the pandemic, I called everyone I knew for advice. I’m talking big time theater people, as well as big time business people. I got amazing advice. And it reminded me how important it was to ask for advice from others who are at places in their lives where you want to be. (And not just from a business “producer’s perspective” . . . but from a family perspective, a health perspective, a spiritual perspective, and more.) One of the best pieces of advice I got was . . . “Ken, the people and companies who are going to come out of this ahead are the ones who are going to make use of this time.” Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

If you've been following The Olympics this year, or if you're on the internet, you probably heard Simone Biles withdrew from an individual all-around gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics in an effort to focus on her mental health and well-being, a decision which came one day after she removed herself from the team final. Tune into my personal reaction of this news and then how I believe we can apply this lesson to all of our lives as we look to reopen the live theater industry. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Remember infomercials? Late night shopping, 'as seen on TV' commercials? I discovered what worked with those commercials and how the most successful plays/musicals used a very similar technique. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

In the early 2000s, I met with one of the most powerful people in Hollywood. We discussed the differences between the business models of theater and film. How Hollywood owned scripts instead of licensed them. How producers in Hollywood became hired guns after they proved themselves.   Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

I'm sharing what I believe to be the hardest part of creating a new musical or play . . . and how I've overcome that. And how you can apply this to YOUR process. Referenced in this episode: 30 Day Play Challenge: www.30DayPlayChallenge.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

After watching one of the most recent NYC Mayoral debates this year, I realized one profession who has to raise more money than a Broadway Producer is a Politician. And after reading through many MANY emails from Politicians asking for donations, I studied their techniques and marketing strategies . . . they're doing something wrong. Referenced in this episode: How To Raise Money For the Arts...Or For Anything: Amazon.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Thousands of theater students have graduated this year.  I can’t imagine being a student right now, nevermind a theater student. I recently had one of those students Facebook me asking “what the @#$% do I do now?” And in this podcast episode, I answer that question. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

In my 30 years (!) living in New York City, I’ve never watched a Mayoral debate. But with all that’s riding on the next Mayor of NYC, you can bet your A-train that I tuned into the debate between the leading candidates. Tune into this week's episode where I comment on the one thing that disappointed me Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

When I was in college at Tisch, I, like every other student at NYU, tried to get into nightclubs on the weekend. And for some reason, the fancy door people, with their super chic outfits, always turned me away. In hindsight, it might have something to do with my khaki pants from The Gap, white shirt from The Gap and blue blazer . . . from JC Penney. I did get into one. Once. One of the ladies from my acting class at Strasberg took pity on me, and escorted me past the velvet rope on her arm. (You know who you are, and I’m still thankful.) When I got inside, well, things got worse.  Listen to this week's episode to find out what happened AND how a nightclub inspired me to create a new place for the cool theater people. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Sitting on the other side of the table is something that every actor should do. It’s incredibly educational and inspirational because frankly, you realize that while there are lots and lots of people who call themselves actors, there's a much smaller group of actors (and talent is only a small part of that definition, by the by). Since so few actors get a chance to sit where producers and directors sit, here are my 10 tips on how to have a better audition experience. Referenced in this episode: Learn More about TheaterMakers Studio: www.thetheatermakersstudio.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

It has been 10 years (!) since I crowdfunded Godspell. It remains one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done in this business. It took two years to put together. It took three law firms. I had to pass a securities exam. Oh, and let me tell you when this SEC slaps your wrist in the midst of your offering, you lose some sleep. But, like most difficult things, it was also one of the best things I ever did for my business. And my life. Not only did we fund the production, and help launch the careers of some superstars, but I’m also still friends with many of “People of Godspell”, which is what we called our Producers and Investors (we had over 730 of them!). We created a family. And it still exists. (That’s pretty common with Godspell, actually, as anyone in it can attest.) After we successfully crowdfunded the show, using an old regulation called a “Reg A,” Congress passed The Jobs Act . . . which made it MUCH easier for businesses to crowdfund. (Bad timing on my part!) Everyone predicted an explosion of this type of microfinancing in all industries . . . Broadway and Off-Broadway included. And it didn’t happen. I don’t know of ONE Broadway or Off-Broadway production to utilize the new “Regulation CF” since it was passed. Why? Here are three reasons why. Referenced in this episode: 8 Tips for a Kick A$$ Kickstarter Campaign: read here How To Raise Money For the Arts... Or For Anything: click here NY Times Article on Godspell: NYTimes.com Learn More about TheaterMakers Studio: www.thetheatermakersstudio.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

As the theater comes back to life, marketing is going to be more important than ever before. But before we start advertising, there are things we need to do first: ask our audience how they're feeling about returning, what's on their minds about the return of theater, what type of theater they are in the mood to see, etc. Referenced in this episode: Learn More about TheaterMakers Studio: www.thetheatermakersstudio.com The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Today, I explore what it would mean if Broadway was allowed to run less than 8 shows a week. Referenced in this episode: "8 Shows a What?": https://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2007/11/8-shows-a-what.html The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

I'm talking about the biggest difference between Hollywood and Broadway: how they option your shows. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: The TheaterMakers Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theatermakersstudio Continue the conversation: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

Here are two things you can do to help theater get back FASTER. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: My "Get Vaxxed" post: www.instagram.com/kendavenportbway 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

I think we should retire the term "Jukebox Muscals". Why? Because I believe there are better terms we can use to describe this genre of musicals. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: Rock of Ages Mammia Mia Jersey Boys All Shook Up A Beautiful Noise: www.abeautifulnoisethemusical.com 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

Are revivals an endangered species? What do we do with the beloved classics? What replaces revivals if they go away? Are new musicals the most reliable way to recoup (the measurement of how successful a show is)? I unpack all of this and more in this episode. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: 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

In February, Whitney Wolfe Herd became the youngest female billionaire on the planet. And she did it by breaking into one of the most competitive markets around . . . online dating. Whenever anyone breaks through ceilings like Whitney, the first thing I do is jump up and down for them and tell as many people as I can. Then I try to learn from them, and how they bust through the barrier. . . and then tell as many people about that so they can learn from it too. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: Bumble: www.bumble.com Whitney Wolfe Herd: @whitney 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

My team and I tested social media trends and found what is working and what's not working. And today, I'm sharing 5 of our findings with YOU. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. Referenced in this episode: Rachel Hollis: www.thehollisco.com Brock Johnson: www.instagram.com/brock11johnson 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

I am sharing my perspective on why social distancing doesn't work for the theater. If you want to read more of my thoughts on this topic, go to my blog. 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

I am responding to the NEW protocols released by Actors Equity Association for the return of live theater. As reported by Phillip Boroff (formerly of Bloomberg News and now of his own Broadway Journal), those protocols include things like: Mass transport cannot be used. A private car and driver must be provided for every AEA member reporting to/from rehearsal (Uber and Lyft services do not qualify). Members must be put up in hotels if they don’t live alone. 3 required tests before rehearsals begin, each of which must be paid for by the Producer and cannot be covered by the Actor’ Health Plans, even if they have coverage. And a lot more. You can read all of the posted guidelines, right on the AEA website. (They’re incredibly well organized and separated by the type of production a Producer might consider in the near future (indoor, outdoor, etc.) If you want to read more of my thoughts on these new protocols, go to my blog. 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, a revival of The Great White Hope, 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

IRENE GANDY is the only Black female member of ATPAM (Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers) on Broadway. She has been a press agent works with Jeffrey Richards Associates. She is a Tony-Award winning producer on Broadway for The Gershwin’s' Porgy and Bess and was a producer for Lady Day At Emerson Bar and Grill starring Audra MacDonald. She was also co -producer with Voza Rivers of the National tour of the South-African musical Serafina. She currently serves on the board of City College for the Arts, HARLEM WEEK and The New Heritage Theatre. In 2008, she became the first female press agent to be immortalized with a Sardis caricature. Gandy recently launched the Irene Gandy Fur Collection designed by Mr. Pete and was featured in the 2015 August issue of Vogue Magazine. "A Day in the Life Irene Gandy" a documentary is being produced that will center around her life being the 1st African-American women Press Agent and Producer on Broadway for over 50 years.  She was recently inducted into New York Public Library Lincoln Center Performing Arts Library. Gandy’s recent productions include American Son starring Kerry Washington China Doll starring Al Pacino, Fiddler on the Roof ,You Can't Take It With You, starring James Earl Jones and Sylvia starring Matthew Broderick. Gandy began her career in 1968 as a publicist with Douglas Turner Ward and Robert Hooks’ Negro Ensemble Company. Since then, she has worked on over 100 Broadway shows including , Glengarry Glen Ross, Radio Golf, Bubbling Brown Sugar, Smokey Joe’s Care, Lena Horne: The Lady and her Music, Patti LaBelle on Broadway, The Wiz. In addition to her work in theatre, she was Associate Director of Special Markets for CBS Records, working with such artists as Earth, Wind and Fire, The Jacksons, Patti Labelle, The Isley Brothers, and many others. Gandy was the Press Consultant for the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta and the 30th Anniversary of Harlem Week. She currently serves on the board of City College for the Arts, HARLEM WEEK and The New Heritage Theatre. In 2008, she became the first female press agent to be immortalized with a Sardis caricature. Gandy recently launched the Irene Gandy Fur Collection designed by Mr. Pete and was featured in the 2015 August issue of Vogue Magazine. "A Day in the Life Irene Gandy" a documentary is being produced that will center around her life being the 1st African-American women Press Agent and Producer on Broadway for over years.   And this week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Michael Sobie! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.michaelsobie.com or check him out on Facebook. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! 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

WILLIAM IVEY LONG designs for opera, ballet, modern dance, theatre, television, and film. He has 76 Broadway credits - including the new musical DIANA, CHICAGO, BEETLEJUICE, TOOTSIE, CINDERELLA, GREY GARDENS, HAIRSPRAY, PRODUCERS, CRAZY FOR YOU, NINE. He has been nominated for 17 Tony Awards, winning 6 times. He was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2006, and recently completed a 4 year term as Chairman of the American Theatre Wing. To keep up with William . . . go check him out on instagram @williamiveylong.   This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Nicholas Kaminski! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, check him out here: www.facebook.com/kaminskicomposer. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! 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

Diana DiMenna is an award-winning theater and film producer and philanthropist. Her Broadway credits include Girl From The North Country, What the Constitution Means to Me; Network; Three Tall Women; Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; Bright Star; A Doll's House, Part Two; Meteor Shower; and The Humans (national tour). To keep up with Diana . . . go check her out on instagram @dianadimenna.   This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Kinosian and Blair! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, check out their website www.kinosianandblair.com and youtube channel www.youtube.com/kinosianandblair. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! 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

Adam Feldman is the Theater and Dance Editor and chief theater critic at Time Out New York, where he has been a staff writer since 2003. He is the president of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle. To keep up with Adam, his cabaret performances at Club Cumming, and more . . . go check him out on Twitter @feldmanadam.   This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Michael Mott! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.michaelmott.net or check him out on Instagram @michael_mott. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! 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

Alex Brightman is an actor and writer, best known for originating the role of Dewey Finn in School of Rock and the title role in Beetlejuice on Broadway, both of which earned him Tony Award nominations for Best Actor in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include Glory Days, Wicked (Boq), Big Fish, and Matilda the Musical (Michael Wormwood). Alex is also a member of the comedy group, The (M)orons, along with fellow Broadway actors/writers Andrew Kober, F. Michael Haynie, and Drew Gasparini. As a writer, Alex is currently developing two new musicals, The Whipping Boy and It's Kind of a Funny Story with his friend and writing partner, Drew Gasparini. This episode is a little different than our normal programming . . . this episode was recorded live at BroadwayCon a few weeks ago. Thanks again, Broadway Podcast Network and BroadwayCon, for having The Producer's Perspective Podcast on the stage to have this conversation. Haven't seen Beetlejuice yet? Go check it out at The Winter Garden before it closes. For tickets, click here. To keep up with Alex's antics all year long, follow him on Twitter: @ABrightMonster This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Sam Salmond! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.samsalmond.com or check him out on Instagram @samsalmond. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! 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

Maddie Corman's career began when she appeared in the seminal ‘80s movies Seven Minutes in Heaven and Some Kind of Wonderful. Maddie was a series regular on “Mr. President,” “All American Girl” and “Almost There.” Guest/recurring roles include “Law & Order” (all three), “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Damages,” “The Good Wife,” “Person of Interest,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Girls,” “Divorce,” “Odd Mom Out,” “When We Rise,” “High Maintenance,” “Younger” and “Madame Secretary.” Films include Wonderwheel; 5 Flights Up; Peace, Love & Misunderstanding; Morning Glory; Ira & Abby; What Happens in Vegas; I Think I Do; Ford Fairlane; and Swingers. Maddie played Lady Aberlin to Tom Hanks’ Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.  Broadway credits include: Next Fall, Picnic. Off-Broadway: The Babylon Line; Appropriate; Love, Loss…; etc. She wrote, co-directed and stars in How Was Your Day (Tribeca Film Fest watch this short series). Maddie was a playwright in residence at New York Stage & Film where she performed Accidentally Brave. To discover more about Maddie, follow her on Instagram @msmaddiecorman. Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Misha Lambert! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.mishalambert.com or check her out on Instagram @mishalambert. 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

Vivek J. Tiwary is an acclaimed producer of live entertainment from Tony Award-winning Broadway shows to groundbreaking immersive experiences, a media financier/investor, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder of Tiwary Entertainment Group. On Broadway, Vivek’s productions have won a combined 25 Tony Awards over 44 Tony nominations and include such groundbreaking work as Green Day’s American Idiot and A Raisin In The Sun. He is currently the lead producer of Jagged Little Pill, based on Alanis Morissette’s classic album, which opened on Broadway on Dec 5, 2019 at the Broadhurst Theatre, where it is currently enjoying rave reviews and box office success. In addition to Broadway, Vivek is a pioneering producer in the world of site-specific, tech-based, and immersive theatre. He consulted on the creation and development of The Walking Dead Escape and The Walking Dead Experience. He served on the Board of Directors for New York’s seminal Gale Gates et al—considered to be the founders of immersive theatre. He also produced experiential shows and installations for boundary-pushing companies such as The Wooster Group, Fischerspooner, and the São Paulo Art Biennial. Vivek and I sat down to talk about food, heritage, as well as. . . Why you need to talk about all of the tough stuff first What's wrong with biographical and jukebox musicals Why not every musician needs to have a staged show How to deal with having way too many investors interested in producing Why you need to be unique and find a niche in life Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Drew Gasparini! If you enjoyed the outro song in this episode, go on over to www.thedrewgasparini.com or check him out on Instagram @drewgasparini. 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

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

In this episode, we celebrated the end of a decade and the end of the 2019 season of The Producer's Perspective Podcast with inspirational and funny quotes from previous guests! Thank you to Julie Halston, Mark Sendroff, Stephanie Lee, Susan Blackwell, Adam Gwon, Anthony Veneziale, Ali Stroker, Mara Isaacs, Charlotte Wilcox, Ken Cerniglia, Glen Kelly, and Alan Cumming for joining me on the podcast this season! Thanks, Terry Knickerbocker, for supporting this episode. Terry Knickerbocker Studio offers a two-year acting conservatory, workshops, studio rentals, one-on-one coaching, beginner acting classes, and the best actor training in New York. For more information, visit terryknickerbockerstudio.com.  The final #SongWriterOfTheWeek for the 2019 season is . . . Kerrigan-Lowdermilk! And my good friend and Godspell company member, Lindsay Mendez is singing their song called Hand in Hand from their immersive house party musical THE BAD YEARS. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, check out www.kerrigan-lowdermilk.com or @kerrigan_lowdermilk on Instagram.  We'll be back with a BRAND NEW season of The Producer Perspective Podcast on February 24, 2020. During the break, keep up with me on Instagram, @KenDavenportBway, and check out my blog for weekly content. www.theproducersperspective.com www.broadwaypodcastnetwork.com This episode was edited by Mary Dina. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan Cumming is a Scottish-American actor, comedian, singer, writer, producer, director, and activist who has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and plays/musicals. His London stage appearances include Hamlet, the Maniac in Accidental Death of an Anarchist (for which he received an Olivier Award), the lead in Bent, and the National Theatre of Scotland's The Bacchae. On Broadway, he has appeared in The Threepenny Opera, as the master of ceremonies in Cabaret (for which he won a Tony Award), Design for Living and a one-man adaptation of Macbeth. His best-known film roles include his performances in Emma, GoldenEye, the Spy Kids trilogy, Son of the Mask, and X2. Cumming also introduces Masterpiece Mystery! for PBS and appeared on The Good Wife, for which he has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Satellite Award. A filming of his Las Vegas cabaret show, Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs, aired on PBS stations in November 2016. Alan is the definition of an artrepreneur and truly does it all . . . from stage to screen, creating bars of soap to having his own nightclub . . . he’s a true chameleon on and off stage.  It was a great pleasure getting to sit down with Alan and discuss: What allows him to pop from one thing to another and do everything at such a high level How he came up with his soap fragrance + names How he still gets nervous and how he deals with those nerves His solo dance piece coming up in 2021 How being vulnerable and not trying to pretend he’s perfect is what gives him confidence  Making the jump between different mediums . . . is there a different type of acting he uses for each?  Why he thinks it’s important to read his own reviews  What is still on his artistic “bucket list” and challenges he still wants to complete And when you’re done, go listen to Alan’s cabaret song and story show, Legal Immigrant on Audible! This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Joey Contreras! Check out his song "Joyride" from his latest EP, "Joyride." It’s available on iTunes/Spotify/Apple Music. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, check out www.joeycontreras.com or @joeycontreras on Instagram.  This episode is brought to you by Sunlight Studios. With 8 bright and spacious studios for rent, you can rehearse your next Broadway hit knowing you're in good hands. To book a studio today, please visit www.sunlightstudios.com. Use Code DAVENPORT to receive a 5% discount on bookings until January 2, 2020.  This episode was edited by Stanley Wiercinski. Keep up with me @KenDavenportBway on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glen Kelly is a music arranger (especially of dance music) and composer. He is best known for his musical theatre arrangements for Broadway shows including Beauty and Beast, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Book of Mormon, and Aladdin. This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Angela Sclafani ! Today we’re playing a song called "I'll Save You the Waltz" and it is from Angela’s musical The Other Side of Paradise. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, check out www.angelasclafani.com or @angelasclafani on instagram.  This episode is brought to you by Terry Knickerbocker Studio. Terry Knickerbocker Studio offers a two year acting conservatory, workshops, studio rentals, one-on-one coaching, beginner acting classes, and the best actor training in New York, period. For more information, visit terryknickerbockerstudio.com.  This episode was edited by Stanley Wiercinski. Keep up with me @KenDavenportBway on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Cerniglia is a veteran dramaturg, writer, and creative executive. He dramaturged the innovative Broadway hits Hadestown (8 Tony Awards, including Best Musical) and Peter and the Starcatcher (5 Tony Awards). As resident dramaturg and literary manager for Disney Theatrical Productions for 16 years, he developed over 70 titles for Broadway, touring, international, and licensed productions, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday, Aladdin, Newsies, The Little Mermaid, High School Musical, and Tarzan. He recently conceived and developed Marvel spotlight, a collection of one-act plays with teenage superhero protagonists who tackle real-world problems in a diverse society. Other dramaturgy includes the chamber opera Blood Moon (PROTOTYPE 2020); the new musical Bridges (Berkeley Playhouse); Passion Trilogy (Fisher Ensemble/Loyola Marymount University); and Bud, Not Buddy, The Gift of Nothing, The Cricket in Times Square, and OLIVERio: A Twist on Dickens (Kennedy Center). This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Ben Diskant and Sami Horneff! Today we’re playing a song from their musical The Pirate Princess, “We Could Be Pirates”. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, check out www.bendiskant.com and www.samihorneff.com.  My pal Justin Guarini (you may have met him at The Super Conference this weekend) wants to help you nail your next audition! Justin will help you create a unique and memorable vocal performance that blows your competition out of the water. Visit www.JustinGuarini.com for more information! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte Wilcox, Broadway General Manager, started her company in 1990 and has managed over 40 musicals and one play, CYRANO starring Kevin Klein and Jennifer Garner. Previous productions include CITY OF ANGELS on tour, MY FAIR LADY starring Richard Chamberlain, GREASE starring Rosie O’Donnell, DAMN YANKEES starring Jerry Lewis, BUSKER ALLEY, ON THE WATERFRONT, CHICAGO, STREET CORNER SYMPHONY, RAGTIME, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE FULL MONTY, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s BY JEEVES, STONES IN HIS POCKET on tour, TABOO, BOMBAY DREAMS , SUNSET BOULEVARD starring Petula Clark, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, THE WEDDING SINGER, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, Twyla Tharp’s THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’, GREASE starring Laura Osnes & Max Crum, CYRANO, [TITLE OF SHOW], WEST SIDE STORY, COME FLY AWAY, ELF, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, WONDERLAND, GODSPELL, ON A CLEAR DAY, ELF, JEKYLL & HYDE, BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical, ON YOUR FEET, ALLEGIANCE, SUNSET BOULEVARD starring Glenn Close, and BANDSTAND. This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Max Vernon! Today we’re playing Max’s song “Some Kind of Paradise”. If you like what you hear and want to learn more, check out Max on instagram @frauleinsallybowels or www.maxvernon.com. This episode is sponsored by Curtain Call! Curtain Call is the platform for all theatre professionals; onstage or backstage, creative or cast, producer or theatre. You can network easily AND look for work. You can view and apply for jobs directly through the platform. Just go to curtaincallonline.com to sign up. They also have an awesome Instagram page - with incredible photography @curtaincall.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mara Isaacs (Producer) is a Tony® Award-winning producer and founder of Octopus Theatricals, an independent company dedicated to fostering an expansive range of compelling theatrical works for local, national and international audiences. She has produced over 150 productions that have been seen on Broadway (Hadestown, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Translations, Anna in the Tropics, Electra), off-Broadway (Hadestown, Fiasco Theater’s Into The Woods, The Brother/Sister Plays, Crowns, The Laramie Project), at theaters and performing arts centers around the US and the world (UK, Europe, Middle East, South America, South Africa, Canada). Current projects include Iphigenia by Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding; Somi’s Dreaming Zenzile by Somi Kakoma; Theatre for One; and An Iliad starring Denis O’Hare. She is the director of Project Springboard: Developing Dance Musicals, and Artistic Advisor to Fiasco Theater. She is proud to produce the work of Theatre For One, Phantom Limb Company, Song of the Goat Theatre and more. She served as Producing Director at McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, NJ for 18 seasons and previously produced new play development programs and productions for Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She is currently visiting faculty for CalArts School of Theatre and for Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts. www.octopustheatricals.com This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Niko Tsakalakos! Today we have “Alone” from his new musical INTO THE WILD. Music & lyrics by Niko Tsakalakos and book & lyrics by Janet Allard. If you like what you hear and what to learn more, please visit www.nikosongs.com.  This episode is sponsored by Terry Knickerbocker Studios. Terry Knickerbocker Studio offers a two-year acting conservatory, workshops, studio rentals, one-on-one coaching, beginner acting classes, and the best actor training in New York, period. For more information, visit terryknickerbockerstudio.com.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Groundbreaking performer Ali Stroker won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as ‘Ado Annie’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! She made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway when she originated the role of ‘Anna' in Deaf West's acclaimed 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. Ali's also the first actress in a wheelchair to graduate from NYU's Tisch drama program. She starred in 12 episodes of the talent competition, The Glee Project, which led to a guest role on Fox's Glee. She then recurred in the Kyra Sedgwick ABC series, Ten Days in the Valley, and she guest-starred on Fox’s Lethal Weapon, CBS’ Instinct, and Comedy Central's Drunk History. Ali earned a Barrymore Award nomination for starring as Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In addition to her work on and off-Broadway, she's soloed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, New York's Town Hall, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Stroker has been a co-chair of Women Who Care, which supports United Cerebral Palsy of New York City. She co-founded Be More Heroic, an anti-bullying campaign that tours the country connecting with thousands of students each year. She’s lead theater workshops for South African women and children affected by HIV and AIDS with the group, ARTS InsideOut.  Ali’s dedication to improving lives through the arts, disabled or not, is captured in her motto: “Making Your Limitations Your Opportunities.” This week’s #SongWriterOfTheWeek is Carmel Dean. Featuring the song "The BeanStalk" from the musical Renascence and written by Edna St. Vincent Millay and Dick Scanlan. The full album is available on iTunes and Spotify.  This episode is sponsored by Curtain Call! Curtain Call is the platform for all theatre professionals; onstage or backstage, creative or cast, producer or theatre. You can network easily AND look for work. You can view and apply for jobs directly through the platform. Just go to curtaincallonline.com to sign up. They also have an awesome Instagram page - with incredible photography @curtaincall.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthony Veneziale (Two-Touch) is the conceiver and co-creator Freestyle Love Supreme and FLS Academy. Founding member of American Immigrants (San Francisco). He has used improv techniques to create endeavors with Thomas Kail & Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Bartlett, “The Electric Company”), Daveed Diggs (The Freeze), numerous networks/companies (HBO, Cartoon Network, Sesame Workshop, Boardwalk Pictures, Google) and co-founded speechlessinc.com, an improv thinking company that helps humans create, collaborate, and find their authentic voice. STAGE: Freestyle Love Supreme, Servicemen, Death in One Acts, and Trashin': Time to Waste. TV: ”Sex and the City”, Freestyle Love Supreme.  Listen in to this podcast, and you'll hear about the origins of this new form on Broadway, and how he helped Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kail with In The Heights, and a ton more, including (yes, I'm giving you the full bullet points, because this podcast is that good): Why Hip-Hop/Rap is so effective in the theater and why this is just the beginning.  How his success happened overnight . . . NO IT DIDN'T! It took a long time, and why and how he had the courage to keep at it.  The most commonly uttered words on my podcast from all my guests, and why those words helped Anthony crush his goals.  How he teaches freestyle at the Freestyle Love Supreme Academy (if I can do it - anyone can). And in addition to me beatboxing, you can bet he shows a little of his freestylin' skills as well. This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Douglas Lyons and Ethan Pakchar. Check out "Runnin'" (sung by Matt Rodin) from their new musical Beau at the end of this episode. If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.beauthemusical.com.  This week's episode is brought to you by AJV Media. They've been our videographers for our Super Conference since the beginning! They're professional, easy to work with, and local to NY! If you're looking for a videographer and want more information, visit their website www.AJVMedia.com.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Gwon is a musical theater writer named one of "50 to Watch" by The Dramatist magazine and hailed "a promising newcomer to our talent-hungry musical theater" by The New York Times. His musicals have been produced on six continents, in more than half a dozen languages. Off-Broadway: Ordinary Days (Roundabout Theatre; Keen Company, Drama League Award nomination, Best Revival), Old Jews Telling Jokes (Westside Theatre); Regional: String (Village Theatre), Cake Off (Signature Theatre, Helen Hayes Award nomination; Bucks County Playhouse), Cloudlands (South Coast Repertory), The Boy Detective Fails (Signature Theatre), Bernice Bobs Her Hair (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); West End: Ordinary Days (Trafalgar Studios). In this episode, we talk about . . . How he went from writing individual songs to full-length musicals  What he looks for when looking for something new to write about, or when looking into making adaptations The 3 "blind dates" he went on that led him to adapt Scotland, PA into a musical What it's like to constantly be considered an emerging artist This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Anna Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson! Check out "I Want To Choose" from their musical TEETH at the end of this episode. If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.annakjacobs.com/ & www.thelivingmichaeljackson.com for more tunes. This week's episode is brought to you by TERRY KNICKERBOCKER STUDIO. Terry Knickerbocker Studio offers a two-year acting conservatory, workshops, studio rentals, one-on-one coaching, beginner acting classes, and the best actor training in New York, period. While the conservatory training is based on the Meisner Technique, Terry Knickerbocker Studio offers a holistic approach to actor training with a commitment to nurturing the total actor: Mind, Body, and Soul. For more information, please visit www.TerryKnickerbockerStudio.com  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Blackwell is an actress, writer, and singer, best known for playing characters based on herself in the original musicals [title of show] and Now. Here. This. She has appeared in other plays, musicals, films, and television shows, and even created and hosts her own talk show Side by Side by Susan Blackwell on Broadway.com. In this episode, we talk about . . . Finding the time to pursue your dream, while working your day job . . . like literally while your boss is standing over your desk as you work on lyrics! What "dollar-cost-averaging" has to do with a career in the theater. Life of a freelance artist and how she structures her day for success. Why being a multi-hyphenate and focusing on many things is important to her, and should be to you too. How did Title of Show happen - and what's it like now watching people play her! Tune in and enjoy this inspiring artrepreneurial episode and when you're done, turn that dial over to Susan's new podcast (created with her wonder twin, Laura Camien), The Spark File, which is now live! This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Jacinth Greywoode (@j.greywoode on soundcloud)! Check out "Myrtle's Lament" at the end of this episode (music by Jacinth and lyrics by Rebecca Hart). If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.jacinthgreywoode.com/ for more tunes. No matter where you are in life . . . whether you are just starting out and need a kick start, or you have already achieved a certain level of success and want more, or you’ve been slacking lately (we’ve all been there) and need to get back on track . . . you’ve decided to take your life, your dreams, and your destiny into your own hands . . . literally . . . with this journal. Start your 90-day journey today, visit: http://www.actionjournalforartists.com/ Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephanie Lee, born into the family business, has worked her way through just about every position in the company! Now, as CEO/President, Stephanie has the unique advantage of being able to offer her team and clients more than 20 years of hands-on experience and knowledge of group trips to Broadway.  This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Ryan Scott Oliver (@RyanScottOliver)! If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.ryanscottoliver.com/ for more tunes. Are you writing your own show? Looking to break into the Producer life? Check out The Producer's Perspective PRO for resources and support from an entire community of theater-makers! www.TheProducersPerspectivePro.com  Looking for more information on Stephanie's Group Sales agency? Visit https://www.broadway.com/groups/. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Sendroff started his law career at the firm of Bomser & Oppenheim in 1975 and moved to the firm of Gottlieb, Schiff, Ticktin & Sternklar in 1979, eventually becoming a partner until that firm’s dissolution in 1995, at which time he founded Sendroff & Associates, P.C. In January 2007, he and entertainment lawyer, Jason Baruch, formed the current firm of Sendroff & Baruch, LLP. He presently represents many of the talented artists whose work can be seen prominently in the areas of theatre, film, television, and music.  This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Or Matias (@OrMatias)! If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.ormatiasmusic.com/ for more tunes. This episode is sponsored by National Alliance Music Theatre (NAMT). For more information, go to namt.org/. Follow Mark: @msendroff Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you don’t know Broadway Funny Girl Julie Halston, you are in for a treat. She’s one of the fiercest comediennes we have, currently playing and flambaying a Producer (!) on Broadway in Tootsie, but has been in everything from Gypsy (where we met) to You Can’t Take It With You to Hairspray to Anything Goes and more. But she got her start on one of the smallest stages in New York City. And the story of her rise as a Broadway star, a writer, a producer, and more is a real inspiration and education for us all. Listen to hear all about: How Charles Busch forced her to write her first show in two weeks . . . and how she got the courage to do it. Where she learned how to do dramatic readings of NY Times Wedding Announcements. (And yes, listen to her do a reading from the NY Times at the end of this podcast!) Why she says “yes” to everything she can and why you should too. Why, despite her big Broadway success, she still performs in her one-woman show (including a performance coming up on October 3rd at Birdland! Go!) How she creates unique characters, like the stripper in Gypsy, that are so memorable and so freakin’ funny and so beyond what’s just in the script. If you’re an actor or a fan, then you should listen to this podcast. If you’re a TheaterMaker of any other kind, then you MUST listen to this podcast. And I apologize in advance for my laughter throughout the episode. You try and hold it in when talking to Julie Halston! Enjoy and thank you for coming back to our new season! This week’s #SongwriterOfTheWeek is Zack Zadek! If you enjoyed the outro music in this episode, go on over to www.ZackZadek.com for more tunes. This episode is sponsored by Sunlight Studios. Use the code DAVENPORT by October 10 to save on renting studio space. Visit www.sunlightstudios.com for more information on their offerings! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chad Beguelin wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book for The Prom. He also wrote the book for Disney's Aladdin, as well as additional lyrics for the score. He is also known for having written the lyrics and co-written the book for the Broadway musical The Wedding Singer and the lyrics for the Broadway musical Elf the Musical. Beguelin was nominated for two Tony Awards for his work on The Wedding Singer, as well as a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics. Listen in to this podcast, and you'll hear about this season’s breakout original hit, The Prom, his experience with failure, writing original musicals versus adaptations, and how to have confidence as a writer as well as: The pros and cons of writing original musicals versus adaptations of big, branded source material. How he settles “differences of opinions” with his collaborators . . . from Alan Menken to Matt Sklar. The importance of having confidence as a writer, even when you are just starting out, and when those around you have more experience. What award season is like when you’re up against your friends and peers. What he looks for in a producer and why. We are taking a break on this podcast! Don't worry . . . we will be back on September 9th with a brand new, very exciting season!  This episode is sponsored by The Long Room, the Irish gastropub with an extensive beer menu featuring craft, domestic & international brews. Visit The Long Room today!  www.thelongroomnyc.com  Follow Chad: @ChadBeg Keep up with me during the break: @KenDavenportBway This podcast was edited by Stanley Wiercinski.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Carlyle (Kiss Me Kate) is a British director and choreographer, nominated this season for Best Choreography. He received Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Director of a Musical for the 2009 revival of Finian's Rainbow.   Carlyle most recently directed and choreographed the Broadway musical After Midnight, Chaplin and Hugh Jackman: Back On Broadway; Choreographed On The 20th Century, The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, and the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.   Warren is a big part of the Tony race this season (and my money is on him), but he still took time out of his busy rehearsal and cocktail party schedule to sit down with me and talk about: How he was a real-life Billy Elliot and why his Mum got him started on his journey. What made him hang up his dance belt and turn to a life of choreography. The process of creating a number . . .  and how he knows when it is working and when it isn’t . . . . How he got “Too Darn Hot” from an 8 to a 10! What it’s like working with stars like Hugh Jackman and Bette Midler. This week’s episode is brought to you by The Tony Awards   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Gordon is a composer and lyricist nominated for a 2001 Tony Award for the music and lyrics to the musical Jane Eyre. He is also the recipient of the 2009 Ovation Award for his music and lyrics to Daddy Long Legs which has had productions all over the world, including Off-Broadway, where it was nominated for 2 Drama Desk Awards, an Off-Broadway Alliance Award and 3 Outer Critic Circle awards. His other shows include: Little Miss Scrooge, Death: The Musical, The Front, Juliet and Romeo, Sleepy Hollow, Pride and Prejudice, The Circle and The Sportswriter.   But Paul is much more than a brilliant Composer/Lyricist. He’s an incredible art-trepreneur who knows that having some Broadway shows doesn’t mean you can sit back and wait for the offers to come in. We talked about what he does to get his work out there and more, including: How his super successful pop career writing songs taught him how to write great musical theater songs. (He reveals what pop songs he wrote and you won’t believe it!) Getting the courage to tell a Tony Winner that he didn’t want to change his show, even when he had never worked in the theater before! Why he started StreamingMusicals.com as a way to showcase his and YOUR work – and how it already landed him a licensing deal. What he learned from his first Broadway show, Jane Eyre, and what he’d do differently next time. Where he gets his ideas and what he does first. Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Horn is a playwright, screenwriter and producer, best known as the Tony-nominated book writer for Broadway musicals Tootsie and 13. Other works include the books for Dame Edna, Back with a Vengeance; Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical; Lone Star Love; and Dandy. Mr. Horn has also made contributions to numerous large-scale live events, such as Bette Midler's 2016 Divine Intervention world tour. He has written, created, or produced such television series as Designing Women, High Society, The Jenny Rivera Show, and the Kelsey Grammer/Martin Lawrence series Partners, to name just a few. Mr. Horn's film and teleplay credits also include Teen Beach Movie (and its sequel), Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, Wild Life, and Good Advice. Through his experience writing for both TV and on Broadway, he has learned what makes something funny and exactly how to find it. We talked about Tootsie, as well as 13, and . . . What makes something funny — and how he finds it. How he got his start writing by selling monologues to actors for $20 (you art-trepreneur, you!). How his success in TV helped him crack the code on Broadway — which is what he has wanted all along. Could a writer’s room work on Broadway (you’ll be surprised to hear this response)? When to cut something and when NOT to.   Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Bergasse is an Emmy Award winning choreographer for his work on NBC’s musical drama SMASH. He also choreographed multiple segments on So You Think You Can Dance and PBS's Sinatra: A Voice for a Century. On Broadway, Josh choreographed the revival of On The Town, which opened to rave reviews. He received an Astaire Award and was nominated for TONY, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Awards for his work on On The Town. He also choreographed the revival of Gigi, and most recently choreographed the Broadway debut of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Other credits include Sweet Charity and Cagney.   Josh and I talked about creating your own luck and that to become a success you have to “never stop dancing,” as well as: Why the lack of pressure on himself landed him his first gig and so many more. How that pressure increases when you’ve achieved more and how you deal with it to keep moving ahead. Why choreographers should be engaged early on in musicals (this one changed my thinking about hiring altogether). The process of making a “dance” and what the most important elements are. His experience on the TV show Smash and why it isn’t still running today.   This episode of The Producer’s Perspective podcast is sponsored by Sunlight Studios – the newest studio space in the theater district. Use code DAVENPORT to get 5% off all bookings for the next four weeks! www.SunlightStudios.com   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Mayer is an American theatre director, filmmaker, and playwright who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2007 for directing Spring Awakening, which also won the award for Best Musical. He was nominated for the 2002 Tony for his direction of Thoroughly Modern Millie, which he then directed on London's West End. Mayer also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical for both Spring Awakening and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Other Broadway credits include The Lion in Winter, the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Side Man, the book for the musical American Idiot. He directed the first Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which opened in 2014. His off-Broadway directing credits include Stupid Kids, Baby Anger, View of the Dome, and the New York premiere of Antigone in New York. Michael has put a few more Tony-Award winning shows on his resume, including Spring Awakening, and we talked about all the show(s) he has captained, as well as: The GOOD review that made him stop reading reviews altogether. Why he convinced everyone to wait for Neil Patrick Harris to be available for Hedwig and how we got that performance out of him. How he can still feel like a fraud, even with a Tony Award on his shelf, and how he gets through that when he starts a new show. Plays versus musicals and the skills you need for both. The day he knew to hang it up as a performer because there were bigger things that he could do. And if you like the podcast, feel free to give it a great rating and review on iTunes! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dominique Morisseau has authored over nine plays, including The Detroit Project (A 3-Play Cycle), which includes the following plays: Skeleton Crew, Paradise Blue, and Detroit '67. Additional plays include Pipeline, Sunset Baby, Blood at the Roo, and Follow Me To Nellie's. She most recently served as co-producer on the Showtime series Shameless. She wrote the book for the jukebox musical Ain't Too Proud—The Life and Times of the Temptations. This marked Morisseau's Broadway debut, and she received a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical nomination, the first Black woman to do so. She is a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" for 2018.   Dominique and I have been trying to have this podcast convo for a while now, and boy was it worth the wait.  In a quick thirty minutes, we talked about: How getting a great quantity of her work out in the world as she was coming up helped her improve her skills and get noticed. Why not understanding the word “No” was an essential part of her becoming a writer in the first place. Why she’s cautiously optimistic about where we are right now and where we’re headed with diversity in the arts. . . and what still makes her nervous. She doesn’t read reviews.  Ever. Listen why. How long she had to be an “emerging artist” and whether or not emerging = young.     This episode of The Producer’s Perspective Podcast is sponsored by Magnolia Bakery. Visit Magnolia Bakery for freshly-baked, classic American desserts, including cupcakes, banana pudding, cakes, cheesecakes, icebox bars, and cookies. For more information, visit magnoliabakery.com or follow them @magnoliabakery.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia Jordan is an American playwright, television writer, and screenwriter. Her plays include St. Paul, Nightswim, Summer Of The Swans, Tatjana in Color, Dark Yellow, and Walk Two Moons. In 2000, her short film "The Hat", debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. Her second short won best short film at the Jackson Hole Film Festival in 2008. She is a Lortel Fellow, Juilliard Playwright Fellow, Manhattan Theater Club Fellow, Member of the Dramatists Guild of America Council and New Dramatists. She is a founder and the executive director of The Lillys, created in 2010 to honor female playwrights and address the shortage of plays by women that get produced in America. She founded The Lillys and has been instrumental in The Count.  Don’t know what The Count is? Well, listen in and hear her tell you in her own words, as well as . . . How the most important thing her first writing teacher did was NOT discuss the quality of her work. What a Pulitzer Prize winner told her to do with her main character to get her play produced . . . and it worked . . . unfortunately (you’ll hear why). Why she thinks about her audience when she writes. What Broadway means to her . . . and why she doesn’t care if her work gets there. (Which will probably be why she DOES get there, btw.) The shocking statistics about gender in the theater and how she is helping change that (and what you can do to help).   This episode of The Producer’s Perspective Podcast is sponsored by Daniel Rader Photo. Daniel Rader is available for production photos, events, and headshots.” Check him out/Reach out to him – www.danielraderphoto.com / @danielraderphoto on Instagram.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meryl Streep is often described as the "best actress of her generation", she is particularly known for her versatility and accents. Nominated for a record 21 Academy Awards, she has won three. Among other accolades, she has received 32 Golden Globe nominations, more than any other person, and won eight. In 1976, she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for 27 Wagons Full of Cotton and A Memory of Two Mondays. In 1978, she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie for her role in the miniseries Holocaust. Streep went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Kramer vs. Kramer, and the Academy Award for Best Actress for Sophie's Choice and The Iron Lady. Streep's other Oscar-nominated roles include Silkwood, Out of Africa, Evil Angels, Postcards from the Edge, One True Thing, Music of the Heart, Adaptation, Doubt, August: Osage County, Into the Woods, and The Post.   We recorded this ‘cast on my phone (apologies in advance for the less than perfect audio, but frankly get over it – you take Meryl when you can get Meryl)  Her handler grabbed her after about 10 minutes so it isn’t a long one . . . but hey, it’s Meryl Effin’ Streep! During our 10 minutes, we talked about . . . How she chooses material . . . when she can do anything she wants. The craft and importance of playing a diverse set of roles. How she’s still honored to be nominated for Academy Awards, even though she’s been nominated 21 times! Why the theater will always be her first love. And yes, why She WOULD consider starring in a revival of Mamma Mia!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Tepper is producer of the musicals Be More Chill, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Love In Hate Nation. She is also the Creative and Programming Director at Feinstein's/54 Below, and the author of The Untold Stories of Broadway book series. She is the creator of The Jonathan Larson Project and historian consultant on the upcoming film version of tick, tick...BOOM!  Other credits include projects, shows, and educational initiatives with The National Alliance for Musical Theatre, The Producing Office, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, TEDxBroadway, The Dramatists Guild, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, New York City Center, the Broadway Green Alliance, and New York University. Listen in and hear her talk about: How she made a decision to take the plunge and produce BMC. Her gift of getting people to talk to her, how it got her career started, and how it also led to these terrific books. What her dream job is . . . (I bet she’ll have it at some point!) How she got started with producing and how she encourages other young Producers to get started too. How it has felt not only being one of the youngest Producers on Broadway but also being one of the youngest female Producers on Broadway.   This episode of The Producer’s Perspective Podcast is sponsored by Sunlight Studios. Right in the heart of the Theater District, it doesn’t get more convenient than this. To book a studio today, please visit sunlightstudios.com. Use code DAVENPORT to receive a 5% discount on bookings until April 11.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Alexander is an actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, and director. He is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series Seinfeld, for which he was nominated for seven consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Other well-known roles include Phillip Stuckey in the film Pretty Woman and the title character in the animated series Duckman. He has also had an active career on stage, appearing in several Broadway musicals including Jerome Robbins' Broadway, for which he won the Tony Award as Best Leading Actor in a Musical. He was the Artistic Director of "Reprise! Broadway's Best in Los Angeles."   You’re going to learn a lot about working in the theater and TV when listening to this podcast, but the first thing you’ll learn is the first thing I remember when I met Jason for the first time . . . he’s nothing like George Costanza.  He’s one of the smartest entertainment minds around, as you’ll learn when you hear us chat about . . . Why he started acting when he dreamed about doing something else. How he got Seinfeld, and how it all traces back to his start on Broadway. What Broadway can learn from film when staffing its shows (this concept blew my mind). Why he loves directing theater and where (and who) he learned it from. How actors play a part in the creation of a TV show, play, or musical.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hillary Blanken is a stage manager, production manager, technical supervisor, and the founder of Juniper Street Productions, a Production Management and Technical Supervision firm specializing in live theatrical productions. She has worked on many shows such as Dancing at Lughnasa, An Inspector Calls, Seussical, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons On Broadway, and The Temptations and The Four Tops On Broadway. Who do Directors and Producers turn to when they want illusions and animals and helicopters?  Production Managers. That’s why I had Hillary on this week’s podcast, to help explain what she does and how she does it, as well as: The secret to being a great production manager isn’t knowing how to do it all, it’s this . . . Why sets are so expensive, and what we can do about it? How she works with designers to help realize their vision and keep the show in budget. What the best directors do during the preview process to help make it go smoooooooth. Being a woman, in a backstage world dominated by men . . . so much so, that when you need more labor, someone usually says, “We need another man.” Have you ever thought about investing in a Broadway show? Or wondered how it worked? Pick up your copy of Broadway Investing 101: How to Make Theater and Yes, Even Make Money to learn more!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Oremus is a musician who has worked on Broadway theatre productions as musical director and as orchestrator. His credits include arranger and orchestrator for the music for Avenue Q, musical director and arranger for Wicked, arranger and orchestrator for All Shook Up, and musical director for 9 to 5. His orchestrations for The Book of Mormon won him a Tony Award in 2011, for Best Orchestrations. Oremus also won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for Kinky Boots.   Stephen Oremus has had lots of amazing things happen to him in his career in theatre such as working on the Academy Awards, winning two Tonys, and receiving a shout out from Lady Gaga during one of her concerts. Stephen and I chatted about these three career peaks of his, as well as: The job of a Musical Director and what makes a good one. How working with Lady Gaga differs from working with Stephen Schwartz. What makes a “hit” song and how he knows when he’s working on one. His role in the creative process. The frustrating thing about long-running shows on Broadway. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joan Marcus is a theatrical photographer based in Manhattan, New York, United States. She has been active as a theatrical photographer in Washington, D.C. and New York City for most of her career. Starting in 1986, she has been a photographer on Broadway productions, covering over a hundred shows including Wicked, The Lion King, SisterAct, and The Book of Mormon. She is considered to be "one of the preeminent Broadway photographers." In 2014, Joan Marcus was awarded a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre at the New York Broadway Tony Awards.  Someone with the skill of Joan Marcus could take photos for any industry, including those who pay a lot more than we do, but she stuck it out here with us as part of the Broadway family. That’s why I was glad to have her on the ‘cast discussing things like: How she turned her insecurity about ever working again into a multi-entrepreneurial hustle . . . including a blue-jean design company! The keys to a great theater photo and how that photo can be used in advertising and marketing. Her unique perspective into what makes a show work . . . or not . . . Keeping up with technology in the arts. What she would change about how photos are taken and WHEN. Are you looking for a way to better promote yourself in the industry? Sign up for Promote U!, the marketing and productivity conference for theatre-makers where you’ll get practical, hands-on advice from leading experts on a range of topics.    Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Cercone served as Chief Business Officer and Senior Vice President of Professional and International Licensing for Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW). Since 2011, Cercone helped build TRW through the acquisition of marquee Broadway titles, and led the worldwide distribution of The Addams Family, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Color Purple, Curtains, All Shook Up, and Memphis by achieving productions in 69 different countries. Cercone co-wrote the newest adaptation of Saturday Night Fever with collaborator David Abbinanti. He is a member of the Broadway League and previously served as the Producing Artistic Director of The Carousel and Executive Producer of Theatre Building Chicago. Listen in to hear us chat about . . . The biggest pain points of theaters around the world who want to license properties. Should we release our titles to the subsidiary market earlier than we have been? Can I show make a big splash in licensing that never plays NYC at all? The most important characteristics of a popular show in the high school market. How to market a show for licensing.   This week's episode is brought to you by Schmackary’s, New York City's favorite cookie shop! Check them out here: www.schmackarys.com   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Viertel has produced a wide range of plays and musicals on and off Broadway, in London and on tour for over 30 years, including Hairspray, The Producers, A Little Night Music, The Encounter, Young Frankenstein, Little Shop of Horrors, The Weir, The Sound of Music, Smokey Joe’s Café, Driving Miss Daisy, and many others. He is a member of the Board of Governors, Government Relations, and Tony Management Committees of The Broadway League and a Trustee of the Equity-League Pension Funds. With his partners, Richard Frankel, Steve Baruch, and Marc Routh, he owns Feinstein’s/54 Below, Broadway’s Supper Club. He is the Executive Director of the Commercial Theater Institute, which provides a comprehensive curriculum in producing for Broadway.  We talked about how producing has changed over the years as well as: What’s wrong with Off Broadway today? And can it be fixed? How to learn from the shows that don’t work. The most important skill a Broadway Producer must have. The advantages of taking small investors and how he built his database. What real estate and Broadway producing have in common. This week's episode is brought to you by Broadway Roulette, the fun and easy way to see a Broadway show. You pick the day and eliminate up to 6 shows you've already seen or don't want to see. Then they send you to a surprise show that fits your criteria. Check it out at: www.broadwayroulette.com. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maury Yeston is a composer, lyricist, educator, and musicologist. He is known for initiating new Broadway musicals, and writing their music and lyrics, among them Nine in 1982, and Titanic in 1997, both of which won him Tony Awards for best musical and best score and each brought him nominations for a Grammy. He also won two Drama Desk Awards for Nine, and was nominated for both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for two of his new songs in the film version of Nine. He also wrote a significant amount of the music and most of the lyrics to the Tony-nominated musical Grand Hotel in 1989, which was Tony-nominated for best show, best score and another two Drama Desk Awards for music and lyrics and ran more than a thousand performances.  We talked about his struggle to “make it” along with . . . Why he wrote Nine before he even had the rights to the film on which it was based. How critics have changed, and how he believes they should write their reviews (this one is not only for the critics out there, but for anyone who has asked for advice on a show, or tweets, etc.) The most important thing he learned in his decades with the Lehman Engel BMI Workshop, both as a student and as head of the program. How bad reviews for an out of town tryout can actually be a blessing in disguise. What he thinks is the biggest mistake writers make today. This week’s episode is brought to you by The New York Beer Company,  a popular Hell's Kitchen spot near Times Square featuring craft beer, cocktails, brunch, late-night & live music. Visit them at: www.nybeercompany.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Scott Oliver is a musical theatre composer and lyricist. He is a 2011 Lucille Lortel Award Nominee and the recipient of both the 2009 Jonathan Larson Grant and the 2008 Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater.He is also creator of the blog Crazytown. Oliver's work has been heard at the Writers Guild Awards, Off-Broadway in TheatreWorksUSA's We the People, and countless showcases. Along with actress Lindsay Mendez, he founded and currently runs Actor Therapy: a five-week training experience for young actors in NYC. Ryan has built an amazing career of super cool projects from Darling to 35mm to Jasper In Deadland, all of which are performed all over the world.  Recently, he passed over 1 million streams on Spotify. And he hasn’t yet made his Broadway debut. It’s coming, but how has he done what he has done in the meantime? We found out on this podcast.  We also discussed: Why he decided to go into musical theatre rather than join some of his peers in pop music. How he found a balance between making money and pursuing the projects he’s really passionate about . . . and how you can too. His pros and cons of grad school. Why he founded the super successful Actor Training Program Actor Therapy with Broadway Star Lindsay Mendez. The reasons why feedback from fellow writers is so important. This week's episode is brought to you by Yum Yum Too, a Thai restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, committed to friendly service and a hip atmosphere. It is the perfect location for a quick lunch, after work drink, or pre-theatre dinner. Visit them at: www.yumtoo.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alfred Uhry is a playwright and screenwriter. He has received an Academy Award, two Tony Awards and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for dramatic writing for Driving Miss Daisy. Other works include Here's Where I Belong, The Robber Bridegroom, America's Sweetheart, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Parade, Edgardo Mine, LoveMusik, Apples & Oranges, and Angel Reapers. He is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers.   There’s a bunch of mind-blowing moments in this podcast, including: How he kept writing after a couple of big ol’ Broadway disasters that would have sent most people to law school. Where he got the inspiration for Driving Miss Daisy, and the magic words he heard from his agent when she read it. Musicals and plays . . . and the different skills needed for both. His process of sitting down and writing, and how that has changed since he began. Writing what you know . . . the pros and the cons. This podcast is brought to you by Reproductions! They have been the leading headshot printer, nationwide, for 30 years. But that’s not all they do: Reproductions has a team dedicated to video services for demo reel editing, scene production when you need new footage, and musical theater filming as well for high-quality vocal performances with a professional accompianist. Their biggest difference is their turnaround time: videos are delivered within five days of shooting, and headshots as fast as the next day. So go ahead, place an order online at reproductions.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Chase is a Musical Director, Music Supervisor, and Dance Arranger for many broadway shows such as Evita, Anything Goes, Elf, Promises, The Little Mermaid, Cry-baby, Curtains, The Wedding Singer, The Pajama Game, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kiss Me, Kate, Billy Elliot, Flower Drum Song, The Music Man, and many more. He also made music arrangements for the Boston Pops, The Kennedy Center Honors, and Radio City.  Listen to hear David talk about . . . Why Composers don’t have to read or write music to compose a show. What does a Dance Arranger actually do anyway? How the modern musical has changed over the years and where he thinks it’s headed. How he made a name for himself in a niche that no one knew much about. One of the most common things that derails a show. This week's episode is brought to you by The Other Palace, a theatre in London's Off West End. Visit them at: lwtheatres.co.uk/theatres/the-other-palace. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sierra Boggess is a theater actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid on Broadway and for her multiple appearances as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. She also originated the role of Rebecca Steinberg in the 2015 Broadway production of It Shoulda Been You, and performed the role of school principal Rosalie Mullins in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical adaptation of School of Rock. Other roles include Love Never Dies (Christine Daaé); Master Class (Sharon Graham); Les Misérables (Fantine); and Love, Loss and What I Wore (Various Characters). If you haven’t seen Sierra perform, then, well, you’ve missed out on seeing someone do exactly what they are supposed to be doing with their life. Her way with a song, a lyric, or just an introduction is as entertaining, uplifting or as heartbreaking as she wants . . . and she makes it all seem so easy. It’s no wonder why Disney tapped her for The Little Mermaid. Hear Sierra talk about all that, as well as … The big risk she took to get the role of Ariel and what put her over the edge in the room. How she stays positive when the business disappoints her, through no fault of her own. Her style of working with writers on new musicals and how that has changed over the years. (And she’s currently in Atlanta on a pre-Broadway tryout of Ever After!) Why she created “Light Lessons” for artists and everyone. (Click here to check them out. I’ve got a set on my desk.) Marketing for Performers: What’s important, necessary . . . and what isn’t. This week’s podcast is sponsored by the Heartland Brewery which opened in New York in 1995, and back then, our city was not the hotbed of brewpubs, beer bars, and beer drinking it is today. Since then, Heartland Brewery has grown into the largest group of brewpubs in the region. They’ve got locations here, in Times Square, in Midtown West, and the Empire State Building.. Visit the Heartland Brewery at heartlandbrewery.com. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paula Wagner is a film producer and film executive who was, for a time, frequently described as "the most powerful woman in Hollywood". She has produced movies such as Mission: Impossible, The Others, The Last Samurai, Shattered Glass, Narc, Elizabethtown, and Ask the Dust, as well as Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. Wagner was a talent agent at Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles, spending 15 years representing some of the top Hollywood actors. She develops films, theatre, and television through her production company Chestnut Ridge Productions. Her Broadway producing credits include Pretty Woman: The Musical, and The Heiress. Paula Wagner has worn a lot of hats in the business on her way up the ladder, from Broadway actress to Powerhouse Agent to running a movie studio to producing movies. Could there be a better person to talk to about movies to musicals and vice-versa? Paula and I talked about that, of course, as well as . . . The skills she learned as an agent that help her be a better Producer. What Hollywood does well that we could learn from and what Hollywood can learn from us! Eye-poppin’ idea that could save the movie industry (and it’s so simple). Why Pretty Woman was made to be a musical and why it’s doing what she thought it would (gross over $1mm a week!). Coming up in the entertainment industry as a female Producer and how that has changed.  Or not.   Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Grossman is an agent at Abrams Artists Agency, where he represents writers, composers, directors, and designers for theatre, opera, and television. He began his career in representation at ICM, and prior to moving to Abrams, was the Creative Executive at Scott Rudin Productions in charge of theatrical development. Prior to that, he worked closely with the head of new media and marketing at SCP Worldwide, Dave Checketts' sports and entertainment company. We haven’t had many agents on this podcast (just this one so far – who happens to represent me!), partly because some of the agents I asked couldn’t get permission from their higher-ups (which says a lot, don’t you think?). But when I asked Max, he was happy to sit down and talk about what an agent does as well as . . . How he finds new writers. That awkward but important moment when he has to tell a client he doesn’t love something the client wrote. The art of negotiating as an agent. Why some theater writers succeed in transitioning to film & TV and others don’t… and a tip or two for you if this is something YOU want to do. What he’d tell all Broadway Producers if he had them in a room at once. Once on This Island, Winner of the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, is the sweeping, universal tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Check it out here: onceonthisisland.com Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel Chavkin is a stage director, best known for directing the musicals Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and Hadestown. She has directed and created many works for The TEAM, including award-winning and internationally touring plays, such as Roosevelvis, Mission Drift and Architecting. She has also directed shows such as Three Pianos, The Royale, and Lempicka. Rachel and I talked about being an in-demand director as well as . . . How performing 10-minute pieces helped her find her directorial voice. The difference between teching a show on Broadway and teching a show anywhere else. Why she’s ok with a messy rehearsal process and how it helps. Why she doesn’t like to give advice. Her reaction to the immersive movement and her part in it.   This episode of The Producer’s Perspective Podcast is sponsored by Daniel Rader Photo. Daniel Rader is available for production photos, events, and headshots.” Check him out/Reach out to him – www.danielraderphoto.com / @danielraderphoto on Instagram.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Longbottom is a director, choreographer and director, primarily for theatre and opera. He made his Broadway debut as a director and choreographer with the original Broadway production of the Tony Award-nominated musical, Side Show in 1997. Other Broadway works include the reconceived revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the 2009 revival of Bye Bye Birdie. He conceived, directed and choreographed the musical, Pageant in 1991 Off-Broadway. Other works include: Disney’s On The Record, Carnival!, The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, Show Boat in concert at Carnegie Hall, Mister Roberts, and Hay Fever. He was the director and choreographer for the tour of Dreamgirls, which premiered at the Apollo Theater in 2009, prior to a US national tour. We talked about the importance of entrepreneurship in this business as well as . . . How to make a transition from one career to another inside the Broadway biz (which isn’t always the most supportive of that kind of change). The origins of Side Show. How he convinced people to give him a shot . . . when they really shouldn’t have (according to him) The process of choreographing a great big, fat, opening number – what do you do first? Why things take so long to develop in 2018 and what we can do about it? The Book of Merman is a diva-driven journey featuring original songs and show-stopping ballads. Check it out at: broadway.com/shows/book-merman Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Viertel is the senior vice president of Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns and operates five Broadway theaters. He has been involved in dozens of productions presented by Jujamcyn since 1987. He has also helped shepherd six of August Wilson’s plays to Broadway. He is the artistic director of New York City Center’s acclaimed Encores! series. He conceived the long-running Smokey Joe’s Cafe, as well as the 2018 hit Prom, and has been a creative consultant on many shows, including Hairspray, A Christmas Story, and Dear Evan Hansen.  We talked about the terrific reviews for Prom, and his thoughts on original musicals, as well as . . . How working as a critic made him a better Producer. What every single musical absolutely needs in order to work . . . and his example of a show that gets away without it. The role of the theater owner – how it has changed over the years. What former NEA Chair and Jujamcyn Theater President Rocco Landesman said to him after a flop that he still takes with him to this day. What made him want to give it all up years ago . . . and how he got through that. After you listen in, make sure you pick up his book, The Secret Life of the American Musical (a great holiday gift) to read more. This week's episode is brought to you by Copacabana Coffee, a well-known online, high quality coffee store. Check them out at: copacabanacoffee.com Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen Blodgette is a musical director, musical supervisor, and conductor, known for her many works with Andrew Lloyd Webber since conducting the National Tour of Cats in 1985. Other works include The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Woman in White, Mary Poppins, LoveMusik, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Evita. Kristen is the first MD we’ve had on the podcast, so I took this opportunity to learn more about the gig and her rise to the top, including . . . Her definition of what a Musical Director does. How she cold-called the Conductor of A Chorus Line at the theater, during the show, to try to get a meeting (and how it’s a shame that courage comes so easily when we’re young). The craft of turning non-singers into singers. What she thinks about the shrinking Broadway orchestras, including how Phantom has changed since it began. Why she doesn’t write . . . and how that lack-of-desire has made her an even better MD. Popcorn Falls is a comedy about the small town of Popcorn Falls that shows their struggle to escape bankruptcy by securing a large grant that can only be used if the town produces a play in a week. Led by the Mayor and the local handyman, the enterprising townsfolk try to rise to the challenge and prove that art can save the world. Check it out at: popcornfalls.com Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kirsten Childs is an American playwright, librettist, and former actress. She began her theatrical career in the late 1970s as a Broadway performer in Chicago. She went on to appear in productions of Dancin', Jerry's Girls, and Sweet Charity. She later turned to writing her own theatrical productions, beginning with the semi-autobiographical work The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, an off-Broadway musical which received an Obie Award. Her other musicals include Miracle Brothers, Funked Up Fairy Tales, and Bella: An American Tall Tale, a winner of the Weston Playhouse New Musical Award. When you listen to this episode you’ll hear how she went from zero to sixty in about 3.8 seconds with her playwriting career, all because of her determination, lack of fear, and that positive attitude of hers. We also talked about: How she transitioned from a career as an actress to that of a writer. Getting nervous while watching her own work in front of an audience. How are we doing with diversity in the theater . . . and what can we do to improve it, on the stage and off? The most common misstep she sees young writers make. Where she gets her ideas, and why (a lesson for all of us). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Greif is a American stage director. He has won three Obie Awards and received four Tony Award nominations, for Rent, Grey Gardens, Next to Normal, and Dear Evan Hansen. He was an Artistic Associate at the New York Theatre Workshop where he directed, among others, the original production of Rent, for which he received the Obie Award for direction of a musical and later directed on Broadway. Greif has directed six original Broadway musicals and been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical four times. In addition to Rent, his Broadway credits include If/Then, Next to Normal, Grey Gardens, Dear Evan Hansen, and War Paint. Other credits include Our Lady of Kibeho, Landscape of the Body, Beauty of the Father, and Mrs. Sharp. Michael found a way to buck the Broadway trend and deliver smash after smash.  Listen to how he does it, as well as . . . How he started his career by self-producing his own show. What made him decide he wasn’t ready for New York, and why he went to graduate school instead. What changed about Dear Evan Hansen since the first reading, and why (spoiler alert: there was an ensemble) Why a “small” musical can be more powerful than a “big” one. They can’t all be Rent.  What he does when a show doesn’t live up to what he initially hoped.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daniel Goldfarb is a producer and playwright. He made his Broadway debut with Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and his off-Broadway credits include the plays Cradle and All; Sarah, Sarah; The Retributionists; Modern Orthodox; Adam Baum and the Jew Movie; and most recently the musical Piece of my Heart. On television, Daniel is currently a writer/producer on the upcoming season two of Amazon’s Emmy and Golden Globe winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and has pilots in development with Lionsgate and Zadan/Meron productions.  Previous TV includes Tyrant, Rogue, Four in the Morning, and The Electric Company.  I met Daniel Goldfarb back in 1997 when I company managed a workshop of Parade. Daniel was Alfred Uhry’s (who wrote the book) assistant, and I remember people saying . . . “That kid that is booking Alfred’s travel and getting his lunch? He’s going to be a major playwright someday.” We had a great time together on this podcast, reminiscing about our days on Parade and also talking about . . . NYU or Julliard . . . which program did he like better?  🙂 Why he writes at coffee shops. How he was discovered and how he dealt with the first show not getting all the way to Broadway. Critics . . . why they are important, and what he wishes for theatrical criticism in the future. How he markets himself, and why it’s challenging.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael John LaChiusa is a musical theatre and opera composer, lyricist, and librettist. He is best known for musically esoteric shows such as Hello Again, Marie Christine, The Wild Party, and See What I Wanna See. He was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2000 for his score and book for both Marie Christine and The Wild Party and received another nomination in 1996 for his work on the libretto for Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Not only did I learn a bunch during this podcast, but I had a blast talking to Michael John about how he became one of the most talked about musical theater artists of his generation, as well as . . . When people say something can’t be made into a musical, that’s when he gets really interested. A type of musical you’d be surprised that he’d want to write. What he tells his students at NYU most often about writing musicals. How he started his career by cold-calling industry heavyweights and dropping by theaters (everything people tell you not to do). How he feels about being a Tony Nominator This week's episode is brought to you by AJV Media. They're professional, easy to work with, and local to NY! If you're looking for a videographer and want more information, visit their website www.AJVMedia.com.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Maltby Jr. is a theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He conceived and directed the only two musical revues to win the Tony Award for Best Musical: Ain't Misbehavin'  and Fosse. Other Broadway works include Baby (Director/Lyricist), Blood Knot (Producer), Song and Dance (Director/Co-lyricist), Miss Saigon (Lyricist), Nick & Nora (Lyricist), Ring of Fire (Creator/Director), The Pirate Queen (Writer/Lyricist). Off-Broadway works include Closer Than Ever, and The Story of My Life. He also wrote the screenplay for the film Miss Potter (2007) starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. We talk about all the huge hats he has worn over the years, as well as . . . Now what? (What to do when your first show out is a big fat success) Why the collaboration process on Miss Saigon was one of the favorites of his career. How the revue has morphed into the jukebox musical, and what he thinks of the current lot. An old idea for new writers to get attention that still works today. What he thinks of the new “style” of musical theater. This week’s episode is brought to you by theaterextras.com, seat-filling audience development organization that arranges COMPLIMENTARY tickets for its members when a performance or event is in previews, under publicized, expecting the attendance of reviewers or celebrities, or would like the benefits of a full house.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph Iconis is a composer, lyricist, and playwright. He is best known for writing the music and lyrics to the Broadway musical Be More Chill. He has won awards such as the 2006 Jonathan Larson Award and the 2007 Ed Kleban Award. Other works include The Black Suits; The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks; ReWrite, a mini-musical triple feature; Things To Ruin; and Bloodsong of Love: The Rock'N'Roll Spaghetti Western. Listen in to hear us chat about . . . Just how that Be More Chill album went viral (and what you can do to make yours do the same . . . you may not like the answer). Why he works with the same “crew” of performers on so many of his shows. What doing “concerts” had to do with his success. How he dealt with the disappointment of his first show not going all the way when he thought it might. The fear of disappointing fans when your show is a social media success. This week’s episode is brought to you by The Broadway Crew, a staffing and promotional agency for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and New York City theatre. Check them out at: broadwaycrew.com. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Auburn is a playwright, screenwriter, and theatre director. He is best known for his 2000 play Proof, which won the 2001 Tony Award for Best Play and Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and was later adapted into a film in 2005. Other films he has worked on include The Lake House, and his directorial debut with The Girl in the Park. He wrote several short plays, collectively grouped as Fifth Planet and Other Plays. His first full-length play, Skyscraper, ran Off Broadway in 1997. He has worked on other plays such as The Columnist, Lost Lake, Sick, and Side Effects. He has been awarded the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. David and I chatted about the origins of Proof and how he solved it as well as . . . How he “warmed up” to writing plays by writing sketches and one-acts first (and a business reason why this is a great place for emerging playwrights to start) The most important reason why he thinks Proof was so successful and why it’s done everywhere. Why he enjoys directing other people’s work, but doesn’t want to do his own. The difference between writing screenplays and stage plays. Where he gets his ideas . . . and what he does first when he gets one. This week's episode is brought to you by ProductionPro, an entertainment technology company focused on improving creative collaboration in Film, TV, and Theatre production. Check them out here: production.pro. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Weidman is a librettist and television writer for Sesame Street, for which he and the writing team have won more than a dozen Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing For A Children's Series. He collaborated on three stage musicals with Stephen Sondheim: Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show. He has worked with choreographer/director Susan Stroman three times: Big: The Musical, Contact, and Happiness. From 1999 to 2009 he was president of the Dramatists Guild of America. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Book for a Musical three times. John and I talked about the creation of his first play, Pacific Overtures, as well as . . . How law school helped him become a better playwright. Can all ideas be made into musicals? Collaborating with Sondheim . . . and how to stand up for yourself when you’re working with a legend (before he became one himself!) The most common problem he sees in modern musicals. How to do deal with the ones that don’t work out the way you want them to. One of the biggest tips I give to writers out there trying to get their shows produced is to submit their plays to festivals and contests and all sorts of different theatres all over the country. Get your play out into the world to as many places as possible: you never know who’s gonna read it. One of the great tools that can help you do this is a website called playsubmissionshelper.com. It gives you a list of all the different places that you can submit your play, deadlines, information on how to submit, etc. It’s the one place on the web that has this information listed in one area. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rebecca Taichman is a theatre director. In 2017 she received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Indecent. She is an affiliated artist at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in D.C, where she has directed Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night (2008), The Winter's Tale and Cymbeline (2011). She has directed several Shakespeare plays at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. Other plays she has directed include Dead Man's Cell Phone, The Scene, Milk Like Sugar, The Oldest Boy, Familiar, and How to Transcend a Happy Marriage. Through years of determination, steadfastness, ego-checking, and intense collaboration, she took her wisp of an idea . . . and forged it into a Broadway play called Indecent. And then the universe thanked her with a Tony. Tune in to hear what kept her going through those years, as well as: How being objective about her performing and writing is one of the reasons she’s a success. What question she asks herself about a play before she signs on to direct it. Straddling the line between wanting to direct great plays while trying to make a living. What it’s like on her first day of rehearsal. The difference between being a woman director yesterday . . . and today.  Has it changed? Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Lindsay-Abaire is a playwright, lyricist and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations. His first theatrical success came from Fuddy Meers, which was workshopped as part of the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in 1998 and eventually premiered Off-Broadway in 1999. He also wrote Kimberly Akimbo, Snow Angel, A Devil Inside, and Wonder of the World. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Shrek the Musical and received a 2009 Tony Award nomination for Book of a Musical.He has written the screenplays for Robots, Inkheart, Poltergeist, the film adaptation of his play Rabbit Hole, Rise of the Guardians, and Oz the Great and Powerful. David told me the story of how he went from a guy in high school whose friends made him write a play, to a playwrighting student at Juilliard, to the author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and more on this week’s podcast. We also chatted about: How his first play was a rip-off . . . and why. What he looks for when he reads plays from prospective Juilliard students, and how he usually knows in 3 minutes whether a writer has got “it” or not. Why early readers of his work didn’t respond to Rabbit Hole and why. How he uses “office hours” to meet his many deadlines. His writing group that has existed for over a decade, and how it has helped him succeed.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nelle Nugent is an independent Broadway producer. She has overseen productions such as Amadeus, Morning's at Seven, The Elephant Man, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and Dracula; awards she has won includes Tonys for all five listed shows. She and producer John Schwally started the east coast chapter of the Producers Guild of America in 2001. Nelle Nugent has produced more than 60 Broadway, touring, Off-Broadway and West End productions including: Home, The Dresser, All's Well that Ends Well, Time Stands Still,  Sly Fox (revival), The Trip to Bountiful American Buffalo (revival), and Latin History for Morons.   I was lucky enough to get to sit down with Nelle to talk to her about some of her biggest hits and how Broadway has changed since her days as a PA, as well as . . . What can make a great play fail. How raising money for Broadway has changed over the last fifty years. What she did to overcome the resistance she got for being a female Producer. The chance encounter that led her to produce Dracula and WHY it became a hit (Hint: it didn’t have anything to do with what was on the page.). When reviews matter and when they do NOT. What we often forget is that Broadway is not that old of an industry, and people like Nelle helped lay the foundation for the work we’re all doing now.  We not only owe Producers like her a debt of gratitude, but if we listen closely to how they got where they are today, we might just learn how to get to where we want to be tomorrow.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa Kron is an actress and playwright. She is best known for writing the lyrics and book to the musical Fun Home for which she won both the Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical. Fun Home was also awarded the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2015 and the 2014 Obie Award for writing for musical theater. Alison Bechdel's acclaimed graphic novel/memoir Fun Home serves as the basis for the musical. Her major works also include 2.5 Minute Ride, Well, and In the Wake. Performances include roles in her own shows such as Fun Home, and 2.5 Minute Ride, and other shows such as All My Hopes and Dreams, and Brides of the Moon. Lisa and I talked about her entrepreneurial and unexpected journey in the theater including . . . Her #1 rule to success:  if a door opened, and she was scared, she forced herself to step through it. (Words to live by.) Why her early writing horrified her.  And how she got better. How performing stand-up helped hone her stage writing. Being mistaken for a seat-filler at the Tony Awards . . . the year she was nominated! Who young writers should be trying to connect to in order to have a successful career (hint: it’s NOT who you think). Why trying to increase diversity in terms of gender and race is like looking for your keys. (This is such a brilliant analogy – only a Tony Award-winning writer could come up with it, so make sure you listen.) Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Warren Leight is an American playwright, screenwriter, film director and television producer. He is best known for his work on Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Lights Out and as the showrunner for In Treatment and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His play Side Man was a finalist for the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Warren is one of the few playwrights that can go so easily from stage to screen . . . and that’s all about how he started writing in the first place.  See he started because he wanted to be a sports writer, and then . . . wait . . . I’m giving it away. Just listen to the podcast and hear Warren talk about: How a lie about loving horror movies led to him writing one . . . and why you might want to fib a little too. Why he binge writes. The importance of joining a Writer’s Group and how it helped him. Why the deadlines of TV help make him a better writer . . . and how you can use deadlines to accomplish your goals, whether you have a TV network demanding a script or not. How he wrote Side Man without realizing he was writing it . . . and what it was like after he won The Tony (and it’s not what you think).   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Korie is a librettist and lyricist whose writing for musical theater and opera includes the musicals Grey Gardens and Far From Heaven, and the operas Harvey Milk and The Grapes of Wrath. His works have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and internationally. His lyrics have been nominated for the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award, and won the Outer Critics Circle Award. In 2016, Korie was awarded the Marc Blitzstein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Michael Korie, the lyricist of Grey Gardens, War Paint, and more, talked about the similarities between writing for the theatre and for the papers, as well as . . . Why he does so much research for his shows and why you should too. The biggest mistake beginning songwriters make . . . and it’s an easy one to fix. Why he never speaks his lyrics out loud when working with a composer on a song. Rhyme . . . and the purpose of it, and how to use it for the greatest impact. A secret method to making sure a song that you love stays in your show. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Danny Burstein is an actor of stage and screen, who made his Broadway debut in 1992. He is a six-time Tony Award nominee; for The Drowsy Chaperone, South Pacific, Follies, Golden Boy, Cabaret, and Fiddler on the Roof. He has also won two Drama Desk Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, and received three Grammy Award nominations. His other Broadway credits include The Seagull, Saint Joan, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. His television work includes Absolutely Fabulous, Louie, Law & Order, and Boardwalk Empire. His film appearances include Transamerica, Deception, The Family Fang, and Indignation.   During our chat, Danny gave me some insight into his process and where Actors fit into the development of shows as well as . . . The difficult decision of turning down big-time Broadway chorus roles, because he never wanted to be in the chorus, even though he needed the $. Why he reads scripts 50-100 times before rehearsals begin. When Writers and Directors should listen to Actors and why. How to get Danny to do your show. Why he thinks of himself like a Plumber. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles LaPointe is a theatrical hair and wig designer with work in more than 50 Broadway shows including Holiday Inn, On Your Feet!, Hamilton, The Color Purple, Of Mice and Men, Violet, Side Show, The Elephant Man, After Midnight, Beautiful, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, Motown, Jekyll & Hyde, Clybourne Park, Bring It On, Newsies, Memphis, Lombardi, Fences, In the Heights, Jersey Boys, and A Raisin in the Sun. Charles gave me a master class in Hair Design in this podcast, and since I have a feeling this is an area you may not know the most about either, I encourage you to listen in as we chat about: How he learned by doing, not by studying, and why this is important no matter WHAT you want to do in life, from making wigs to making musicals. Where do they get all the hair for these wigs anyway? (I call this the “Cosette Question” – or “Do people really sell their hair on the streets?”) The process of designing a wig and how long it takes (not to mention why it is so expensive). Why do we need wigs on Broadway anyway when so many actors have fantastic hair? How a wig helps an actor find a character and how the hair plays into the storytelling of a show. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sergio Trujillo is a dancer and stage choreographer. He was the recipient of the 2015 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Memphis and the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography for Ain't Too Proud. He made his Broadway debut as a performer in Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989 and also appeared in Guys and Dolls, Victor/Victoria, and Fosse. He made his choreographic debut with All Shook Up in 2005. He also choreographed the Broadway productions of The Addams Family, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Leap of Faith, and Guys and Dolls. Other stage credits include Invisible Thread, Bare: A Pop Opera, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.    We spent some time talking about his path from a poor kid from Colombia to the Tony Nominated choreographer of Jersey Boys and others, as well as . . . How he got the courage to audition for a dance show, having never taken a dance class in his life. Why instead of staying in NYC, he moved back to Toronto to start his choreography career. The part of the process he loves the most (and why he’s a nervous wreck before he gets to this part in a show’s development). His message to the politicians in NYC. What he looks for in a show before he sets a step.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Walter Bobbie is a theatre director, choreographer, and occasional actor and dancer. Bobbie has directed both musicals and plays on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and was the Artistic Director of the New York City Center Encores! concert series. He directed the long-running revival of the musical Chicago, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. As a performer, he was in Grease, the revival of Going Up, and the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls. He also directed the Broadway productions of Footloose, Twentieth Century, a Sweet Charity revival, and High Fidelity. He co-wrote and directed a new musical, The Road to Hollywood. Bobbie was the artistic director of the New York City Center Encores! concert series in 1995 and 1996.   Walter and I talked about Chicago and why it became such a monster success, along with . . . How he knew he wasn’t long for life as an actor (warning: this story involves beer). The “Brunch Show” on the Upper West Side that started his career . . . and the person who hired him for the gig. (Spoiler Alert:  that person was himself.) The training he got by NOT going through traditional training. How he exercised his Producing muscles to build Encores! at City Center. The importance of a “safe room” for his actors on any play. Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sheryl Kaller is a theatrical director. She has Broadway credits that include Mothers and Sons and Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Director. She has directed at many theatres including Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The New Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, American Conservatory Theater, New York Stage and Film, Geffen Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Naked Angels. She told me her story and gave me her perspective on all things including: What Bob Fosse “fought for” in his direction, and how that inspired her. How she never felt like a female Director while she was in school . . . but only when she got into the business, and how that has changed (or not) since then. The day she got scolded by an Actor for being too prepared.  And how that has affected her style since. How she got back into the business after deciding to take time off to raise her family (and how that made her a better and more successful Director). The process of pitching herself for a job . . . what she says to playwrights and Producers in order to earn their trust. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Lomma is a literary agent with William Morris Endeavor and former child actor. He represents authors, directors, lyricists, writers, and choreographers such as Terrence McNally, Arthur Laurents, and Edward Albee. We talked about what it was like working with such major writers like the triple-play above, as well as: What made him go to law school even though he was a child actor. Jonathan’s theory of how musicals changed after 2001. How an emerging writer gets on his radar. His favorite quote about working closely with people on the “other side” of the table. And more.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pam MacKinnon is a theatre director. She has directed for the stage Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. She won the Obie Award for Directing and received a Tony Award nomination, Best Director, for her work on Clybourne Park. In 2013 she received the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She directed multiple shows for Edward Albee including Peter and Jerry, Occupant, A Delicate Balance, and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Other shows she has directed include Amélie, and The Parisian Woman.  Here’s a statistical truth bomb for you: women direct only about 17% of the shows on Broadway. How do I know that?  Pam MacKinnon has been keeping track. Pam is already one of the few female A-list directors that make up that unbalanced percentage, having directed as many shows on Broadway as any woman out there (only Stroman has her beat).  But that doesn’t mean she’s not determined to help others get to where she is today. During our podcast, we talked about what we can all do to even the playing stage, as well as . . . How she went from pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science to a career in directing. Why a Director often has to act like a Producer (hear the story of how she had to negotiate Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf into existence). Why Broadway shows not slated for Broadway that end up there have an advantage. How she developed her own style, which is different than everyone else’s and why yours should be different too. Her method for approaching classic material and making it her own.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Zuber is a costume designer for the Broadway theater and opera, among other venues. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and has been referred to as "one of theater's most sought-after costume designers on both coasts." Her Broadway credits include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Tony nomination), Born Yesterday (Tony nomination), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Cry-Baby, Dracula, Frozen, Twelfth Night (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Ivanov, Triumph of Love (Drama Desk nomination), The Sound of Music and The Red Shoes among others. She has designed costumes for some 57 Off-Broadway plays and musicals including The Cherry Orchard (2009), The Winter's Tale (2009), As You Like It (2010), The Tempest (2010) and Richard III (2012). During our Saturday morning chat, Catherine and I did NOT talk about threading needles, but we did talk about: How she was terrible at sewing when she started . . . and that did NOT impact her ability to design. Why her favorite costumes aren’t the most beautiful. Technology’s impact on costume design . . . for better, but also for worse! Why costumes for the theater are so much different than costumes for film. How 21st-century playwrights are changing how designers must create clothes. Listen in to Ms. Zuber school me on costume design, and I promise, no matter where costume design ranks on your list of “Theater Things You Know,” it’ll go up after this thirty-five minute Tony winner’s master class. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerry Zaks is a stage and television director, and actor. He won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Drama Desk Award for directing The House of Blue Leaves, Lend Me a Tenor, and Six Degrees of Separation and the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Guys and Dolls. He made his Broadway acting debut in the original production of Grease and made his directing debut with the off-Broadway production of Beyond Therapy. He has also directed many other productions such as Girl Crazy, Stairway to Paradise, 101 Dalmatians Musical, and the Broadway production of Sister Act. His screen credits include Outrageous Fortune, and Husbands and Wives. He received the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater in 1994. He’s the go-to guy if you’ve got a musical that’s supposed to make people laugh. And we talked about what it takes to make people slap their knees, as well as . . . How he agreed to direct a show even though he didn’t know what directing really was. The best advice he ever got, which made him change his attitude overnight. Why his rehearsal rooms are CLOSED to everyone but the actors. How (and why) Guys and Dolls wasn’t working and what he and his choreographer did to fix it. What a show has to do within its first ten minutes, or it’s sunk. Once on This Island, Winner of the 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, is the sweeping, universal tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Check it out here: onceonthisisland.com 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

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

Mike Rafael is a ticket analyst and owner of NEXUS, a ticketing solutions company that helps “Broadway sell the right ticket to the right person at the right time”. He works with Broadway and theatrical productions on ticket inventory management, pricing strategies, developing new sales channels and marketing/promotions. His clients include Wicked, War Paint, Gettin’ the Band Back Together. Listen in to today’s podcast for Mike’s expert advice on how to price your shows as well as: Why he learned what he knows from working Off-Broadway. How the price of your ticket tells a story about your show. The very first thing he does when he takes on a client. What he thinks about papering during previews. His idea of how we should work with the secondary market.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kwame Kwei-Armah is a British actor, playwright, director, singer and broadcaster. In 2005 he became the second black Briton to have a play staged in the West End of London. Kwei-Armah's award-winning piece Elmina's Kitchen transferred to the Garrick Theatre in 2005. He became the chancellor of the University of the Arts in London on 7 March 2011. He has been the Artistic Director of the Baltimore Center Stage Theatre since 2011. His other works include voicing Mtambo in The Lorax, Fix Up, Blues Brother Soul Sister, Statement of Regret, Let There Be Love, Seize the Day, Beneatha's Place, and One Love: The Bob Marley Musical. Listen in to hear Kwame chat about his experience in Baltimore, his upcoming gig, as well as . . . Why a lack of jobs for him and his actor friends made him pick up a pen and write, even though he had never written a play before. How a mentor helped give him his start . . . and why we ALL need a mentor! Why he doubled down on studying and mastering writing AFTER he had a hit . . . (Most people would sit back and surf on their early success, but not Kwame.) How a political point influences all his writing . . . and then why he hides it. What the @#$% can we ALL do about diversity. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trip Cullman is a theatrical director who graduated from the Yale School of Drama. His Broadway credits include Six Degrees of Separation, and Significant Other. Other credits include Swimming in the Shallows, Bachelorette, Some Men, Bad Jazz, Arabian Night, Smashing, Dog Sees God, Dark Matters, The Last Sunday in June, and The Wooden Breeks. Regional credits include the World Premiere of Lloyd Suh's American Hwangap, the World Premiere of Richard Greenberg's The Injured Party at South Coast Rep, Keith Huff's A Steady Rain, and Lauren Weedman's Rash. Trip and I talked about how he got to the major leagues as well as  . . . Why the first thing he does when he takes a job is make a mixtape! The super-secret, age-old blocking technique that you’ve got to try. What shocked him about directing on Broadway. Who he likes working with the most when he develops a new work (it’s not who you think). Why he reads reviews but doesn’t read chat boards.   The Tony Award-winning director of Urinetown returns to Broadway with Gettin’ The Band Back Together, a musical about a recently fired 40 year old man who wants to make it big with his band. Check it out here: gettinthebandbacktogether.com Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carl Pasbjerg is a director and manager. He is also the head of Alchemy Production Group along with senior General Managers, Marshall Purdy and Abbie Strassler, and Associate General Manager, Lauren Tucker. He has worked as a manager or producer on many shows, including Jekyll & Hyde, Guys and Dolls, Memphis, First Date, Doctor Zhivago, In Transit, and Come From Away  You’ll get an inside peek at his Broadway playbook in this podcast when the GM (and Producer of Come From Away) talks about: The difference between managing Broadway shows today versus twenty years ago (and it goes beyond just not having to use a “map”). Accountability . . . why he prides himself on it, and why it’s necessary. The first thing he does when he builds a budget (and you should too). When there’s a big storm brewing, what he has to do. The “new” out-of-town tryouts . . . how to get the most out of them.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kyle Jarrow is a writer and rock musician. His writing career began in theater, winning an Obie Award in 2004 for A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, a satirical musical about L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. His theatrical writing has been noted for its macabre humor and frequent incorporation of pop music. His first feature film was 2010 Sundance Film Festival NEXT selection Armless. He is the creator and executive producer of the military drama TV series Valor. Kyle wrote the book for SpongeBob SquarePants, The Broadway Musical for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Association Award. He is also a singer, songwriter, and keyboardist for the theatrical rock band Sky-Pony, a collaboration with his wife Lauren Worsham. It’s one thing to write for different mediums, it’s another to achieve success in each one of those mediums. I wanted to find out what his secret sauce was. Listen to hear him share the ingredients to that sauce as well as: How he got the job for SpongeBob (a process different than most musicals). What a bookwriter’s job really is, and how that changes with different collaborators. Why he wrote A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, and how that got him into some trouble. How an idea informs what medium you should write it for. Just how the heck he keeps all these projects straight . . . and makes them successful! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pat Cook is a musical theatre composer, actor, and author, as well as the Director of Musical Theatre and Jazz for Broadcast Music, Inc. He worked for many years in his early career as an actor, appearing on Broadway in A Mother’s Kisses, in the National Tour of 1776, and Off-Broadway in Dark of the Moon and Early Morning. As a composer, he wrote the score for The Mandrake, and incidental music for Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It at Equity Library Theatre. I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet that has worked with so many musical theater writers, which is why I wanted Pat on my podcast, to share his wisdom on what it takes to make a great musical. He shared that, and then some, including: How and why he went from actor to writer. What makes a great musical theater writer, versus just a great writer. The most important thing that writers should do when they are writing a musical, and it doesn’t involve writing at all. Can any idea be a musical? The best way to collaborate with your co-writer. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonathan Rand is among the most popular contemporary playwrights writing today, his stage plays having been performed over 23,000 times in theaters across 65 countries. According to an independent survey of American schools, his one-act comedy Check Please was the #1 most-produced short play every season for the last 15 years. A four-time Heideman Award finalist, his work is published by Random House, Stage Partners, Playscripts, Smith & Kraus, Dramatics magazine, and Macmilllan. He also served as CEO and co-founder of Playscripts, a publishing and performance licensing company for new stage plays and musicals. I’m not going to reveal all the secrets to how he built his career in this preamble to the podcast, so if you want the full story, you’ve got to listen in and hear Jonathan talk about: How entering a contest kicked-off his writing career. How a couple lines of HTML and ZERO expectations changed his life. What high schools are looking for when they decide to license a play. The day he founded Playscripts and why (the most successful artists I know have great business skills – and this is one of the best examples in our industry). How plays are discovered by the subsidiary market, how that’s going to change, and what you can do to get your stuff noticed. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Korins is a creative director and principal designer of his creative firm. He has been awarded an Emmy, Lortel Award, an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Design, two Drama Desk Awards, three Henry Hewes Design Awards, and three Tony Award nominations. His theatrical work includes Hamilton (Tony nomination), War Paint (Tony nomination), Dear Evan Hansen, Bandstand, Misery, Motown, Bring It On, Lombardi, and Passing Strange. He won an Emmy award for his production design work on Grease: Live!. He has designed concert stages for Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, and Andrea Boccelli. Because David has watched and interpreted great drama for so many different mediums, he can offer some very unique insights, including . . . Why a designer is like a therapist and a midwife and . . . THIS. How the evolution of Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen were oh so different, but with the same sensational results. The key to success while a show is in previews. The big question he asks of himself whenever he designs a set . . . and that you MUST ask on your shows. The #1 skill that a designer needs.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Leonard is an author, public speaker and theater producer. He is the Executive Vice President of The Second City and The President of Second City Theatricals. He has overseen productions with notable performers such as Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Adam McKay, Seth Meyers, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Jason Sudeikis, Keegan Michael Key, and Amy Sedaris. In 2015, Leonard's first book "Yes And", co-written with Tom Yorton, was published. Listen to Kelly and I improv some Q&As on all subjects such as: What improv is great at . . . and where it fails. Is a dramatic improv possible?  (Hear what happened when he tried one.) How improv has changed in the era of Political Correctness. The art of writing . . . FAST!  And how to do it well. Why improv is being studied by academics and what it could mean for society’s future. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Passaro is a production stage manager. He has stage managed well over 100 shows, such as Evita, A Steady Rain, Impressionism, White Christmas, Phantom, Les Misérables, History Boys, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cabaret, Pippin, Carousel, and Angels in America. When you’ve watched the development of so many shows from the PSM chair, you learn stuff that no one can teach in a classroom, or on a blog, which is why I was thrilled to sit down with Michael and let him share his wisdom on topics like . . . What the primary responsibility of a PSM actually is (can you guess?). The role of the Stage Manager in the creative development process. The advice he got (that he has on a piece of paper) that he can see every day that he passes on to his students . . . and now you. The best thing to learn if you want to be a Stage Manager. How saying “Yes” to a job he didn’t have a clue how to do led him to his successful career. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Kitt is a composer, conductor, orchestrator, and musician. For his score for the musical Next to Normal, he shared the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Brian Yorkey. He has also won a Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for American Idiot and Everyday Rapture. Other theatrical works include High Fidelity, If/Then, Bring It On, Freaky Friday (musical), 13, and From Up Here. He has also worked on projects outside of theater including the arrangements for multiple Green Day albums, Penny Dreadful, and Pitch Perfect 2. Tom Kitt’s story could be a movie. This podcast with Tom is like the DVD commentary on that movie. We had a frank conversation about his journey including: How to choose an idea to turn into a musical. How a “10 Minute Musical” exercise at BMI changed his life, and how you can use the same exercise. What he went through after High Fidelity closed quickly, and how he got back to work. Why he isn’t on social media. (Artists, take heed!) What he has learned from working with Green Day, Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles and so many pop-rock writers. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Jones is a British-American journalist and academic. He is the chief theater critic and Sunday culture columnist of the Chicago Tribune. Jones started his career as a critic in the 1980s by contributing film reviews, interviews, and reports for WCBE-FM in Columbus, Ohio. In 2014, he also became the director of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Critics Institute. Jones appears live on the news broadcast of CBS-2 Chicago as a weekly theater critic. In 2016, the New York Times cited Jones as an important reason that Broadway shows try-out in Chicago, noting the role his reviews have played in helping producers improve productions for New York runs. If you’ve ever gotten a bad review (which means everyone who has ever worked in this business), then you’ve probably dreamed about what the theater would be like without critics. Tune in and hear Chris chat about: The THREE words he has taped to his computer to remind him to do every time he writes a review. His role as an “Out-Of-Town” expert and the biggest issue he sees with developing shows (writers take heed!). What New York can learn from the Chicago theater scene and vice-versa. How he deals with “Critic Fatigue.” The role of the audience in the writer’s process (Ooooh, I loved his thoughts on this!).   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chazz Palminteri is an actor, screenwriter, producer and playwright. He is best known for his Academy Award-nominated role for Best Supporting Actor in Bullets over Broadway, the 1993 film A Bronx Tale, based on his play of the same name, Special Agent Dave Kujan in The Usual Suspects, Primo Sidone in Analyze This and his recurring role as Shorty in Modern Family. He is the author and once was the sole-performer for A Bronx Tale, an autobiographical story based on his childhood and the basis for the film and Broadway show.  Listen to this inspiring podcast and hear A Chazz Tale, along with: How he had to talk a mob guy out of taking out a guy he was understudying. Why he turned down an offer for one MILLION dollars for the rights to his story. What his show, Rocky, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding have in common . . . and more importantly, WHY. How his undiagnosed dyslexia forced him to learn in a different way, and why that helped his storytelling. Why A Bronx Tale works, no matter what medium it’s in (play, film, musical) and why that’s important for YOUR project. Chazz is not just the American Dream.  He’s the Broadway Dream. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Buck is the CEO of Troika Organization for which he has produced over 50 productions across the globe. Before joining Troika in 1999, Mr. Buck was vice president and general manager for Livent in Toronto. While working for Livent, he managed productions such as Fosse, Ragtime, Show Boat, Music of the Night, and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Mr. Buck was a stage manager for more than 20 years, surviving a year with Mary Martin & Carol Channing in Jimmy Kirkwood's Legends!, a year in Japan with Siegfried & Roy, opening The Phantom of the Opera Music Box Company and opening Show Boat! on Broadway. Listen in to hear Randy chat about . . . What a tour can mean for a show’s Broadway Investors. Why on the road, a good TV commercial can mean more than a good show. When you should plan your national tour. Can a show go on the road without a Broadway brand? An easy way to save money for touring productions. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Javerbaum is a comedy writer. He has won 13 Emmy Awards in his career, 11 of which he received for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He runs the popular Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod, an account known for its anti-established-religion tweets which served as the basis for his play An Act of God, which opened on Broadway in 2015 starring Jim Parsons, and again in 2016 starring Sean Hayes. Javerbaum was hired as a staff writer with The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 1999. He was also one of the three principal authors of the show's textbook parody America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction. He left the show in 2010. In 2016 Javerbaum co-created the Netflix sitcom Disjointed with Chuck Lorre. He called in from his home in Hollywood and we talked comedy and drama and . . . How he decides whether an idea is a show, a TV show, book . . . or yes, a Twitter account. The most important skill he learned in graduate school. What he thinks about the current state of comedy on Broadway. The role of irony in writing. Ego . . . when to set it aside, and when NOT to.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Elliott is an artistic director and the founder of The New Group, a non-profit company with a commitment to developing and producing powerful, contemporary theater. He has directed shows such as Avenue Q, Present Laughter, The Three Sisters, Barefoot in the Park, and The Threepenny Opera. His company has produced shows such as Hurlyburly, This Is Our Youth, Buried Child, Rasheeda Speaking, and more. Scott and I chatted about where he got his “I’ll just figure it out” attitude on this week’s podcast, as well as: Why The New Group doesn’t want a Broadway Theater. What happened to commercial Off Broadway. Why you can’t be afraid of “no” when you’re raising money. Thinking about starting a theater company?  Here’s his shocking opinion. The reaction he hates from audiences. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Irene Sankoff and David Hein are a Canadian librettist and composer-lyricist couple, best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Come From Away. After spending several years studying and working in New York the couple returned to Toronto where Hein wrote a song, "My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding", about his mother and her later life partner. Sankoff and Hein expanded the song into a play that became a hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2009 and then picked up by Mirvish Productions for a run at Toronto's Panasonic Theatre before touring Canada. As a result of My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding's success, theatre producer Michael Rubinoff approached Hein and Sankoff with his idea about a show based on Operation Yellow Ribbon in which residents of Gander, Newfoundland, housed 7,000 airline passengers who had been stranded at Gander Airport as a result of the grounding of all North American air flights following the September 11 attacks. The couple visited Gander in 2011 during the 10-year reunion of passengers and locals, and subsequently wrote Come from Away based on the stories they learned there. Listen in to hear them talk about… Why they became musical theater writers solely to spend more time together. The Rules they have as a writing team to make sure they stay married…and stay writing together (these are worth the price of this podcast alone!). How to stand up for your script against big time Broadway veterans when you’re a rookie, and its importance to your show’s success. Why they never thought that Come From Away would play Broadway, and how that attitude helped get the show here. The importance of a day job as you’re on your way to write for the theater… or do anything in the theater! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Fitzpatrick is a marketer and founder of the advertising agency, Art House. She has been in charge of marketing for shows including Lennon, The Color Purple, Lestat, Stomp, A Chorus Line, The Times They Are A-Changin', and Come From Away. Her company also advertises for other businesses and events such as Rouge makeup salons, dance competitions and even the World Science Festival. Sara and I chat a lot.  This time we recorded it.  And now you can listen in as we talked . . . How she learned marketing from managing her dad’s restaurant. What she learned about selling theater tickets by setting up a booth in Malls on Long Island. Why a creative team should be involved with your marketing campaign . . . especially if you have no money. The biggest mistake big Broadway shows make in marketing, and how you can avoid making the same one. Will we be all digital soon? Or is there still room for print and TV? Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don Scardino is a television director and producer and a former actor. His first Broadway credit was as an understudy in The Playroom in 1965. Additional Broadway acting credits include Johnny No-Trump, Godspell, and King of Hearts. Off-Broadway he appeared in The Rimers of Eldritch, The Comedy of Errors, and Moonchildren. On television, he appeared on the daytime soap operas The Guiding Light, All My Children, Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, and Another World. Feature film credits include The People Next Door, Rip-Off, Homer, Squirm, Cruising and He Knows You're Alone. Following his acting on the network soap operas, he began to direct them. He directed episodes of Another World, One Life to Live, and All My Children.  He shared some great stories and some great tips you can apply to your career, as well as… How he literally knocked on doors to get his start in the biz. Why NOT getting the lead in a show ultimately led him to the career he has now. What “being nice” has to do with making it…or not. How Hollywood does a better job at THIS than Broadway…and what we can do to fix it. A simple and powerful lesson in acting on television for theater actors. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lia Vollack is a record executive. In 1974, she moved to New York City, where she would find work as a sound designer for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows such as On the Waterfront and The Heidi Chronicles; she continued working as a sound effects freelancer and music editor until 1997, when she was hired by Sony. She has since become the main force behind the release of soundtracks and film scores for films released by Sony Pictures. She is the creator of the record label Madison Gate, dedicated to publishing film music that might otherwise go unreleased, and has been named to the Billboard Power 100 list on multiple occasions. Lia runs the live entertainment arm of Sony Pictures, and I expect we’ll be hearing a lot from Lia and her corporate crew over the next decade. In the meantime, you’ll hear a lot from her on this podcast including . . . How being terrified as a child led her to fall in love with the theater. How graduating from high school at age 15 prepared her for a career in film and on Broadway. What Broadway can learn from the way Hollywood tests its products. The best place to train (literally!) if you want to be a Producer.  (Hint: it ain’t college.) One of the best responses to the Genie question yet. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Fried is an accountant who provides service to hundreds of theatrical productions, both in the United States and abroad. He currently represents some of the most prominent and successful Broadway shows, such as School of Rock, Rent, and Hamilton, and also provides cross border planning to both domestic and foreign producers for theatrical productions and licensing. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), the NYSSCPA Tax Division and an affiliate member of the League of American Theatres and Producers.   He’s given me fantastic financial advice over the years, which is why I wanted you to hear his perspective on our business and where it’s headed.  But we didn’t only talk numbers, we also talked about: The one skill that separates some Producers from others. What’s next for tax legislation on Broadway. The current administration  . . . good or bad for Broadway. The most important part of any budget for any show on Broadway, Off Broadway or wherever. The London business model versus ours.  Which one is better?   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nancy Gibbs is a producer and manager for theatrical shows. She won the Tony Award for Best Musical for her producer work in Fun Home. She also won a Drama Desk Award recently for Come From Away for Outstanding Musical, alongside her co-producer, Michael Alden. Other shows she has produced include Peter and the Starcatcher, All Shook Up, Man of La Mancha, The Big Bang, Smoke on the Mountain, and Over the River and Through the Woods. Off Broadway and its current state is just one of the things Nancy enlightened me about, along with . . . How one phone call started her career in New York. The secret to increasing a show’s subsidiary value. Why she won’t commission a show. Who the most important person is when developing a show from scratch. The challenges of adapting something from Hollywood for Broadway. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eva Price is a Tony Award-winning producer of Broadway plays, musicals and concerts, a member of The Broadway League's Board of Governors, and on the producing team of Killer Content and Abigail Disney's venture Level Forward. Shows she has produced include Dear Evan Hansen (six Tony Awards including Best Musical), On Your Feet!, Peter and the Starcatcher (five Tony Awards), Annie (Tony-Nominated Musical Revival), The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino, and The Addams Family. Off-Broadway shows include Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical; Drama Desk-nominated Found The Lion, and Small Mouth Sounds.    We talked about all things including: How being bored in the news business led to a career in producing. Why she’s glad her first show only ran 6 weeks and did NOT succeed. How she raised the very first money she ever raised . . . with a COLD call! The challenge of being a woman in this business . . . and being a woman Producer in this business. What the hardest part was about breaking into the Broadway business . . . you’ll be surprised by the answer. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Ashford is a stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner. As a dancer, he made his Broadway debut in the 1987 Lincoln Center revival of Anything Goes starring Patti LuPone. Productions of The Most Happy Fella, Crazy for You, My Favorite Year, Victor/Victoria, and Parade followed. He won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Choreography for the Broadway musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. Additional Broadway choreography credits include the Roundabout Theatre production of The Boys from Syracuse, The Wedding Singer, Curtains, Cry-Baby, and Evita. Off-Broadway credits include Pardon My English, Bloomer Girl, A Connecticut Yankee, and Time and Again. For television, Ashford has choreographed tributes to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Hermann, Meryl Streep, Barbara Cook, Shirley MacLaine, and Tom Hanks for The Kennedy Center Honors. He was stage director and choreographer of NBC's live television presentation, The Sound of Music Live!, and Peter Pan Live! His resume is so diverse it reads like the resumes of five different guys, from all over the world. And I got that one guy to talk to us about . . . How he started dancing when he was 20.  That’s right. Not 2 . . .20! Why it’s a natural progression for Choreographers to become Directors. The difference with working with stars and how he makes them look great . . . even if they’ve never worked on stage before! How he creates steps for a character . . .and how that has nothing to do with dancing. Why it’s good to be afraid. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Ellis is a stage director, actor, and television director. Before he became a director, Ellis was a successful stage actor; he performed on Broadway in the original casts of the 1980 original musical Musical Chairs and The Rink. He has been the Associate Artistic Director for the Roundabout Theatre since 1998. He has been nominated for the Tony Award as Best Director eight times: the revival of She Loves Me, Steel Pier, the revival of 1776, Twelve Angry Men, Curtains, the revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the revival of You Can't Take It with You, and another revival of She Loves Me. He received the 1991 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Director of a Musical, for And The World Goes Round. He won the Olivier Award as Best Director, Musical, for She Loves Me. He was the executive producer for the television drama Weeds on Showtime, and has directed television episodes of Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, 30 Rock, and Frasier. He received an Emmy Award nomination in 2007 for directing the episode "The Break Up" of the comedy series 30 Rock. Listen in and hear Scott tell all, including . . . How he got the courage (as a chorus boy!) to walk up to Kander and Ebb and ask to direct a revival of one of their shows . . . and what they said! Why he believes casting is 70% of a Director’s job. Why he loves to say, “I don’t know,” during rehearsals. What is in his will and how it can help YOU. The best lesson he ever learned about putting a show together.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Flahaven is the founding worldwide CEO of The Musical Company, a joint venture between Concord Music, now the fifth largest music company in the world, and The Really Useful Group, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s landmark production company. TMC handles theatrical licensing, music publishing, and cast recordings for theatre writers and producers—the first time such services have been combined. He supervised Warner’s worldwide theatrical producing and licensing, print/digital sheet music, and orchestral rental. He has had the privilege of working with Stephen Sondheim for 20 years. He has been a producer on 25 albums, 9 of which were nominated for Grammy Awards, including the Grammy-winning, triple-Platinum, chart-topping smash hit, Hamilton. He has produced or managed over 100 shows, concerts, workshops, and readings for landmark institutions on and off-Broadway and was General Manager and Director of Music and Marketing for Theatrical Rights Worldwide and a music editor for Music Theatre International and the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.  Sean sat down and chatted with me about how he found his way from trombone player to CEO, as well as . . .  How working in politics helped him start a conversation with Stephen Sondheim. Why he felt an MFA was important to his future career. What all musical theater writers, from the big stars, to the unknowns, have in common. The challenge behind producing cast albums and what can be done about it. Why getting your show licensed is essential and tips on how to make it happen.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kathleen Marshall is a director, choreographer, and creative consultant. She began her Broadway career as an assistant to her brother Rob, the choreographer of Kiss of the Spider Woman, in 1993. The two also collaborated on She Loves Me, Damn Yankees, Victor/Victoria, and Seussical. She was the artistic director for the Encores! series of staged musical revivals from 1996 through 2000. During that time, she choreographed The Boys from Syracuse, Li'l Abner and Call Me Madam and both directed and choreographed Babes in Arms and Wonderful Town. The Encores! production of Wonderful Town transferred to Broadway in November 2003 and ran until January 2005 for which she won the Tony Award for Best Choreography. She was the director and choreographer of the Broadway revival of Pajama Game which opened in February 2006. She directed and choreographed a Broadway revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes in 2011. She was the director and choreographer of the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It which opened on Broadway in April 2012. Like most in demand and successful choreographers, she quickly transitioned to the role of Director/Choreographer and helmed shows like Anything Goes, The Pajama Game, Nice Work If You Can Get It and this season’s a capella In Transit.  Kathleen told me how she comes up with those killer numbers in this week’s podcast, as well as . . . How her Director in summer stock knew she was going to direct someday. What it’s like to have an older brother who is also a successful Director/Choreographer, and what she learned from him. What it’s like to be married (!) to a Producer . . . and the three roles she thinks every Producer must fill. The downside of long-running shows on Broadway. Why non-profit and commercial theater are more similar than not. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Sklar is a composer for musical theatre, television, and film. His works have appeared on Broadway, the West End, and many theatres worldwide. He began playing keyboards for the Broadway production of Les Misérables, eventually conducting the show at age 21. He has also been a keyboardist, conductor, and/or arranger for many Broadway productions including Shrek, 42nd Street, Miss Saigon, and Nine. He made his Broadway debut as a composer for the new musical The Wedding Singer, with Chad Beguelin writing the lyrics. He was nominated for the 2006 Tony Award for Best Original Score for The Wedding Singer. He also composed the music for the musical Elf, which broke box office records on Broadway in 2010–11. Other musicals include The Rhythm Club, Judas and Me, and Wicked City. He has contributed original songs/music to Sesame Street, Wonder Pets!, and the NBC Broadcast of The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  We talked about how Matt learned from playing great scores (and how you can also learn from the not-so great ones), as well as . . . How he ended up onstage accompanying Marvin Hamlisch at 14 years of age . . . with NO rehearsal. What the Mickey Mouse Club had to do with the beginning of his composition career. How he bounced back when his first show, The Rhythm Club, canceled its Broadway opening (the posters were even up around town!). The secret society of the up-and-coming composers . . . how this group of future legends helps each other, in spite of competing with one another. What he does while he waits for shows to get Broadway theaters. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derek McLane is a set designer for theatre, opera, and television.  McLane has designed more than 300 productions at theatres throughout the United States and around the world, for Broadway, Off-Broadway and major live television. McLane won an Emmy and an Art Directors Guild Award for his design for the 2014 Oscars. Broadway credits include: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, 33 Variations (Tony Award, Best Scenic Design 2009), Grease, The Pajama Game (2006 Tony Nomination), I Am My Own Wife (Tony Award, Best Play), The Women, Present Laughter, London Assurance, Holiday, Honour, Summer and Smoke, and Three Sisters. Off-Broadway credits include: Buried Child, Into the Woods, Posterity, The Scene, The Voysey Inheritance, Two Trains Running, and Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. For television, McLane designed the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Academy Awards, as well as the live television productions of The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live! and The Wiz Live!.   We talked about everything design related and more including: Why a fish tank led to his career in design. The one piece of advice that got him accepted into the Yale School of Drama. How you can get him to design one of your shows. The big part of a designer’s job that people don’t know about. How projections will influence design in the future . . . or how they won’t? Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil Pepe is an acclaimed director. His Broadway credits include Hands on a Hardbody, the acclaimed revival of Speed-the-Plow, and A Life in the Theatre. Off-Broadway and Regional credits include: Ethan Coen’s Happy Hour, Harold Pinter’s Celebration, David Mamet’s American Buffalo, Romance, Further than the Furthest Thing, Jessica Goldberg’s Refuge, The Subject Was Roses, and Eric Bogosian’s Red Angel. He has been a guest at The O’Neill Playwrights Conference as well as the American Theatre Wing. He has served on the Board of ART/NY as well as the Selection Committee for Harold and Mimi Steinberg Playwriting Award as well as the Pew Charitable Trust in Philadelphia.  I grabbed Neil after a rehearsal for The Penitent, the latest Mamet play, which is premiering at The Atlantic in just a few days, and we chatted about what it’s like to run a major non-profit in the city, and . . . The definition of a Director’s job . . . and an Artistic Director’s job. Why he doesn’t fill one of his season’s slots on purpose. The test he uses to determine if he should book a show or not. How he finds new and emerging writing talent. What he worries about with our current political administration. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacey Mindich is a two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer. As the lead producer of Dear Evan Hansen, she nurtured this original musical from an idea presented at a long-ago lunch with the composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Other noteworthy productions include The Crucible, Blackbird, the Tony Award-winning Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Bridges of Madison County (Tony Award, Best Score), Annie, The Heiress, The Lion (Drama Desk Award), and Small Mouth Sounds. She is the co-chair of the board at New York City Center, home to the Tony Award-winning Encores series of musical revivals. She serves on the Broadway League’s Board of Governors and is also a proud member of the board of The Jimmy Awards (The National High School Musical Theater Awards). Prior to her career in theater, she was a journalist and editor. She was Senior Editor at Town & Country for many years and began her career as a reporter for The New York Times.   Dear Evan Hansen is everything that should scare Broadway Producers.  It’s a totally original idea, with no underlying source material, there are no stars, it isn’t about spectacle, etc. In this week’s podcast, Stacey shared with me why she wasn’t scared about producing this unique piece as well as  . . . How being an Editor for a major magazine helped prepare her for a career as a Broadway Producer. How one lunch eight years ago led to Dear Evan Hansen. The hardest part of a Producer’s job during the (long) development period of a new show like Dear Evan Hansen. What it was like breaking into the old boy’s club of Broadway. How she used cookies to find new musical theater talent.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Glenn Slater is a lyricist who collaborates with Alan Menken and other musical theatre composers. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Original Score for the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid at the Tony Awards in 2008, and another Tony nomination for Sister Act at the 65th Tony Awards in 2011. His first work with Alan Menken was writing the lyrics for the film Home on the Range and the stage production Sister Act the Musical. He wrote the lyrics for the stage adaptation of Disney's The Little Mermaid. He also worked with Menken on the new musical version of Leap of Faith. He has also composed the lyrics and co-wrote the book for the major Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Love Never Dies. In 2015 he worked again with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Broadway musical School of Rock. Adding to his career as a lyricist, Slater wrote the lyrics for the songs in Disney's Tangled.  I got to sit down with the lyricist of School of Rock, Little Mermaid, A Bronx Tale and more to learn how he built his career as well as . . . Why he stopped trying to compose for the theater and started writing lyrics instead (a great lesson for anyone trying to figure out what they want to do in this biz). How working in advertising made him a better writer. Just how he got in a room with Alan Menken, before he was anyone. Why he never listens to the cast recordings of his shows. How he adjusts his style depending on the composer he’s working with, and how he likes to work Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beowulf Boritt is a scenic designer for theater. He is known for his Tony Award winning design for the play Act One in 2014. Hal Prince asked him to design Daisy Prince's production of The Last Five Years and later Prince's own production Paradise Found. Soon after, designing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee launched his career on Broadway. Since then, he has designed over 20 Broadway shows, including his Tony Award winning play Act One and nominated shows The Scottsboro Boys, and Thérèse Raquin. In 2007, he was awarded the Obie Award for sustained excellence in scenic design. He has also won the AUDELCO Award for set design in 2002 and the 2012 Tina Award for Best Scenic Design. In this week’s episode, hear him talk about the secrets of Broadway set design including . . How Lord of the Rings helped inspire him to be a designer. What he did in college that helped launch his career (if you’re in school, you should do this too, no matter what you want to do in the theater). The budgeting process on Broadway – what’s right, what’s wrong, and how to fix it. The difference between designing a musical and designing a play. The next big thing in set design is . . . . (hear his answer!) Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Natasha Katz is a lighting designer for the theatre, dance, and opera. She won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Play for her work on Long Day’s Journey Into Night. She has 6 Tony Awards (3 plays, 3 musicals). Among her over 60 Broadway credits include designs for An American in Paris (2015 Tony Award), Aladdin, The Glass Menagerie (2014 Tony Award), Motown: The Musical, Once (2012 Tony Award), The Little Mermaid, The Coast of Utopia: Salvage (2007 Tony Award), Tarzan, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Aida (2000 Tony Award), Twelfth Night, and Gypsy. In the world of dance, Katz is a frequent collaborator with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, with projects including Tryst, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and The Winter’s Tale. Her film work includes Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer and Mike Tyson: The Undisputed Truth. Listen to Natasha enlighten us all with her thoughts on design and the theater including: How a simple internship unexpectedly lit the way to her career. What she writes in scripts when she reads them for the first time. Why she and all lighting designers have to be chameleons. The difference between working for a corporation like Disney and an independent Producer like, oh, I don’t know . . . me. What Producers and Authors need to know before hiring a designer. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt and Mike Rego are brothers but also founding partners of The Araca Group, along with their longtime friend, Hank Unger. First achieving notoriety as producers of the musical Urinetown, the company has gradually become more involved in merchandising following the success of Wicked. They continue to provide merchandising services to many productions, both on Broadway and around the world. Araca has produced some of the most daring and successful work on Broadway and off, including Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, The Vagina Monologues and Debbie Does Dallas.  Listen in to how they’ve built their companies and more, including . . . How producing a show that didn’t work, led them to produce Urinetown. What they learned about merchandise from hanging out in a grocery store as kids. Why they believe all Producers should have other revenue streams besides producing. Why they think we’re living in the next Golden Age of Broadway. The most important thing new Producers can do to ready themselves for a career in producing. Enjoy this MBA like master class in producing and entrepreneurialism brought to you by The Rego Brothers! (I thought about getting the Regos a t-shirt that said, “I did Ken Davenport’s podcast and all I got was this stupid t-shirt,” but I figured they could make one themselves.)   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jerry Mitchell is an American theatre director and choreographer. His early Broadway credits were as a dancer in The Will Rogers Follies, Brigadoon, and On Your Toes. His first professional credit as a choreographer was for the 1990 world premiere of the musical Jekyll & Hyde. Mitchell's first Broadway production as sole choreographer was the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He directed and choreographed Legally Blonde: The Musical, which opened in April 2007. In 2013, Mitchell directed and choreographed the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. He won the Tony Award for Best Choreography and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. He is the director of the new musical On Your Feet!. The musical premiered in Chicago in June 2015 and opened on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on November 5, 2015. Jerry’s work, like his personality, is filled with such a positive, infectious energy.  It’s hard not to have a big grin on your face when you’re watching his work . . . or when you’re interviewing him for a podcast. Listen to me smile through my questions and hear Jerry talk about how he maintains that positivity in this tricky industry and . . . How he transitioned from an almost naked-dancing Indian to a choreographer and how his mentors  (You know, people like Bennet and Robbins) responded. Why the first thing he does when he decides to work on a musical is NOT listen to the musical. What he believes the mission of a Broadway musical is . . . and how that affects the shows he chooses to work on. Why he actually enjoys previews! How his style of dealing with actors has changed since his early days. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather Hitchens is a nationally recognized arts leader with nearly 30 years of performing arts administration, policy, and program development experience. She currently serves as President & CEO of the American Theatre Wing (ATW).  As CEO, she is charged with maintaining its brand of excellence in the Tony Awards as well as overseeing and shaping the ATW’s other vital grant making, professional development, educational, and media programs. Since starting her work at ATW in 2011, she has tripled the Organization’s budget, and overseen an expansion of its programs that has resulted in a more than triple increase in the Organization’s investment in programs. Tune into this week’s episode with this super-power of an Arts Administrator (wait until you hear all the companies she worked for prior to The Wing), and hear us chat about . . . How she transitioned from behind a drum set to behind the American Theatre Wing. What keeps her going to the office every day, regardless of how tough it gets. The brand new program at The Wing that she’s most excited about. The three things she looks for when deciding whether or not to give an organization money. Why commercial and non-profit theaters are more similar than you think. Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Howard Sherman is an arts administrator, advocate and writer.He was the executive director of the American Theatre Wing from 2003 to 2011. In addition, he was instrumental in the development of ATW’s National Theatre Company Grants program, and secured the organization’s first-ever funding from The Shubert Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. Since 2011, he has become an influential advocate for high school theatre, notably taking an active role in content challenges by school administrations in numerous communities nationally, and he writes extensively about intellectual and creative freedom in academic, community and professional theatre. Immediately prior to joining ATW, he spent three years as Executive Director of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford CT, overseeing the Center’s educational and developmental programs. In February 2015, he was named director of the new Arts Integrity Initiative at the New School for Drama, focused on creative and academic freedom in the arts. Howard doesn’t hold his opinions back, and he even took me to task in this podcast (I’ll let you listen to hear just how), as we discussed . . . What NY Producers can learn from Regional Theaters (I loved this answer) Why Movie Studios coming to Broadway may very well be a good, good thing. He takes Broadway’s temperature on Diversity – and says how we’re doing.  And what we can do better. Why social media isn’t for everyone . . . but why it is for him. How he became the archivist for Hamilton’s “Ham-For-Ham” performances. Have you played the Be A Broadway Star board game? Be A Broadway Star the popular Broadway board game that puts YOU in the spotlight! Pick up yours at: www.beabroadwaystar.com.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kenny Leon is a director notable for his work on Broadway and in regional theater. He gained prominence in 1988, when he became one of the few African Americans to head a notable non-profit theater company as the artistic director of Atlanta's Alliance Theatre Company. In 2004, he directed a revival of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald. He also directed the Broadway premiere of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2010 for Best Director for his work on August Wilson's Fences. He has also directed plays at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, the New York Shakespeare Festival, and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago among many others. In 2014, he directed the Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun for which he won the Tony Award for Best Director of a Play. In 2015, he directed the live musical The Wiz for NBC. He once again partnered with NBC for Hairspray: Live!. Listen in to hear Kenny talk about all the things a Director needs to be in the 21st-century, as well as . . . What he did when a teacher told him he shouldn’t be a Director. How he taught homeless people how to act. Why all Directors should try their hand at acting. Telecasts . . . the beginning of a revolution and why. How we’re doing on diversity, and what he would tell future Directors of color. Oh, and don’t forget to tune into Hairspray Live! this Wednesday, December 7th at 8 PM ET n NBC!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Stone is a theatre producer. He had his first contact with the theatre business through an internship at Jujamcyn Theaters. Later he worked with Broadway producers Fran and Barry Weisler, before he had his first own production with the 1993 off-Broadway hit Family Secrets. Since 2003, he has produced the musical Wicked together with Marc E. Platt. As of 2012 the show had grossed 250 million USD. He is a member of the Board of Governors of The Broadway League and also the Board of Trustees of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Other shows he has produced include The Vagina Monologues, Next to Normal, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Hear the stories of those shows as well and a whole lot more including: Who he went to summer camp with (you’ll be amazed) and how they helped shape his theater career. What the theater must do in the face of the new administration (note – we recorded this podcast only two days after the election). How Next to Normal almost didn’t make it to Broadway, and why Dogfight heartbreakingly didn’t. The advice he got from the industry after his FIRST Broadway show closed in only one week (So many people would have given up right then and there). The moment he knew Wicked was going to be a hit (it was a lot later than you think). Happy 100th! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Herzberger is a producer and the VP of Live Theatricals for Universal. In this role, he oversees the day-to-day operation and long-term growth initiatives of the studio’s live stage division, which includes both Universal Stage Productions and DreamWorks Theatricals. Universal’s credits include the worldwide phenomenon Wicked, the Tony Award-winning adaptation of Billy Elliot, the Tony-nominated production of Bring It On: The Musical, and the Broadway premiere of Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn. He began working professionally in the entertainment industry at the age of 14 when he cast as Billy in the much acclaimed Midwest premiere of Big, The Musical. In 2006, he began full-time work as the production assistant to Academy Award nominated writer/director/producer Gary Ross at Larger Than Life Productions and was subsequently promoted to Mr. Ross' 1st Assistant.  Universal has one of the best track-records of all the studios on Broadway (Wicked, Billy Elliot, etc.).  Chris talks about why he believes that is, as well as .  . . Why he gave up acting to pursue a producing career. How he works hard at demonstrating to Broadway and its players that Universal isn’t some big “evil” corporation, but just a group of passionate people who love the theater. Will TV shows inspire the next wave of Broadway shows? Why he doesn’t announce the shows he is developing. His “taste test” for what in the Universal catalog can be a musical and what can’t.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Timbers is a two-time Tony-nominated writer and director and the recipient of Golden Globe, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and London Evening Standard Awards, as well as two OBIE and Lucille Lortel Awards. He is the recipient of the 2016 Jerome Robbins Award. His Broadway directing credits include Oh Hello! On Broadway, Rocky, Peter and the Starcatcher (2012 Tony Award nomination for Best Director), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (2011 Tony Award nomination for Best Book), and The Pee-wee Herman Show. His Off-Broadway credits include Here Lies Love, and The Robber Bridegroom. He is a co-creator of the Amazon series Mozart in the Jungle which won the 2016 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Oh Hello! on Broadway was filmed for Netflix and The Pee-wee Herman Show was filmed for HBO and received a 2011 Emmy nomination.   Tune into this, our 98th podcast, to hear talk about his experimental beginnings and . . . Why most new theater companies never make it past the first year, and how he made sure his did. How a log line of a project helps him decide to do it . . . or not. What a right-wing Christian preacher has to do with his success. What’s going to become of the “immersive” movement. How he matches up the people he wants to work with, with the projects he’s working on (or how The Robber Bridegroom came to be). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack O'Brien is a director, producer, writer and lyricist. He served as the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California from 1981 through the end of 2007. He has won three Tony Awards and been nominated for seven more, and won five Drama Desk Awards. He has directed and produced musicals, including The Full Monty and Hairspray, contemporary dramas such as The Piano Lesson, The Invention of Love and The Coast of Utopia, Shakespeare classics, including Hamlet and Henry IV (a combination of Part 1 and Part 2), and operas, including Il trittico at the Metropolitan Opera.   Listen in to hear Jack talk about . . . What losing his hair had to do with his directing career. Why he believes his job is to get out of the way. How he goes from Stoppard to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . .  and the difference (if there is one?) in his process. How not getting a directing gig taught him so much about how to get one (if you want to direct in the commercial theater you gotta hear this). Dealing with the shows that don’t work . . . and how he storms back afterwards. And when you’re done with the podcast, if you want more Jack, I highly recommend his book, Jack Be Nimble: The Accidental Education of an Unintentional Director which you can get here.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Lippa is a composer, lyricist, book writer, performer, and producer. He is a resident artist at the Ars Nova Theater in New York City. He began his professional theatrical career at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. In 2006, the musical Asphalt Beach, with music and lyrics by Lippa and the book by T. C. Smith and Peter Spears premiered at the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. He receives a Tony nomination (Best Original Score) and two Drama Desk nominations for his work on The Addams Family. Big Fish, Lippa’s newest musical, with a book by John August, based on the 2003 film and the 1998 novel, premiered in Chicago from April 2013 through May 5, 2013. It opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre October 6, 2013. Listen to his self-producing tales in this week’s podcast, along with . . . How Jeffrey Seller, the Producer of Hamilton, got him to believe he could write a musical. Can anything be a musical?  Maybe, if it has this . . . His amazing analogy about the creation of a Kleenex Box and how you should create the same way. What Edward Albee taught him about writing. His work as The President of the Dramatists Guild Fund, and why it’s important to writers. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Weiner is a playwright, producer and theater and nightclub owner. Weiner is the creator of Queen of the Night at the Paramount Hotel in New York City, and recently served as the dramaturg for Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna. He, along with a few other theater school graduates, established a small theater troupe in New York City called Project 400 Theatre Group, which specializes in creating avant-garde musical productions which married classic theater and modern music. In collaboration with Diane Paulus, his wife, he co-created The Donkey Show, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which ran off-Broadway from 1999 to 2005. In February 2007, Weiner co-founded (with partners Richard Kimmel and Simon Hammerstein) the Box theater on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In January 2014, Weiner and partner Aby Rosen unveiled the Diamond Horseshoe supper club in midtown Manhattan.    Randy Weiner could have done anything with his life. And he would have been a massive success at whatever he chose. Biochemist, lawyer, Hollywood screenwriter, Jewish hip-hop star . . . it all could have happened. We sat down to talk about how he carved this unique niche for himself and . . . How a Biochemistry Degree from Harvard helped prepare him for the theater. How his marketing budget for Sleep No More was ZERO. And why he thinks a Broadway show can do the same thing. What about Broadway terrifies him. Why his projects attract “The Cool Kids”. . . from celebrities to private equity firms. His strategy for raising money for projects that people can’t see beforehand. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe DiPietro is a playwright, lyricist, and author. He is best known for the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, as well as for writing the book and lyrics for the long-running off-Broadway show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which ran for twelve years off-Broadway. His work made its Broadway debut in 2005 with the Elvis Presley jukebox musical All Shook Up. The Toxic Avenger, written with Bon Jovi's David Bryan, debuted off-Broadway on April 6, 2009. Nice Work If You Can Get It, a re-imagining of a Gershwin musical, opened at Broadway's Imperial Theatre in 2012. The show, and his book, were nominated for Tony Awards in 2012, and he won the Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical. The musical Chasing the Song was workshopped at La Jolla Playhouse in the summer of 2014.  Joe sat down to tell his story of how he got to where he is, what has kept him sane (and smiling) in a business that can beat you up, and a whole host of other things, including . . . How he learned to write under pressure and on deadline (like, I don’t know, when a $15mm Broadway show is in previews?). Whether writers should think about the commerciality of a piece when coming up with an idea for Broadway. How the lack of success of All Shook Up helped changed his career (and his life) for the better. The challenges of writing a jukebox musical and how he overcomes them. What has changed about writing for the theater in the last 20 years, and what that means for new writers. If you’re looking for a way to see theatre for cheap, and also meet new people, check out the Broadway Meetup. Literally just google ‘Broadway Meetup,’ you’ll see there are all these opportunities for you to see shows like Jersey Boys for $59, before it closes, Something Rotten for only $39.    Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bess Wohl is a playwright, screenwriter, and actress whose plays include Small Mouth Sounds, and the book for the musical Pretty Filthy with composer/lyricist Michael Friedman and The Civilians. Her plays have been produced in numerous venues in New York City and around the United States. Pretty Filthy, which ran Off-Broadway from January 2015 to March 1, 2015, was nominated for the 2015 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Musical and the 2015 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Musical. Small Mouth Sounds premiered Off-Broadway at Ars Nova in 2015 to wide critical acclaim. The play also was produced in 2016 at the Off-Broadway Signature Theatre. Listen to Bess and I talk about her coming of age as a playwright and . . Why she gave up a successful acting career to pursue writing, and how her acting skills help her be a better writer. How she manages rewriting under the pressure of previews. What she thinks about one of her shows getting on Broadway . . . and whether or not she thinks about that when she writes. Her process of writing and how her schedule might help yours. What her mentors told her when she was getting started, and what she now tells new writers.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynne Meadow is a theatre producer, director and a teacher. She has been the artistic director of the Manhattan Theatre Club since 1972. In that position she has directed and produced more than 450 New York City and world premieres of plays by American and international playwrights, including Terrence McNally, Beth Henley, John Guare, Athol Fugard, and John Patrick Shanley. Under her leadership, MTC has been honored with every prestigious theatre award, including Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, Obie Awards, and Drama Desk Awards, New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Theatre World Awards. In 2013, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. Her directing credits include Sally and Marsha, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, Absent Friends and The Commons of Pensacola (2013). I asked her a whole bunch of other questions about how she built MTC into the institution it is today. Listen in to hear her talk about: The day she challenged The Yale School of Drama’s policy on accepting women (you won’t believe what they said to her)! How she creates a season . . . and how it’s not like going to a buffet. Why she is one of the few Artistic Directors of a major Non-Profit that actually directs! How to get your script in her hands. Starting a theater company? Hear her advice. Tune into this master pod-class on . . . well . . . on so many things. Because Lynne is not only one of the few people that do it all . . . but she does it all so very, very well. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Elice is a writer and former stage actor. Along with Marshall Brickman, he wrote the book for the Broadway musical Jersey Boys, which received a Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk nomination for best book for a musical in 2006. He collaborated with Brickman once again, this time writing the book for the musical, The Addams Family, which opened on Broadway on April 8, 2010. He wrote Peter and the Starcatcher, which opened in California in 2009, played off-Broadway in 2011, and moved to Broadway in 2012. Peter and the Starcatcher won five of the nine Tony nominations it received in 2012. He also wrote Leonardo’s Ring, Dog and Pony, and Turn of the Century. He was creative director at Serino Coyne, Inc. (1982–2000), where he produced advertising campaigns for more than 300 Broadway shows including A Chorus Line and The Lion King. He has been a creative consultant for Walt Disney Studios from 1999–2009. Tune into this podcast and hear Rick talk about his unique path and . . . How he wrote his first project because of a blizzard and an egg timer. (Writers, you gotta try this!) The show that changed his life, and why. How understanding the marketing of Broadway helps him write for Broadway. The unbelievable and jaw dropping advice he got from Tom Stoppard. How the business reacted when he went from marketing guy to writer . . . and how you can transition too. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Stasiuk is a Senior Box Office Executive with over 25 years of experience in entertainment ticketing and venue management. She started in 2015 as the Head Treasurer of the St. James Theater. The St. James Theater is one of America's most iconic Broadway venues. The theater has hosted many famous plays and musicals - including Hello Dolly, Oklahoma, The Producers, Hair and its current resident Something Rotten. She has also worked as the Senior Manager of Ticketing Operations and Analytics for the New York Red Bulls and the First Assistant Treasurer at Radio City Music Hall. Listen to Chris and I talk all things ticketing including: How she learned to sell by hawking hot dogs. The difference between selling tickets to sports games and selling tickets to theater, and which is harder (her answer will surprise you). A cliche about Box Office Treasurers that she’d love to dispel, and how she is doing that herself. The most common question she gets from potential ticket buyers at “the window.” The biggest complaint about buying tickets she hears from our customers. And lots more. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tara Rubin is a casting director with her own casting company since 2001. Before that, she was a casting director at Johnson-Liff Associates. During those years she worked on productions of Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Sunset Boulevard, Jerry Zaks' revival of Guys and Dolls and Miss Saigon. At Tara Rubin Casting, she and her colleagues cast the musicals School of Rock, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Aladdin, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, The Producers, Young Frankenstein for Broadway as well as The Country Girl, The Heiress, The Farnsworth Invention and A Time To Kill. They have worked with many regional theaters including La Jolla Playhouse, The Williamstown Theater Festival, Dallas Theater Center, Arena Stage, and The Westport Country Playhouse. She serves on the board of the Casting Society of America. It takes quite a diplomat, and there aren’t many better than our guest this week, Tara Rubin of Tara Rubin Casting. Just in the past few months Tara has been casting Cats, Miss Saigon, Dear Evan Hansen, and all those kids in School of Rock. Talk about a diverse bunch of actors . . . and creative teams! That’s why I cast Tara in this week’s podcast. So listen in and hear Tara talk about . . . The most important thing she learned when she worked for a Producer. How casting has changed in the past 20 years, and how that helps newcomers. Whether agents have more or less power now than they did before. The biggest mistake Actors make when walking into the room (and the mistake they make when marketing themselves). How are we doing on diversity . . . and what else we should be doing. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Isherwood is an American theater critic. He wrote for Back Stage West in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of Variety, where he was promoted to the position of chief theatre critic in 1998. In 2004, Isherwood was hired by the New York Times. He has been working at The Old Gray Lady for over a decade now, reviewing shows all over town (and the country). He sees hundreds of shows per year. Hundreds. You try that sometime . . . and then try to write a logical, coherent, and entertaining article about it. (What we forget about critics is that not only do they have to be super schooled in the theater . . . but they also have to be great writers – and whether you agree with Charles or not, no one can dispute his way with a few hundred words.) Charles was generous enough to sit down with me and chat about the state of theatrical criticism and all sorts of other stuff, including: Why we’ll never go back to making reviewers review the opening night performance. What he thinks when he sees a quote from one of his reviews splashed an a marquee. Why Writers should NOT read his reviews. What he’s looking forward to this season. How he responds to “hate mail.”   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Frankel is a six-time Tony-winning Theatrical Producer and General Manager who has been producing and managing on and off-Broadway since 1970. He has been working in partnership with Tom Viertel, Steve Baruch, and Marc Routh since 1985. In 1985, he formed Richard Frankel Productions and produced Penn & Teller's first off-Broadway show. In 1991, Marc Routh was added as a producing partner and they together produced a string of successful Off-Broadway shows including Driving Miss Daisy, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and Love Letters. In 1994 Richard Frankel Productions and Marc Routh, along with others, produced Stomp. In 2000, Frankel and his partners were selected by Mel Brooks to serve on the team of producers for The Producers. The musical would go on to break the all-time Tony Awards records by earning twelve awards in 2001, winning the Tony Award in all categories for which it was eligible. In 2012, he and his partners announced plans to build and produce a new cabaret space 54 Below which opened on June 2, 2012. Richard came up through the ranks of Broadway, before winning his six Tonys for shows like The Producers, Hairspray, and Company. And he sat down with me to talk to me about just how he built his company, as well as . . . How he and his partners raised money for their first show in an afternoon. Why he prefers to do things (GM, booking, etc.) in house. How he got Mel Brooks to give him the chance to produce The Producers (and it was a lot easier than you think). Why he prefers small investors to big investors. The origins of the premium ticket and why it’s important to have them. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manny Azenberg is a theatre producer and general manager whose professional relationship with playwright Neil Simon spans thirty-three years. He first met Neil Simon in 1963 and their professional association began with The Sunshine Boys in 1972 and continued with God's Favorite, Chapter Two, They're Playing Our Song, Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound, The Goodbye Girl, and Laughter on the 23rd Floor, among others. His additional credits include Mark Twain Tonight!, The Rothschilds, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Sticks and Bones, The Wiz, The Real Thing, Sunday in the Park with George, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Rent, Movin' Out, Stones in His Pockets, and Baz Luhrmann's adaptation of La Bohème. Listen in to hear Manny talk about: The greatest things he learned from David Merrick and Alexander Cohen, and what Merrick would think of Broadway today. How he feels about having so many producers on a project . . . and could we ever go back to just one? How playing baseball with Robert Redford changed his life. His mantra that helps him get over the shows that don’t work. What his Yale class thought when they read Bright Beach Memoirs and how that taught him to evaluate shows. And buckets more. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Craig Zadan is a producer and writer. Working alone and with Neil Meron, his partner in the production company Storyline Entertainment, he produced such films as Footloose, Chicago and Hairspray.  Neil Meron is a film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he ran the production company Storyline Entertainment. Storyline Entertainment has had success with film musicals, such as Chicago (2002) and Hairspray (2007). Other films they have produced include If Looks Could Kill, Brian's Song, Living Proof, The Bucket List, and Footloose (1984 and 2011). They have also produced the live telecasts of The Sound of Music Live!, Peter Pan Live!, The Wiz Live! and the Broadway revivals of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Promises, Promises. They have produced the Oscars telecasts since the 85th Academy Awards (2012). They’ve put Broadway on the minds of millions and millions of people, and they sat down with me to talk all about why the theater is important, and . . . The lesson Joe Papp taught them about how to pick a project. Just what is happening with the Broadway production of Bombshell and when??? What Hollywood has taught them and what they think Broadway should learn. How they’ve managed to convince the biggest names in entertainment, from Barbra Streisand to Bette Midler, to do their stuff. And how you can learn to convince people to. Which one reads the chat rooms and which one doesn’t, and how they feel about the social media audience. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barry Weissler is a Tony Award-winning American theatrical producer. He met his wife, Fran, in 1964 during an engagement of a touring theatrical production in New Jersey. The two then started a touring theatrical group, The National Theatre Company, which presented classic plays to High School, College and adult audiences with professional casts. After years of touring Shakespearean plays on the east coast, they brought Othello and Medea to Broadway in 1982. The two plays earned them their first two Tony Award nominations. As of 2014 the pair have earned 28 Tony or Drama Desk nominations. They have won 7 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards. The couple also received the Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production for their production of Chicago in the London West End. In 2010, they were given a lifetime achievement award by the New York Musical Theatre Festival. I’ve been waiting since 1993 and that first day of rehearsal of My Fair Lady to pick his brain.  Took me 23 years, but I finally got my chance!  Listen to Barry tell me all about . . . His journey from Actor to Director to Bullfighter (!) to Producer. How they turned the Encores! production of Chicago into the second longest-running Broadway show of all time. What he thinks about movie studios entering the Broadway game. His process of picking shows to produce and how that has changed. Why he doesn’t think Broadway is better off now than it was 20 years ago. I got a chance to learn a heck of a lot from Barry as a PA on My Fair Lady, as one of his Company Managers on Chicago . . . and now, you’re gonna get a chance to learn from one of the best too. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Mahoney has been at the Shubert Organization for more than 35 years.   His current role is management of ticket pricing, policies and the operation of the 17 Shubert Organization Broadway box offices, oversight of Telecharge call center, the contract with the union for telephone agents, the Telecharge customer database, and The Shubert Organization's sponsorship relationships with American Express and American Airlines. Prior to overseeing box offices and ticket policies, he managed the Telecharge Call Center which for many years was the only way to order tickets other than in person at the box office. He implemented use of zip code data for marketing analysis and understanding customers in a format that is now the standard for Broadway, and introduced Revenue Management and demographic analysis of customers to Broadway, and promoted the use of dynamic pricing and inventory management.  When I first approached him about doing this podcast, he told me that he had to get approval from his higher ups.  And for a long time, I wasn’t sure it would happen. But, he got the green light, which is great news for all of you . . . as Brian and I talked about some pretty interesting stuff about selling tickets on Broadway including: How ticket buying habits on Broadway have changed over the last 30 years. The evolution of the Broadway discount ticket. The one thing that he thinks all Broadway show websites should include . . . but most don’t! What is unique about our relationship with the secondary market . . . and why it differs from sports and concerts. What he thinks of the Hamilton ticketing phenomenon. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Pasquale is an actor of stage, film, and television. He is best known for his role as the New York City Firefighter/First Responder Sean Garrity in the series Rescue Me. He made his debut on the HBO series Six Feet Under, playing a love interest for David. He also starred in the film Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. He played the role of Sheriff Joe Sutter in the musical The Spitfire Grill, where he introduced the song "Forest For the Trees". He then had the lead role of Chris in the 1998 American tour of Miss Saigon. Other musicals he has been in include A Man of No Importance, Far from Heaven, The Secret Garden, and The Bridges of Madison County  In 2011, he played the lead role of Paul Keller on the Fox Television Studios pilot Over/Under. Other shows he has been in are the miniseries Coma, the NBC series Do No Harm, and he guest starred in Season 6, episode 4 of the CBS legal drama series The Good Wife. If you’re a writer, producer, or anything else, then you also gotta hear Steven give you the, well, TheActorsPerspective. Listen to Steven give you the scoop on all things including: His thoughts on long-running shows and how actors can keep things fresh and interesting. Why he calls auditioning “the worst experience in the world.” What you need to get him to do your show. HOT TOPIC:  The actor’s role in the developmental process, and how/why they should participate in the future of that production (you know, the whole Hamilton debate). If he’d ever produce and why or why not. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Paulson is an American journalist. From 2000 to 2010 he covered religion for The Boston Globe. Since 2010, he has worked at the New York Times, where he initially continued his religion coverage. His work there reflected his early politics roots and continued to tie religion to national issues. Since April 2015, he has covered theater at the New York Times. While working for The Boston Globe, Paulson was responsible for covering the world's faith and spirituality. Prior to this, his career included seven years working as a city hall reporter, a state house bureau chief, and as a Washington correspondent at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.  I wanted to hear what someone who just joined our industry at a high level thought of how we were doing, how accepting we were to newcomers, and what it was like to get stories out of our notoriously tight-lipped  industry. Michael didn’t disappoint, and answered all the above and then some including . . . The differences (and surprising similarities) between covering theater and religion. How the New York Times is competing with Candy Crush . . . and if it’s winning. Is all press really good press? How theater and the newspaper industry are facing similar challenges. His favorite Broadway stories so far . . . and the story he’d like to write about, but hasn’t gotten the scoop . . . yet.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy Adams is a Tony-award winning Producer and founding partner of Junkyard Dog Productions, a theatrical producing company dedicated to the development and production of new musical theatre. The National Tour of Memphis (by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan) completed a successful multi-year run following an almost three year run on Broadway. Memphis is the winner of the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical of 2010. First Date premiered at Seattle’s 5th Avenue /ACT Theatre prior to its Broadway run at the Longacre Theatre.  Since its inception in 2006, JYD has also produced Make Me A Song, The Music of William Finn off-Broadway at New World Stages (Drama Desk nom., Outer Critics Circle nom.) and in London and Vanities, A New Musical at Second Stage Theatre.   Sue Frost is a founding member of Junkyard Dog Productions which is dedicated to developing and producing new musicals. 2010 Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Best Musical Memphis, First Date. Since its inception in 2006 Junkyard Dog has also produced Vanities, Make me a Song (Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk noms.), and Party Come Here. Prior to founding Junkyard, she was Associate Producer at Goodspeed Musicals for 20 years, where she produced more than 50 new musicals at both the Goodspeed Opera House and the Norma Terris Theatre.  Hear this three-way convo as we discuss: What they learned from running non-profit theaters that helps them in the commercial world. How they’ve learned to divide and conquer their producing duties. Why the independent Producer is becoming an endangered species. The challenges of producing Come From Away and why they are producing it anyway. How they found each other, and how you can find a partner too.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bartlett Sher is an American theatre director. He has been nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical as well as a Drama Desk Award for his direction of the 2008 Broadway revival of South Pacific. He served as associate artistic director at Hartford Stage in Connecticut and company director at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. He was artistic director at Intiman Theatre in Seattle and in 2008 was named resident director at Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. Bart took some time out from his rehearsals of the now running Oslo to chat with me about the role of the Director in modern productions and . . . How directing on Broadway wasn’t even in his game plan. How directing a show is like conducting an orchestra. What his rehearsal process is really like (and why it scares choreographers like this one). What he looks for from actors when he’s auditioning. Why it’s hard to find a good producer. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Lawrence is a production stage manager. He won a Tony Award in 2013 for Excellence in Theatre, as there is no Tony category for stage managers. In 1977, Lawrence got his first stage managing job on Broadway, in Judith Ross’s An Almost Perfect Person. Over his 30-plus years on Broadway, Lawrence has had many different titles, depending on the production. Most of the time he has been billed as production stage manager. Some of the shows he has worked on include Ragtime, Shrek the Musical, Spamalot, Gypsy, Man of La Mancha, Swan Lake, Miss Saigon, Broadway Bound, Hurlyburly, and Those Were the Days. Stage Managers have one of the most unique perspectives in the biz, since they have to work so closely with the creative team and the General Management team, to deliver the best show possible. Hear how Peter deals with that balance and more including . . . How he lied to get his first job. His summary of what a Stage Manager actually does. The great lesson he learned from Mike Nichols. Why he thinks Directors don’t start off as Stage Managers as much as they used to. What he thinks the “best Broadway year” was. Prepare to be schooled by one of the best Stage Managers in the biz. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Byrd has pursued his interest in producing high quality entertainment vehicles for many years. As President/ CEO of the American Cinema Group, Inc., he has raised capital for, and invested in several TV & Film projects. He formed Front Row Productions, Inc. which is dedicated solely to producing quality theatrical productions. As the Producer of the first African American Broadway production of Tennessee Williams' Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, which was the highest grossing play on Broadway in 2008, he also won the Laurence Olivier Award, for Best Revival of A Play for his production of the same show on London's West End. Other shows he has produced include Eclipsed, The Trip to Bountiful, and A Streetcar Named Desire.  He was named as one of the most important African Americans in the theatre by The New York Daily News. Stephen sat down with me to talk about the mission statement of his company and . . . How he describes his target audience. How he assembled an all-star cast for his very first show – and the long process it took to get there. Why he didn’t cast Lupita Nyong’o the first time she auditioned for one of his shows. How Stephen believes we can make Broadway’s audiences more diverse. What’s the most important thing for movie stars to learn when they do Broadway. Enjoy Mr. Byrd! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul Libin is currently the Executive Vice President of Jujamcyn Theaters. In his 60 years of working in the theater, he had been a producer, theater owner, actor, box office treasurer, chairman of the Broadway League, labor negotiator, and stage manager. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Tony Awards in 2013. Sit back and get ready to be educated and entertained by Papa Paul as he discusses: How the GI Bill helped him get his start in the theater. Why and when he built Circle in the Square. How Marilyn Monroe (!) once helped him book a theater. What has changed with Unions and Labor Negotiations since their early days. How he’s kept his head up in an industry that can be so difficult. You’re going to have a fistful of takeaways from this podcast, but the most important thing I learned is how important it is to love showing up to work every day, even after decades of doing this.  Is there any better sign of success than that? Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

André Bishop has been the artistic director of Lincoln Center Theater since January 1992. He has developed and produced new plays and musicals by many of America's leading playwrights, composers and lyricists. His many successful productions at that theater included three Pulitzer Prize winners: The Heidi Chronicles, Driving Miss Daisy and Sunday in the Park with George. Recent Lincoln Center Theater seasons under Mr. Bishop's artistic direction have included new plays and musicals, revivals and new adaptations of classic works, and solo performances, including Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig, An American Daughter and Third; five-time Tony Award winner Carousel; and the award winning revivals of The Heiress, A Delicate Balance, and Awake and Sing! on Broadway. He sat down with me to tell me all about his journey and . . . Why he’s an Artistic Director that never wanted to direct. Why he never considers the audience when picking shows for his theaters. How he chooses the right directors for his projects. Where he would start if he was a young writer . . . commercial or non-profit. His thoughts on the Broadway turf war between commercial and non-profit productions. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lonny Price is a director, actor, and writer, primarily in theatre. He is perhaps best known for his creation of the role of Charley Kringas in the Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along and for his New York directing work including Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Company, and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert. His early career was spent performing in Off-Broadway productions, including Class Enemy in 1979, for which he won a Theater World Award for a stage debut.  You’re probably used to hearing the phrase “triple threat” when talking about Actor/Singer/Dancers. You’ve probably never heard of the phrase used to describe Actor/Writer/Directors.  You know why? Because there are so few of them. Listen to Lonny talk about his triple threatness, as well as . . . What it was like working with his heroes Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim on Merrily We Roll Along, and why he’ll never direct it himself. What he thinks is the most important skill to have as a director. Gossip alert!  Is his production of Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close on its way to Broadway?  Or not??? Why he’s not intimidated by big stars.  (And he has worked with the biggest.) Why he believes every stage production should be filmed and preserved. Lonny is one of those people that was destined for a success in our biz.  The theater and how it works is just part of his DNA, which is why he has been able to be such a success in so many different areas.  Thankfully he was generous enough to talk to me (with or without being strapped into a chair) so we can all soak up his secrets. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Stanton is a lighting designer for theater, concerts, dance, installations, and events. He is a three-time Tony Award nominee as well as an Obie, Lortel, IRNE, and Ovation Award winner. Recent Broadway credits include The Rose Tattoo, Derren Brown: Secret, Regina Spektor: Live On Broadway, Ayad Akhtar’s Junk, the revival of Six Degrees of Separation, Deaf West Theater’s revival of Spring Awakening, Fully Committed, and Fun Home. He has designed concerts and tours for recording artists including Beirut, Melanie Martinez, Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, and St. Vincent. He serves as the resident lighting director for Skylight Modern, and he’s the founder and principal designer at Stanton Collaborative, a group that specializes in bringing a theatrical aesthetic to corporate events, concerts, and installations.  Ben took time out from his crazy schedule of lighting like 147 shows and being a new Dad to help me understand how lighting affects a show and . . . How being trained as a drummer makes him a better lighting designer. How guessing is involved in lighting design. Does he like how shows are incorporating more and more projections?  (An interesting perspective considering his wife is the super talented projection designer Lucy Mackinnon, who also was on Spring.) What LEDs are doing to Broadway and is that a good thing or a bad thing? What he wants all Broadway producers to know about lighting design. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philip S. Birsh is the President of Playbill, a monthly U.S. magazine for theatregoers. There is a subscription issue available for home delivery, but most copies of Playbill are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's program. The magazine is now used at nearly every Broadway theatre, as well as many Off-Broadway productions. Outside New York City, Playbill is used at theatres throughout the United States. In addition to the magazine, and the umpteen other theatrical ventures under the Playbill banners, we also chatted about . . . Why he left a career on Wall Street to run Playbill (and what he learned from that world that he applied to ours). How Playbill and the theater community worked together during the AIDS crisis. They’ve got Design Your Own Playbills, Playbill Cruises . . . what’s next for the company and the fans??? Why Playbill doesn’t post reviews or have message boards. Why producing is like horse racing. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Doyle is a Scottish stage director of musicals and plays, as well as operas. He has served as artistic director at several regional theatres in the United Kingdom, where he has staged more than 200 professional productions during his career spanning over 40 years. For his 2005 Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, he won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award. He also directed A Catered Affair, the Off-Broadway production of Road Show, Kiss Me, Kate, an opera production of Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Visit. He received his third Tony nomination for his direction of the revival of The Color Purple starring Cynthia Erivo, Danielle Brooks and Jennifer Hudson. The Broadway production won the Tony awards for Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Erivo's performance as Celie. He recently became the Artistic Director of the off-Broadway theater Classic Stage Company, located in the East Village in New York City. Listen to John talk about his new gig, as well as . . . How he “stumbled” into directing. Where the idea for Actors playing instruments in Sweeney Todd came from. The biggest difference between directing in New York and directing in London. Which Actors drive him crazy, and why that’s a good thing (and yes, he names names!). The one piece of advice he would give to every Broadway Producer in the business. Enjoy this master class in directing from a man who has slayed dramaturgical dragons on both sides of the pond! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leigh Silverman is a director for the stage, both Off-Broadway and on Broadway. She was nominated for the 2014 Tony Award, Best Direction of a Musical for the musical Violet and the 2008 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Director of a Play for the play From Up Here. She directed the Lisa Kron play Well Off-Broadway. On Broadway, she was the Associate Director for the musical Never Gonna Dance in 2003 and directed Chinglish by David Henry Hwang. She directed the world premiere of the Neil Labute play The Way We Get By. Some other Off-Broadway plays she has directed are Blue Door by Tanya Barfield, From Up Here by Liz Flahive, David Greenspan's Go Back to Where You Are, and In the Wake. Not only was I taken by Leigh’s passion for the theater and her methodology for shaping plays and musicals, I was so impressed by how she has shaped her own career.  Instead of majoring in directing in college? She majored in writing . . . knowing full well she wanted to direct. She understood that knowing the ins and outs of the structure of a play and how it was built from the ground up would serve her more than just studying directing.  It’s like an architect choosing to work construction for a few years to understand what keeps a building in place. #Genius. We talked all about that choice and so much more including: Why she’s glad someone told her she was a terrible Actor when she was just 15. How she decides if a new play is “viable.” Why she makes her Designers act. The difference between working on a play and a musical . . . and what her two new musical projects are. Why television is the reason the new American play is thriving. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meredith Blair is a booking agent and the President of The Booking Group. She has booked tours for shows such as Something Rotten, Mamma Mia, The Addams Family, Anything Goes, Pippin, Motown, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and Fun Home. The Broadway touring business is often called “The Road.” If that’s the case, then Booking Agents are the traffic cops, giving the green light to some, sending some right, sending some left, and pulling some over to say, “What the heck were you thinking trying to drive down this road?” One of the best cops the biz has is Meredith Blair, the President of The Booking Group (one of the most powerful booking agencies we’ve got) who has single-handedly booked over . . . well, you’re just going to have to listen to this podcast to hear how many shows she has booked.  And you’ll also hear . . . How the touring industry has changed in the last 20 years . . . and how it hasn’t. The biggest challenge for Presenter/Producer negotiations and how she’d solve it. How Producers can use tours to improve on the original New York production. Is there a market for straight plays on the road? Her take on the union tours vs. non-union tours debate. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Flaherty is a composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals Ragtime, which was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and won the Tony for Best Original Score; Once On This Island, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival Of A Musical, the Olivier Award for London's Best Musical, and was nominated for a Grammy Award and eight Tony Awards; and Seussical, which was nominated for a Grammy and is now one of the most performed shows in America. Flaherty was also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards (with Lynn Ahrens) for his songs and song score for the animated film musical Anastasia. We had Lynn Ahrens on the podcast a few weeks ago, which makes today the first time we’ve ever had a musical theater songwriting team on the show at separate times.  So now hear Stephen’s perspective on how they do what they do and . . . How Stephen Sondheim helped him find a Lyricist (and why if he hadn’t listened his career might be very different today). Why he’s never experienced Writer’s block, and how you can get through it if you have it. The animated movie he wrote that may never see the light of day, and how it inspired another one. Why not having his first two shows produced was a good thing. The speed writing 11 day audition process he and Lynn went through to be chosen to write Ragtime. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bruce Lazarus is an entertainment attorney and theatrical producer notable for his work on Broadway and off-Broadway. He received a 2003 Tony Award for Best Play nomination for the Broadway production of Say Goodnight Gracie by Rupert Holmes and won the 2004 National Broadway Theatre Award for the national tour. His other Broadway producing credits include The Gathering by Arje Shaw. He also produced several notable off-Broadway productions including Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet adapted by Joe Calarco for which he won the 1998 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Production, and Only Kidding by Jim Geoghan for which he won the 1989 Drama Desk Award Outstanding New Play nomination. As a theatrical attorney he has represented over 20 Broadway and off-Broadway shows including: Blueman Group:Tubes, The Lion King, Aida, and Beauty and the Beast in his capacity as Director of Business and Legal Affairs for Walt Disney Theatrical Productions. We discussed licensing (a very important factor for Broadway Producers and for those investing in Broadway shows to consider before signing up for a show) and a whole lot more including: How his career as a Producer, a Lawyer for Disney, an Artist’s Agent and more prepared him for his job at Samuel French. Which market (regional, community, etc.) he would work with if he had to pick just one. How licensing theater is like playing video games. Is the success of Broadway trickling down to the stock and amateur market? How Samuel French is fighting online piracy. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adrian Bryan-Brown is a press agent and theatrical promoter. He has been involved with Broadway theatre and was called "one of the top press agents on Broadway" by the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers. In 1983, he joined Solters/Roskin/Friedman, working with Joshua Ellis on many Broadway productions. He then worked with Chris Boneau and in 1991 established Boneau/Bryan-Brown, one of the leading theatrical press agencies in New York. He has represented more than 200 shows including Tony Award-winning plays like Art, Copenhagen and The History Boys. Other plays include Frost/Nixon, Skylight and Amy's View and musicals include The Who's Tommy, Sunset Boulevard, Titanic, Jersey Boys, Monty Python's Spamalot and Mamma Mia! In 2015, Bryan-Brown was awarded a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre at the Tony Awards. This is the time of year when Press Agents especially are working overtime.  Not only are there all those big Broadway shows opening on top of one another as we approach the Tony Award cutoff cliff (and only a handful of Press Agents to handle them), but then there are the awards themselves.   That’s why we’re all lucky that Adrian Bryan-Brown, one of the partners in the mega firm, Boneau/Bryan-Brown (The Book of Mormon, Spring Awakening, Something Rotten!, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and so many more), sat down with me to share his thoughts about Broadway “spinsters” including: Why the primary job of a Press Agent is the same as a Playwright. How making ice cream cakes at Carvel led to his career as a Press Agent. What will press look like on Broadway in 20 years? How social media makes everyone a spokesperson and what Producers need to do about that. His take on Critics.  Why they matter . . . or don’t. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Lopez is an American songwriter of musicals, best known for co-creating The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q, and for composing the songs featured in the 3D Disney computer animated film Frozen, with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Of only fifteen people who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award, he is the youngest and quickest (10 years) to win all four.   I got to spend an hour with Bobby in his brand new songwriting studio in Brooklyn (which was the coolest space btw – in addition to the computers and white boards that had notes about dramatic structure – there was this big ol’ cabinet that housed all of the awards that make up that EGOT title), and we talked all things about songs and his success including . . . What an early meeting with Stephen Sondheim meant to his career. Why he never thought The Book of Mormon would ever happen. Why he recommends the BMI Workshop to Writers. What he thought the moment he and his wife, Lyricist Kristen Anderson-Lopez, finished writing “Let It Go.” If there might be another collaboration with the South Park guys in the future. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robyn Goodman is a producer and actress, known for The Rehearsal (1974), One Life to Live (1968) and Smash (2012). She won Tony Awards for Best Musical as producer of Avenue Q and In the Heights. Her other Broadway productions include Metamorphoses and West Side Story. She is a producer of Avenue Q at New World Stages, and produced Altar Boyz Off-Broadway. She is a founding Board member of The Ride and Artistic Consultant to Roundabout Theatre Company. She was co-founder of Second Stage Theatre, serving as artistic director for 13 years. In this week’s podcast, Robyn talks about producing partnerships (including her very successful ones with Co-Producers Kevin McCollum and Jeffrey Seller) and a bunch more including: How she (literally) survived her first producing project.  (Wait until you hear what the Playwright wanted to do to her.) How she convinced the Writers of Avenue Q to skip the screen and take the show to the stage . . . and to let her be the one to help. The delicate art of giving notes to Authors (and let me tell you – Robyn is a master of this!). What she does when a show doesn’t work. What it’s like being a powerful female Producer in the “old boys’ club” of Broadway. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Gattelli is a choreographer, performer and theatre director. His work as choreographer for Broadway includes Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, High Fidelity, The Ritz, Sunday in the Park with George, South Pacific, 13, Newsies, and the 2015 revival of The King and I. His Off-Broadway choreographic work includes Adrift in Macao, I Love You Because, Altar Boyz, tick, tick...BOOM, Dogfight and Bat Boy: The Musical (2001). In regional theatre he is the choreographer for The Baker's Wife (2005), Tom Jones (2004), Me and My Girl, and O. Henry's Lovers (2003). He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Choreography for South Pacific and won the award in 2012 for Newsies. His Newsies choreography also won him the Outer Critics Circle Award. He won the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Choreography for Altar Boyz. He won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreographer for Altar Boyz and Bat Boy: The Musical. Chris, who is one of the most flexible Choreographers in the biz (pun intended) sat down with me and chatted about his choreographic career and . . . How he transitioned from Dancer to Choreographer so dang fast. Why rehearsing a show directed by Bart Sher was one of the scariest things he has ever done. Why you may be surprised to hear what his “style” is. Why Choreographers make great Directors. How the modern musical is changing and what that means for choreography. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, known together as Pasek and Paul, are an American songwriting duo and composing team for musical theater, films, and television. Their works include A Christmas Story, Dogfight, Edges, and James and the Giant Peach. Their original songs have been featured on NBC's Smash. Most recently, they have created and written the score for the stage musical Dear Evan Hansen which premiered at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015. Both artists are winners of the American Theatre Wing's 2007 Jonathan Larson Award, which honors achievement by composers, lyricists and librettists. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are not fresh off the boat by any means.  They’re Tony nominated and have a Broadway show to their credit, and a couple of high profile Off Broadway showings as well, including the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen.  But as Broadway’s next gen of musical theater composers, they’ve got a unique perspective on all things, including . . . How they got their music to the world through YouTube. What went wrong with the first musical they wrote after getting to New York and how they used that to their advantage. 20 years from now, how they’d know if they “made it.” Why all artists in the 21st century have to be great marketers. How they used the “Michigan Mafia” to their advantage (it’s real, it really is). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Shindle, Miss America 1998 and Miss Illinois 1997, is an actress, singer, and dancer. She is the author of the 2014 memoir Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain, published by the University of Texas Press. Her Broadway credits include Jekyll & Hyde, Cabaret, Legally Blonde, 8, and Wonderland. She was also on the National Tour of Cabaret  in 1999. She is currently serving as the President of the Actors' Equity Association, elected in 2015. On this podcast, you’ll hear how Kate started on her path to the corner office she now occupies by refusing to be complacent about an issue that bugged her years ago.  (My favorite people in this industry are complacency crushers like Kate.) You’ll also hear . . . How being Miss America was an asset and a liability for her acting career. The hardest part about being a working actor in New York City. What’s going on with the minimum wage situation in LA . . . and why she can’t say too much about it. Her plans for technology to improve the audition process. About the myth of “The Equity One.”   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tino Gagliardi is a musician and instrumentalist. He has played the trumpet for Broadway shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Oklahoma!, The Boy From Oz, and All Shook Up. He has been the president of Local 802 (New York City) since 2010 after performing as a trumpet player in New York City’s concert, club date, and recording fields. As president of Local 802, Tino led the negotiations for Broadway, the Lincoln Center resident orchestras, and Radio City.  Tino and I had a great chat about all things musical, including how we both played the trumpet (I won’t be battling him anytime soon) and lots of other stuff like . . . The challenges of being a pit musician. How 802 embraces technology. What the 2003 Broadway musicians strike was all about and how Production-Union relations are now. What he’d want all Producers to do before they decide on an orchestra size (oh man did his answer to this question ring in my ears). The biggest myth about Broadway musicians and why it’s just not true. Big thanks to Tino for sitting down with me to give me (and all of you) a literal and figurative look into The Pit . . . which, frankly, I think should be renamed The Heart.  Because music is the lifeblood of musicals, and it’s here where it gets pumped out to the rest of the stage. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Starobin is an orchestrator, composer, arranger, and musical director, primarily for the stage, film and television. He won Tony Awards for the orchestrations of Assassins (2004) and Next to Normal (2009 with Tom Kitt). The first Broadway musical that he provided the orchestrations for was Sunday in the Park with George in 1984, for which he won the 1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestration. He has also provided orchestrations, or been the Musical Director, for many Off-Broadway musicals. He wrote the orchestrations for several works by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, such as Once on This Island (1990), as well as William Finn, including In Trousers, Falsettoland, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In these 30 minutes or so, you’ll hear the Tony Award-winning Orchestrator of shows like Sunday in the Park with George, Next to Normal, Falsettos and more (click here for his crazy list of credits) talk about . . . The difference between arranging and orchestrating. Why Orchestrators are like painters. His two rules for Broadway Producers on how to avoid a flop. What it was like orchestrating with a pencil and paper, and how digital notation changed all of that . . . and whether that’s a good thing. Why his orchestrations may be on other people’s shows and vice-versa. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeanine Tesori is a composer and musical arranger. She is the most prolific and honored female theatrical composer in history, with five Broadway musicals and five Tony Award nominations. She won the 1999 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play for Nicholas Hytner's production of Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center, the 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music for Caroline, or Change, and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Original Score for Fun Home (shared with Lisa Kron), making them the first female writing team to win that award. Her major works include Fun Home, Shrek The Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mulan II, and Violet. Listen in to this week’s podcast to hear how she got to write her shows, as well as . . . Why her collaborations could make a helluva bat mitzvah. What googling baby armadillos has to do with how she writes a song. Why story is more important than plot when deciding to write a musical. Why her favorite song was one she didn’t think would last longer than a few previews. Her perspective on being a woman Writer on Broadway and how to encourage more to get in the game. Oh, and during this podcast, you’ll hear some great stories about the preview period of  Thoroughly Modern Millie.  After you’re done listening to Jeanine, make sure you tune in to hear Producer Hal Luftig and Producer Kristin Caskey (who’s also behind Fun Home) tell their versions of the same dramatic tale. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Chelesvig is one of the premier and most powerful independent Broadway Presenters in the country (a Broadway Presenter, for those who might not be familiar with that term, is someone who books National Tours of Broadway shows).  And on top of that, anyone who has ever played his home town with a show knows how gracious and generous of a guy he is. Every time I talk to Jeff, I get so much insight into the touring market and what makes it tick, which is why I sucked him into doing my podcast.  And, as expected, my thirty minutes with Jeff taught me even more, including . . . How he decides which Broadway shows to book (and would he ever book a show that wasn’t on Broadway first?). Why he’s not a fan of the recent trend of having to book shows years in advance. What he thinks will make a show a success on the road. What’s the difference between marketing a show to a Broadway audience and marketing a show to a touring audience? Why touring audience expectations are so much higher than they were 20 years ago. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Billington is a lighting designer. He has 96 Broadway productions to his credit including Copperfield, Checking Out, Moon Over Buffalo, Grind, Hello Dolly!, Meet Me in St. Louis, On the Twentieth Century, Side by Side by Sondheim, Lettice and Lovage, Tru, The Scottsboro Boys, and Sweeney Todd. Off-Broadway productions include Sylvia, London Suite, Annie Warbucks, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, The Lisbon Traviata, What the Butler Saw, and Fortune and Men's Eyes. He was the principal lighting designer for Radio City Music Hall from 1979 - 2004. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design eight times and in 1997 won for the revival of Chicago, which also garnered him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design. In November 2015, Billington was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. You’ll hear one of the industry’s best lighting designers talk about . . . How he prepares to light a show before he even sees a rehearsal. How Directors should work with lighting (and all) designers. The incredible changes in the lighting industry over the past 3 decades . . . and what’s coming next. How to speed up the “bidding” process and save money. One of my favorite answers to my “Genie” question and how I’m going to steal it.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Lapine is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for Into the Woods, Falsettos, and Passion. He has frequently collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn. Lapine has also directed dramas, including Dirty Blonde, which ran Off-Broadway and on Broadway in 2000. Lapine was nominated for the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award, for Best Direction of a Play. Lapine directed the 2012 Broadway revival of Annie.  In 1991 he directed his first film, Impromptu, which has a screenplay by his wife, Sarah Kernochan. The story revolves around the romance of George Sand and Chopin. He followed with Life With Mikey with Michael J. Fox for Disney. He wrote the screenplay for Disney's film version of Into the Woods (2014), directed by Rob Marshall. Listen in to today’s Podcast to hear this Master Theater Artist talk about everything from: How not worrying about whether his first show would “make or break” his career is what led to its success. Why Sunday in the Park with George made be the best evidence we have for the legalization of marijuana. Why he doesn’t do outlines. The difference between collaborating with Stephen Sondheim and William Finn . . . and which one he prefers. How he comes up with ideas for shows. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diane Paulus is the Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, and was selected for the 2014 TIME 100, TIME Magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is an American director of both theater and opera. Paulus was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for her revival of Hair, and won the award in 2013 for her revival of Pippin. In 2015, Paulus directed the new musical Waitress, based on the 2007 film of the same name, written by Adrienne Shelly. The music was written by six-time Grammy Award nominated singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. The musical was nominated for four Tony Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Listen in to our chat to hear where her journey to “it” status as a Director began and . . . How her “there are no rules” attitude was the key to her early success . . . in a garden. How she maintains that attitude on Broadway, where there is nothing BUT rules. Where she learned what the “people” thought mattered more than what the critics thought. The most challenging part of being the Artistic Director of a regional theater like ART. How growing up in NYC shaped her style. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Des McAnuff is the American-Canadian former artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of such Broadway musical theatre productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys. He was artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse, which he revived in 1983, during which time the theatre won more than 200 awards. For the Playhouse, he directed Romeo and Juliet, A Mad World, My Masters, Big River, As You Like It, A Walk in the Woods, Two Rooms, 80 Days, Macbeth, Three Sisters, Elmer Gantry, Much Ado About Nothing, The Who's Tommy, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He has directed two motion pictures, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) and Cousin Bette (1998). Des has directed some of my favorite shows on Broadway. On top of his directorial credits, Des has been the Director-In-Charge at both the La Jolla Playhouse and the Stratford Festival, taking both organizations to new heights during his reign. As you can imagine, he and I had a lot to talk about, including . . . How starting a theater company with other like-minded up-and-comers helped launch his career (that theater company is the now powerhouse producing org, The Dodgers, by the way). How he develops a show . . . which is never the same way twice. How the Broadway/Regional Theater enhancement model was born  . . and why he thinks what’s happening in that market today is “dangerous.” The challenges of creating a musical with pre-existing music (Tommy, Jersey Boys) and his tips on how to do it. What show (or should I say “shows”?) he’s dying to direct . . . and why.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lynn Ahrens is an American writer and lyricist for musical theatre, television and film. She has collaborated with Stephen Flaherty for many years. She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for the Broadway musical Ragtime. Together with Flaherty, they have written many musicals, including Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Ragtime, Seussical, A Man of No Importance, Dessa Rose, The Glorious Ones, Rocky, Little Dancer and, recently on Broadway, Anastasia and Once on This Island. She was also nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for the animated Twentieth Century Fox film Anastasia. She was a mainstay writer and performer for ABC-TV's Schoolhouse Rock! What I love about Lynn’s lyrics is that they just look/sound so easy.  That, of course, is the sign of a true master of any art form, when the work they create looks as if anyone can do it. And there aren’t many people in the world who have ever done it as well as Lynn. That’s why I was thrilled she took a few moments to chat with me about her wordsmith-ing ways and a whole bunch of other stuff like . . . Why NOT being known as a book writer, despite having written the book to a whole bunch of shows, is actually a compliment. How Audra McDonald helped inspire “Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime. What we (including ME!) need to do to encourage more women writers. How she and Stephen Flaherty have kept their collaboration going longer than most marriages. What she wants every young writer to do (which will make this guy really happy). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972), and Wicked (2003). He has contributed lyrics to a number of successful films, including Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt (music and lyrics), and Enchanted. Schwartz has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, three Grammy Awards, three Academy Awards, and has been nominated for six Tony Awards. He received the 2015 Isabelle Stevenson Award, a special Tony Award, for his commitment to serving artists and fostering new talent. I first met Stephen when we started putting together the revival of Godspell and was immediately blown away by his ability to get to the heart of any musical moment and mine it for all that it’s worth . . . but at the same time he had an innate understanding of the business of Broadway.  I remember thinking one day during a meeting that if he wasn’t composing Broadway megahits like Wicked and Pippin or writing Academy Award-winning tunes like “Colors of the Wind,” this guy would have made a helluva Producer. And thankfully, he sat down with me once again . . . and this time, I turned on the recorder, and got this podcast, where Stephen and I talk about all things including Broadway and beyond, like: The big shock Stephen got when he started his 2nd show on Broadway. Why he won’t tell you what his favorite song is . . . and what Stephen Sondheim has to do with it. The moment he knew Wicked had to be a musical. How he can work for a year on a show without writing one note of music . . . and why that is so important. What he tells every single one of his collaborators before they start working together on a show. Enjoy this master class in writing and producing and surviving in the business of Broadway. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe Mantello is an actor and director best known for his work on Broadway productions of Wicked, Take Me Out and Assassins, as well as earlier in his career being one of the original Broadway cast of Angels in America. He began his theatrical career as an actor in Keith Curran's Walking the Dead and Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz. He directed the Jon Robin Baitz play Other Desert Cities at the Booth Theater in 2011. He returned to acting for the first time in over a decade with the role of Ned Weeks in the Broadway limited engagement revival of The Normal Heart in April 2011, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award as Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. Other shows he has directed include the Off-Broadway world premiere of the musical Dogfight, the Broadway premiere of The Other Place, and Sting's new musical The Last Ship.  What did Joe and I chat about?  Listen in to hear: Why Joe loathes auditioning Actors, but what he looks for. How he forgot who Julia Roberts was weeks after working with her . . . and why that was a good thing. How he dealt with failure by returning to his roots, which bounced him back to better than he was before. What Norbert Leo Butz told ME about the tryout of Wicked and whether or not Joe agreed. How he “pivoted” (oooh, such a buzzy business word) from a Broadway Actor to a Broadway Director and how you can transition from one job to another too. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Cohen is a lawyer that works in theatrical licensing who in the President of Music Theatre International, having previously worked as a lawyer with the firm Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld; and as the General Manager of GlassNote Records. Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theatres from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond.  Since the licensing industry isn’t one that gets talked about a lot, I was thrilled that Drew invited me into his office for this candid talk on everything from: Can a show get licensed if it is never produced in New York City? What do high schools look for when choosing a show to do? How has technology changed licensing? When should the rights to a show be released . . . after a show closes or (GASP) before? What you can do to get your show licensed by a company like MTI. One of Drew’s greatest assets is that he loves the theater, but he didn’t grow up in it.  So he tackles it with the same passion we all have, but he’s got a pure business background.  That’s good for all of us, since he’s distributing content to our future actors, authors . . . and audience.  The more he distributes today, the healthier Broadway will be tomorrow.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daryl Roth is an American ten time Tony Award-winning producer who has produced over 90 productions on and off Broadway. She is the only producer of seven Pulitzer Prize-winning plays: Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park (Tony Award); Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County (Tony Award); Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics; David Auburn’s Proof (Tony Award); Margaret Edson’s Wit; Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive; and Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women. Other Broadway shows she has produced include Nick & Nora (1991), Desire Under the Elms (2009), A Little Night Music (2009), Driving Miss Daisy (2010), Annie (revival, 2012), Kinky Boots (2013, Tony Award), This Is Our Youth (2014), and An Act of God (2015). Off-Broadway productions include Tea at Five (2003), Esoterica (2006), The Judy Show (2011), and The Velveteen Rabbit (2012). Daryl took a break from being one of the most prolific Producers around and chatted with me about her perspective on Broadway, Off Broadway and much more, including . . . How listening to a voice inside her that she never heard before got her to produce her very first show.  And how you should listen to the same one. Why aren’t there more women lead Producers?  Is there still an old Broadway boys’ club? And what can we do about it? How Kinky Boots was born. What she looks for when picking a producing partner (listen to this podcast to hear from one of those partners himself). Why after all this Broadway success, she still remains committed to Off Broadway.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gregg Barnes is a costume designer for stage and film. Barnes is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design for his work on the Broadway productions of The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) and Follies (2011). He taught at New York University in the Graduate School for 20 years. He was the resident costume designer for the Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, New Jersey. I had so much to learn from Gregg, and thankfully he schooled me up on everything wardrobe related and more, like: What social media site is his new favorite design tool. Why Broadway costumes are so darn expensive. How to calculate the right costume budget. His first step when designing any new show. When he likes to be hired on a show, and who MUST be hired before him.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Stroman is a theatre director, choreographer, film director and performer. Her notable theater productions include The Producers, Crazy for You, Contact, and The Scottsboro Boys. She is a five-time Tony Award winner, four for Best Choreography and one as Best Director of a Musical for The Producers. In addition, she is a recipient of two Laurence Olivier Awards, five Drama Desk Awards, eight Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards, and the George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theater. She is a 2014 inductee in the American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City.  “Stro” started her career as a Choreographer of shows like Show Boat and Crazy for You, before following in the steps of Fosse and Bennett and becoming a Director/Choreographer.  The Music Man, The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and The Scottsboro Boys are just a few of the titles on her long resume. That transition from Broadway dancer to Broadway Choreographer to Broadway Director-Choreographer is just one of the things we discussed in her podcast, along with: How she convinced Kander & Ebb to let her and some friends create the (fantastic) revue that started her Choreographic career. Her first step when she’s creating “steps.” Why she doesn’t have a style, but how she does have a signature (and hear my mind get blown as I realize what she’s talking about). Why Choreographers make great Directors. How to work with titans of the entertainment industry like Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. Oh, and, in this podcast, you’ll hear the debut of my brand new James Lipton-like question, which I’m calling “The Smithsonian.” Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ted Chapin was chosen by the Rodgers and Hammerstein families to run their office.  He expanded it into the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, which is responsible for management of the copyrights created by Richard Rodgers and/or Oscar Hammerstein II. On his watch, there have been new major productions of their musicals on Broadway (seven Tony Awards for Best Revival so far), in London, and around the world. In addition, he brought in the representation of other extraordinary musical artists including Irving Berlin.  In addition to revivals, he has encouraged new Broadway productions, among them Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, State Fair, A Grand Night for Singing, and Holiday Inn as well as major television productions such as The Sound of Music Live! on NBC. I was thrilled when Ted accepted my invite to appear on my podcast, because I knew he’d drop some wisdom bombs for all of us to learn from, and boy did he.  Tune in and listen to Ted talk about all things theater, R&H and more, including . . . His secret trick to pronouncing Hammerstein the correct way (and hear me get it right, then wrong, then right again . . . oh boy). What happens when the copyrights on the R&H classics expire? Would Oklahoma! be a hit if it were produced today? What the @#&$ is the Tony Administration Committee and what does it do anyway? How he decides what can be done and can’t be done in new R&H productions (and hear how he almost had to shut one down – and why it was a tougher decision than you’d think). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Henry Hwang is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. His best-known play was M. Butterfly, which premiered on Broadway in 1988. The play is a deconstruction of Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly, alluding to news reports of the 20th-century relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Chinese opera singer. The play won numerous awards for Best Play: a Tony Award (which Hwang was the first Asian American to win), the Drama Desk Award, the John Gassner Award, and the Outer Critics Circle Award. His next project was a radical revision of Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, II, and Joseph Fields' musical Flower Drum Song. Other work he has done includes Trying to Find Chinatown, As the Crow Flies, Chinglish, The Dance and the Railroad, and the books for Aida and Tarzan. David has written plays, musicals, television, opera and more.  He’s terrific proof that if you’re a master story teller, you can adapt that skill to any medium (focus on the fundamentals, kids). David shared what it takes to work in all those different mediums and a whole bunch of other stories about working in our biz like: What it was like to have his first play premiere at The Public. How the first time he heard M. Butterfly read out loud was at the first rehearsal for the Broadway production! What we can do better to encourage more diversity on and off our stages. Why there wasn’t an opening night party for M. Butterfly. How the development of new plays has changed . . . and whether that’s for the better. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Caird is an English stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm (Dramaten). John Caird is a guy who defies convention and at the same time has achieved incredible conventional success.  His credits include the epic The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Jane Eyre, a ton of shows at the RSC, operas all over the world and oh yeah, that little show called Les Misérables.   He’s also a writer as well, and his most recent credit happens to be Daddy Long Legs playing at my very own theater. While we were in tech for DLL, I pulled John aside to hear what other advice he had for me and for all of you out there, including: What he thought right after the heard the demo of Les Miz (his answer should be printed on a t-shirt and worn by artists everywhere). Why he doesn’t read reviews. Why he wouldn’t let Andrew Lloyd Webber change the title of Song & Dance. Would the 8.5-hour Nicholas Nickleby get produced today? With all these big shows and big operas, why he was so drawn to an intimate two-character musical like Daddy Long Legs (and why you should be too). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Casey Nicholaw is an American theatre director, choreographer and performer. He has been nominated for Tony Awards for directing and choreographing The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), The Book of Mormon (2011), Something Rotten! (2015), and Mean Girls (2018), for directing The Prom (2019), and for choreographing Monty Python's Spamalot (2005) and Aladdin (2014), winning for his co-direction of The Book of Mormon with Trey Parker. He also was nominated for the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Direction and Choreography for The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) and Something Rotten! (2015) and for Outstanding Choreography for Spamalot (2005). Casey Nicholaw is an 8-time Tony Nominee and a big winner for his direction of Book of Mormon.  You know that show, right?  One of the biggest hits of the century?  Yeah, that was Casey’s. Along with Drowsy Chaperone, Spamalot, Elf, Something Rotten!, Aladdin and more. He’s got a nose for what works, and is also one of the nicest guys in the biz (when talking about Casey and his incredible career, I often say, “I love it when great things happen to great people”). And he’s today’s podcast guest!  Listen in to hear him talk about: His secret to choosing material or what kind of shows lots and lots and lots of people want to see. How he turned Aladdin from a show in trouble out-of-town into a big fat hit. Why Choreographers make great Directors. What losing his hair had to do with the start of his career. How he maintains a show (or his many shows) after they are open. Enjoy and I hope you learn as much as I did! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Greenblatt is an American television executive, former Chairman of NBC Entertainment and current Chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment. He began his television career at the Fox Broadcasting Company, where he ran prime-time programming and developed such shows as the original Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place, The X-Files, and Party of Five. From 1997 to 2003, he was an award-winning producer of over a dozen series for various networks, including Six Feet Under. From 2003 to 2010, he was President of Entertainment for Showtime. Under his leadership, he developed and supervised award-winning shows like Weeds, Dexter, Californication, and The Tudors. As a theatrical producer, he developed the musical stage adaptation of 9 to 5, which  was nominated for four Tony Awards. Under his watch, NBC is also the home of Smash, The Sound of Music Live, Peter Pan Live, the upcoming The Wiz . . . and who knows what other Broadway-themed entertainment Bob is cookin’ up?  But whatever he’s got in mind, expect it to be good, and expect it to help continue to expand Broadway’s growin’ brand.  And we owe him a big thank you for that. I was able to thank him in person when he came to our office for this enlightening podcast about Broadway, television and their juxtaposition.   Listen in to hear Bob talk about . . . How does one get to be the Chairman of a network anyway? What he’d do differently if he were producing 9 to 5 again (Bob was the lead Producer of the Dolly musical). The reaction he got when he told his team he wanted to air a musical on NBC . . . live . . . and how he got the courage to do it anyway. Could a reality casting show work on network TV? How developing a television show is similar to developing a Broadway show. And lastly, you’ll hear a prediction at the end of the podcast from me, about how I expect Broadway to go through yet another growth period in a few years, and what will be the cause (hint, hint, it has something to do with today’s podcast guest). Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David J. Kurs is the producer and artistic director of Deaf West Theatre. Their 2015 production of Spring Awakening, an intermodal rock-musical adaptation of a controversial late-19th-century German play about growing up in a sexually repressive culture, had an extended run, and is headed for Broadway. Pick your format, whatever your format, and listen to/watch/read Mr. Kurs talk about all things involved in being an Artistic Director and his company’s second foray to Broadway, like: Why deaf actors make the best actors around. Why, unlike other Artistic Directors of nonprofits, DJ doesn’t want Deaf West to have its own venue. How Broadway can be more accessible. The challenges of marketing Deaf West productions to a mainstream audience . . . in Los Angeles. How Spring Awakening got started, and why it’s a symbolic production for the deaf community. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spencer Liff is a choreographer, dancer, and performer. He has earned two Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Choreography for his work on the hit FOX TV series “So You Think You Can Dance”, where he has been a resident choreographer. He was the choreographer for the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. This re-imagined production originated in Los Angeles with Deaf West Theater.  He was nominated for a Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Astaire Award for the shows run on Broadway, and won both the Los Angeles Ovation Award and The Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award. His regional theatre credits include Oliver!, World of Color (Disneyland), Sleepless in Seattle, and Saturday Night Fever. He made his Broadway debut in Big-The Musical, followed by The Wedding Singer, Cry-baby, Equus, and 9 to 5. Listen to Spencer talk about Spring and a whole lot more, including: What a whole bunch of rocks had to do with his career choice. Why being an actor and dancer was the best education he could have had as a choreographer. The difference between choreographing for television and choreographing for the stage. How life for choreographers in 2015 is different than in 1995. Just how the heck did he teach actors that can’t hear the music how to dance in Spring Awakening (and hear him reveal some of the secret cues in the show that help cue the actors)? Click above to listen and learn!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duncan Sheik is an American singer-songwriter and composer. He is known for his 1996 debut single "Barely Breathing", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. He has composed music for motion pictures and the Broadway stage, winning Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations for his work on the 2006 musical Spring Awakening. Tune in and listen to Duncan talk about all things related to his pre-Broadway and Broadway career, including: How four guys in a van made him second guess the pop music world. Why his dislike for musicals made him want to write one. What he’d say to other popular artists who want to write for musical theater. What a Broadway musical should sound like. What to do when you hate your own show. Duncan ushered in a new era of music for Broadway with his score for Spring Awakening.  And in this podcast, you’ll hear just how he did it.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Sater is an American poet, playwright, lyricist, television writer and screenwriter. Him and Duncan Sheik worked together on Spring Awakening, a musical interpretation of German playwright Frank Wedekind's play of the same name. In 2007, Sater won two Tony Awards for his work on Spring Awakening. He won the Tony for Best Book and Best Musical Score, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, and the Outer Critic Circle Award for Best Lyrics. The pair received the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and, in addition, The Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk, the Lucille Lortel, New York Drama Critics' Circle, the Drama League Award, and the 2008 London Critics' Circle and Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Musical.  Just wait until you hear some of the poetic truth bombs he drops about writing for the theater, about Spring and about living life in general.  His story could be a musical itself, with the number of dragons he slayed in order to get where he is today.  And we talk about everything, including: Publishing his first novel . . . at age five. How he turned an almost fatal accident into an opportunity to master ancient Greek. Why he prefers writing lyrics and book, rather than just the book . . . and why. Why he writes on yellow pads with a pencil rather than on a computer. Where he got the idea for Spring Awakening in the first place and what he thought when the curtain went up on the very first production. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Arden is an actor, musician and stage director. He made his Broadway debut as Tom Sawyer in the 2003 Roundabout and Deaf West revival of Big River. He played the title character in Pippin for the World AIDS Day Broadway benefit concert in November 2004. His regional theatre credits include Pippin, God of Vengeance, Falsettoland, Tom Jones' Harold and Maude, West Side Story, Songs for a New World, The Common Pursuit and The Winter's Tale. He directed Deaf West Theatre's acclaimed Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. The production marked his return to Deaf West and featured a cast made up of both deaf and hearing actors, performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and English. On May 3, 2016 Arden received a Tony Award nomination in the category Best Direction of a Musical for his work on the Spring Awakening revival. Listen in to hear Michael and I talk about some things Spring and some things not, like . . . What it was like going to school at Juilliard . . . and how they reacted when he left early. Why there is a great theater scene in Los Angeles. How being a Director has made it both harder and easier for him to work for one as an Actor. What the heck is the Milan Conference and why does it make Spring Awakening ideal for incorporating hearing and deaf actors into the production? How you should wear multiple hats with pride.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph Sevush is the Executive Director of Business & Legal Affairs at the Dramatists Guild You don’t know about the Dramatists Guild?  Well, you’re about to, because in this podcast, Ralph is not only going to tell you how it started, but why it started, and why it ain’t never going away.  He also talks about . . . What the heck is the APC (Approved Production Contract) anyway? Why he’d like to sit down with Broadway Producers and recalibrate that APC for today’s unique producing market. Does he agree with John Breglio about the potential for a Hollywood writer deal working on Broadway? How the current Producer – Writer negotiation system is costing producers money, and how we can fix it. Why the Boston Red Sox really are superior to the New York Mets. (Ok, ok, he didn’t talk about that – that was just me throwing that in there . . . hehe.) What you’re going to love about this podcast is the passion with which this man works to protect every single writer out there, whether you’re a five–time Tony winner, or a rookie who just joined the Guild . . . but also how Ralph acknowledges that the business has changed since the Guild was formed and how the Guild is eager to change with it. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Rando is a stage director who won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for Urinetown the Musical in 2002. He received his 2nd nomination in the same category in 2015 for the 2014 Broadway revival of On the Town. He has directed Off-Broadway, on Broadway and in regional theatre. On Broadway he made his debut in 1994 as the Assistant Director for the Arthur Miller play Broken Glass. He next directed on Broadway in 2000, with the play The Dinner Party by Neil Simon. Rando directed the musical Urinetown, which opened in 2001 and closed in 2004, and won the 2002 Tony Award for Direction of a Musical. He directed several staged concerts of musicals for New York City Center's Encores!: Strike Up the Band, Do Re Mi, The Pajama Game, On the Town, Damn Yankees, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Little Me. If you’re a Director, or just plan on working with a Director (which is all of us), then listen in to this enlightening podcast to hear John talk about . . . How he created his own major in college to pursue the theater. Why Directors have to balance art and commerce just like Producers. The story of the unlikely success of Urinetown.   Why he likes to work with people with opinions. The most controversial question I’ve ever asked on any podcast to date. You’re going to learn a lot by listening to the Director of Urinetown, The Wedding Singer, and this past season’s glorious On the Town talk Broadway . . . but one of the most interesting things you’re going to learn is that John is simply a great guy. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Theresa Rebeck is an American playwright, television writer, and novelist. Her work has appeared on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage, in film, and on television. Among her awards are the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award. In 2012, she received the Athena Film Festival Award for Excellence as a Playwright and Author of Films, Books, and Television. Her works have influenced American playwrights by bringing a feminist edge in her old works. Tune in to hear the writer of Seminar and Smash talk about . . . How the heck she writes so much and where she gets her ideas. The differences between writing for the Stage and the Screen, and how she switches hats in an instant. What happened with Smash, and could we ever see another Broadway-themed TV show? How she and I became friends, and why that’s important to your career. What all young writers should be doing. . . . and a heck of a lot more . . . because we packed a lot of stuff into this 30 minute podcast, which is punctuated with Theresa’s infectious positivity and incredible passion for what she does. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristin Caskey is a producer. Along with Hal Luftig and Mike Isaacson, she received a Tony Award for her producing work on Urinetown. She has also produced One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Legally Blonde, Bring It On: The Musical, and Fun Home. I’ve known Kristin since the Millie days, when I was a Company Manger, and she was a first time lead Producer.  As the President of Fox Theatricals, she’s produced a ton since then, including Legally Blonde, Caroline, or Change, Bring It On, and more. I was so thrilled when she agreed to jump on the ol’ podcast so she could talk about her career since Millie, as well as . . . How she saw huge potential in Fun Home when so many (including myself) were scared by its subject matter. Why relationships with Authors are such important things for Producers to develop. For once and for all . . . is there a “road-block” of Tony Award voters? What she wishes she knew about Broadway Producing when she started that she knows now. Do you want to be a producer?  And are you not in NY (just like she wasn’t when she started)?  Here’s what you should do. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Albert Nocciolino serves as President & CEO of NAC Entertainment, Ltd., a diversified entertainment and theatrical company based in Binghamton, NY specializing in the presentation of national touring Broadway shows in New York State (Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Elmira, Utica, and Albany) and the State of Pennsylvania (Scranton and Erie). In addition to directing the Broadway subscription seasons in these cities, He is also responsible for producing and co-producing shows on Broadway and national touring shows across the country. He received Tony Awards in 2013 for Kinky Boots (Best Musical), 2010 for La Cage aux Folles (Best Revival of a Musial), 2005 for Spamalot (Best Musical) and in 2002 for Thoroughly Modern Millie (Best Musical).  Al is one of the Independent Presenters out there that helped build the modern touring market.  And his passion for what he does is evident in every single one of his answers in this episode, where we discuss everything from . . . What exactly is a “Presenter” anyway? The process of how shows get booked on the road (Do they need a NY run or not?). Why a Touring Presenter is like an Artistic Director. Does non-union touring have a place in the market? The Independent Presenters Network, and how it’s changing the touring landscape. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kurt Deutsch is an actor, director, record producer, and film producer. He is the Senior Vice President for Theatrical & Catalog Development for Warner/Chappell Music, and President of Sh-K-Boom Records, a division of Warner Arts Music. The past 20 years have wreaked havoc on the music industry, and cast albums have become an endangered species as a result. Luckily, one guy saw this change coming. And back in the early part of the millennium, Kurt struck out on his own, and with Broadway actress Sherie Rene Scott he founded the independent label Sh-K-Boom Records. Its mission? Save Broadway music, one cast album at a time. Since then, Sh-K-Boom and its upstart sister label Ghostlight Records have grabbed the lion’s share of the cast album biz away from the big “studio” companies, recording big hits like The Book of Mormon, In the Heights, Next to Normal and many more. And Kurt sat down with me for this week’s episode to talk about . . . The state of the cast album and why every show needs one. Why albums should be part of a show’s capitalization, not an afterthought (he changed my mind on this one). What we will sell at the merch stands when CDs are no longer made. How to get an album for sale by opening night. Why if you’re writing a show, you have to have a demo. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Raymond Barker is an actor, singer, writer, and voice over artist living in NYC where he recently made his network television debut guest starring on Law & Order: SVU. New York theatre credits include several new works (including Lee Feldman’s Greene) and appearances throughout the cabaret and nightlife scene, including many at the historic Stonewall Inn. He co-wrote the devised work, Gold Coast, with Stages on the Sound for Metropolitan Playhouse’s Gilded Stage Festival under the guidance of Tectonic Theater Project’s Scott Barrow.  In January 2019, John made his network television debut guest starring as Karl Patton on Law & Order: SVU on NBC. Broadway is a community of hundreds and hundreds of employees who all help make its crazy wheel go round, eight times a week. And of all of the jobs, ushers talk to more of our ticket buyers than anyone. I reached out to my friends over at Jujamcyn Theaters and asked for their help in picking one of their experienced vets to help me understand what was happening on the front lines. And they introduced me to John, an actor whose “night job” is ushering at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Listen in to this podcast to hear John’s first hand knowledge and insight on things like . . . What’s the biggest complaint our audience has about going to the theater? How training for ushers is different than it was ten years ago (at least for some of the theater chains). How can we make Patti LuPone sleep easy at night and improve theater etiquette? How texting is the least of our problems in the theater. The solution to the bathroom debate.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Victoria Bailey is executive director of Theatre Development Fund (TDF), the only not-for profit organization dedicated to serving the entire spectrum of the performing arts with programs that touch the lives of millions of New Yorkers and visitors each year. Its TKTS booths and its membership, education, subsidy, access and dance programs all further its core mission. Ms. Bailey was also instrumental in the execution of a comprehensive study of the lives of American playwrights and the production of new American Plays. Listen in as Tory, one of the most powerful people in the biz, thanks to the millions of dollars TDF generates for Broadway and Off Broadway shows, talks about all things TDF and more like: The origins of the TKTS booth and what’s next for “the trailer” (and how did it get that name anyway?). The kind of theater that excites her, and where she thinks shows are headed in the future (and she’s a Tony Nominator, so listen in folks). What happened to Audience Development Directors? Why Commercial Producers like me need non-profit institutions like TDF (and it ain’t about the booth). Where TDF will be in 20 years. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stuart Oken is a producer. He leads Elephany Eye Theatrical, whose projects have included An American in Paris, The Addams Family, Saved and Venice. As Executive VP at Disney, Theatrical, he produced The Lion King, Aida and Der Glockner Von Notre Dame. Mr. Oken founded Chicago's Appollo Theater Center and produced the motion pictures About Last Night, Impromptu and Queens Logic. He served as president of Witt-Thomas Films at Warner Brothers and founded and served as artistic director of the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. Stuart is another fantastic example of how everyone’s path to producing on Broadway is unique. I’ll leave the “tell-all” part to Stuart, but he went from small independent producer to movie producer to corporate theater producer all the way back to big time independent producer. And he has had success at every stop along the way. What’s his secret? It’s all in the podcast. Listen in to hear Stuart talk about: Why his business plan only includes new musicals. How he set up his development company like a movie studio. His simple secret to raising money for Broadway shows. Why involving your producing partners is one of the most important things a Lead Producer can do. What it was like being the favorite to win the Best Musical Tony Award, and why he thinks Paris didn’t win.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Brantley, Chief Drama Critic of the New York Times, has been a staff critic since 1996, filing reviews regularly from London as well as New York. Subjects of his profiles include the underground Belarus Free Theater in Minsk, and Barbra Streisand in Malibu. Thanks to his willingness to jump on my podcast, you’re going to get a chance to know the guy behind the “Ben.” In this enlightening podcast with the Chief Drama Critic of the New York Times, you’ll hear . . . His favorite theater-going experiences during his reign as a critic How often he tears up at the theater Why he has no friends in the theater Why he prefers Off Broadway to Broadway The show he just saw that he loved, and what he’s looking forward to next season There’s a lot to learn on this podcast, including how to get the attention of a NY Times critic and how best to write a review . . . but the most important thing to learn is that is everyone in this business, including the people you disagree with, got into it in the first place because they love it.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jack Tantleff is the head of the theatrical literary department at the powerhouse agency Paradigm. Some clients include Glenn Slater, David Yazbek, Oscar winner Alfred Yuri, Stephen King and Sara Bareilles. Jack was instrumental in putting together the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Side Show, which was the subject of an incredible article in the New York Times, And in this podcast you'll hear: How his career all comes down to air conditioning. Why didn’t Side Show work? Need an agent? Here’s what to say in a pitch letter . . . and here’s what NOT to say. Why making deals is more challenging today than twenty years ago. How the upcoming Waitress by Sara Bareilles (who he reps) came together. And more!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Breglio, entertainment lawyer and Broadway producer, has concentrated on representing companies and individuals involved in all aspects of the entertainment industry, including the legitimate theatre, motion picture, publishing and music businesses, and intellectual property matters. He has been instrumental in assisting his clients to develop, finance and produce hundreds of plays, musicals and films for nearly 40 years. The scope of his experience ranges from advising film, television and video companies on the development, financing and distribution of entertainment products to advising Broadway and Off-Broadway producers and theater owners on producing and presenting dramatic plays, musicals and revues. He has represented literally hundreds of individual performing and other artists in their professional careers such as Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, August Wilson, Michael Bennett, Marvin Hamlisch, Bernadette Peters, Peter Martins and the heirs of the late Bob Marley. John Breglio is “Broadway’s Attorney,” having repped some of the most important and influential people in the biz, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, Michael Bennett, and Marvin Hamlisch, as well as Producers, Non-Profits, and so many others. He helped write contracts and deals (like the workshop agreement) that have had long lasting ripple effects throughout our industry (and without a doubt for the better – thanks to his unique ability to approach negotiations from both perspectives) Listen in to hear: Why contracting is faster, but negotiating is slower, than 20 years ago. Could a Hollywood Author model ever work on Broadway? Will Dreamgirls come back to Broadway? Hear the inside scoop about what’s next for this historic piece. What Michael Bennett would think of Broadway today. And more.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steve Schnepp is president of Broadway Booking Office NYC, a theatrical tour booking, marketing and press agency representing Broadway, London-based shows and family productions. He has more than 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry and has collaborated on more than 75 productions. Steven began booking Les Misérables for Cameron Mackintosh in 1989 and has been booking shows ever since. Previously, he served as press agent in Dallas, house manager in Austin and touring company manager across North America. Steven was associate producer for the original The Light in the Piazza tour and a co-producer of Chicago’s OVATIONS! Concert Celebrations of Great American Musicals. He is a member of The Broadway League, the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers. On this episode you’ll hear Steve talk about . . . The key ingredient a show needs to make a tour possible (besides him, of course). Whether or not stars matter on the road in 2015. What Les Miz sold for twenty years ago, and why that’s not so different from what it sells for today. How to get your show touring. Is there a place for the non-union tour?   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin McCollum is an American theatrical booking executive and producer of musical theater and plays, many on Broadway. During a producing career spanning over twenty-five years, he has received three Tony Awards for Best Musical for In the Heights, Avenue Q, and Rent. Other producing credits include Motown the Musical (Broadway and tour), The Drowsy Chaperone (five 2006 Tony Awards), Baz Luhrmann's La Bohème (two 2002 Tony Awards), the hit revival of West Side Story (2009), Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (2011), and [title of show] (2008). Listen in to this podcast to hear Producer Kevin McCollum talk about everything from . . . Why his formula for success is no formula at all. What Cameron Mackintosh said to him when Kevin auditioned for Les Miserables. Why raising money is still a lot of work, no matter how many shows you recoup. His simple advice for anyone looking to start producing today. His message for every politician in every small town in America.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scott Schwartz is an internationally known artist whose work has been seen on and off Broadway, across the United States, in Great Britain, Europe and Asia. Currently, his production of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame is running in both Japan and Germany. He is the Artistic Director of Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, NY. For over twenty years, he has built a reputation for pursuing and embracing a wide range of works for the stage, from new plays to classics to musicals and opera. Schwartz directed the hit off-Broadway musicals Bat Boy: The Musical at the Union Square Theatre (2001 Drama Desk Award Nomination, Outstanding Director of a Musical, 2001 Outer Critics Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award - Best Off-B'way Musical), Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... Boom! at the Jane Street Theatre (2002 Drama Desk Award Nomination, Outstanding Director of a Musical), Murder For Two at Second Stage Uptown and subsequently at New World Stages, and Rooms: A Rock Romance also at New World Stages. Listen in to this in-the-trenches podcast to hear . . . The difference between directing in regional theater versus directing on Broadway How being the son of Stephen Schwartz helped influence Scott’s choice in being a director The mysteries of the Tony Nominating process and why he had to recuse himself this year What makes a great tryout city What it’s like working for Disney on a developing project like The Hunchback of Notre Dame And oodles more.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Claffey is the President of Local One, the powerful Stagehands’ union. He worked throughout the Local One jurisdiction since 1982 in venues including Radio City Music Hall, the City Center 55th Street Dance Theatre, Madison Square Garden, CBS-TV, ABCTV and various Broadway theatres. Listen in to hear . . . How one becomes a Stagehand and how you can, too. Why he responds to emails he gets right away, even at midnight. The one myth about Stagehands that he can’t stand. What the 2007 Broadway Stagehands Strike taught him. The one crisis that is crippling all unions and all companies, including Producers.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Timothy Rice is an English lyricist and author. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita; with Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, with whom he wrote Chess; and with Disney on Aladdin, The Lion King, the stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, and the original Broadway musical Aida. He also wrote lyrics for the Alan Menken musical King David, and for DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado. Listen in to hear Sir Timothy talk about . . . The secret ingredient needed for a great musical Which comes first, the music or the lyrics, and more importantly, why Tim’s least favorite of his own lyrics How he deals with getting notes (and if he can take ’em, so can you!) And how the sippy cup may mean the end of Broadway as we know it Hand to God is a Broadway play that was recently nominated for five Tony Awards, including for Best New Play. It is a puppet comedy about a possessed Christian-ministry puppet. Check it out here: handtogodbroadway.com Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Busch is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and female impersonator, known for his appearances on stage in his own camp style plays and in film and television. He wrote and starred in his early plays Off-off-Broadway beginning in 1978, generally in drag roles, and also acted in the works of other playwrights. He also wrote for television and began to act in films and on television in the late 1990s. His best known play is The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2000), which was a success on Broadway. Listen to hear: How a guy that doesn’t know his own phone number went out and built his incredible award winning career, by sheer willpower and passion Why not getting cast in his college productions was the best thing that ever happened to him What made him start performing in drag Why he hates the word “mainstream” How Vampire Lesbians . . . one of the longest running shows in Off Broadway history, started out as a sketch, and more . . .   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Furze has almost 20 years experience in destination and theatrical advertising, with extensive knowledge of both the London and New York markets. In London, between 2000 and 2008, she led the integrated marketing campaigns for more than 50 plays, musicals, and theatrical venues. Following her move to the United States in 2008, she launched AKA NYC as New York’s first full-service advertising and marketing agency specializing in live entertainment and cultural destinations. As Managing Partner, Furze oversees the strategic vision and business development of the agency and leads a team of over 75 dynamic advertising professionals to deliver creative, strategic and insightful cross-platform campaigns to agency clients. Current and recent agency clients include multiple Broadway productions and destination and cultural clients including: New York Botanical Gardens; The Metropolitan Opera; Empire Outlets; and, New York YMCA. Liz is gonna share some of that knowledge with you, like . . . Can a Tony Advertising Campaign really win a Tony? (Timely convo, considering the nominations are announced tomorrow!) The difference between advertising in the West End versus advertising on Broadway. Why print advertising can still be effective. What form of media may be dead in just five years (this will SHOCK you!). What she learned from being the new kid on the Broadway block. And more!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernard Telsey is a casting director and co-founder of MCC Theater. In the 1980s, he began working for Simon & Kumin Casting as an assistant, then a casting director at Risa Bramon & Billy Hopkins Casting. Shows his company has cast include (Broadway) Rent, Wicked, In the Heights, South Pacific, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Equus, Legally Blonde, A Catered Affair, The Homecoming, Talk Radio, November, Grey Gardens, The Color Purple, The Rocky Horror Show, All Shook Up, Tarzan, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, (Off-Broadway) reasons to be pretty, 50 Words, Almost an Evening, and De La Guarda. He has cast for several theatre companies including the Atlantic Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, New York Theatre Workshop, Drama Dept, ACT in San Francisco, La Jolla Playhouse, McCarter Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Hartford Stage, and Goodman Theatre. Films cast include Rachel Getting Married, Sex and the City, Margin Call, Across the Universe, Dan in Real Life, Pieces of April, Rent. Rent established Telsey as someone who casts unconventional shows, which got him assigned to cast The Capeman. He is notable for discovering Taye Diggs, Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, and Jesse L. Martin. Telsey has also served for seven years as the New York Vice-President of the Casting Society of America. Listen to this podcast and hear: Why a Casting Director is just like a Designer. What it was like seeing Idina Menzel audition for Rent before she was Idina Menzel. How talent has changed in the last twenty years. What Bernie looks for when actors walk in the room. The difference between casting theater and tv/film. And oodles more . . .   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Wasser has a combination of extensive entertainment law experience and a background in corporate and securities law that enables him to work with clients on a broad range of business and legal issues. In addition to counseling clients as part of the firm’s theatrical practice, Dan also works with entertainment industry clients in connection with matters such as mergers and acquisitions and employment agreement for senior executives in public and private companies. It’s a fascinating time in the legal world of Broadway shows, particularly in the area of how money is raised for Broadway shows. That’s why I picked one of the experts in our industry on financing for this episode, Daniel M. Wasser of Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo! I’ve worked with Dan for over a decade, and he has given me some fantastic advice over the years. But one of my favorites is this ol’ chestnut about what an attorney’s actual function is. In other words, they’ve got your back if you’re a massive hit or a massive flop. Listen to some more of Dan’s advice on this episode, like: When a Producer should hire an attorney. Could the movie model of paying artists work on Broadway? The most important part of any negotiation. The 3 Ways the JOBS Act could revolutionize Broadway fundraising. This section of the episode is perhaps the most comprehensive explanation of the JOBS Act including crowdfunding and how it relates to us out there.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Rockwell is an American architect and designer. He is the founder and president of Rockwell Group, a 250-person award-winning, cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice based in New York City with a satellite office in Madrid. There aren’t too many architects and designers that work in as many mediums as David.  As you’ll hear in this podcast, David got bit by the Broadway bug early in life, but then went on the unique path of designing other things, like hotels in Las Vegas, some of the most famous restaurants in the world, airport terminals, and more. But thankfully for us, he came back to Broadway. And thankfully for me (and for all of you listeners), he sat down with me on the stage of my theater to talk about . . . How he comes up with ideas for the design of his shows. Why transitions are the most important factor in a design. Who taught him to work in our world, after designing in so many other mediums. How Producers should work with designers (and how he deals with Producers). When designers should be hired for a Broadway show.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Kirdahy is a Tony and Olivier Award-winning theatre producer on Broadway and in the West End as well as a lawyer. After almost 20 years of providing free legal services to people with HIV/AIDS, he transitioned into theatrical producing with productions including Anastasia, Head Over Heels, Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), It's Only a Play, and The Visit (Tony nomination) on Broadway, and The Inheritance (Olivier Award for Best New Play), The Jungle, Master Class, and Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? in the West End. He recently produced the musical, Hadestown, which opened on Broadway in 2019 and subsequently won 8 Tony Awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical. He is the producer of the Olivier Award-winning play, The Inheritance, on Broadway and a new 2019 off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors.  He also recently produced the Broadway revival of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, starring Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon. Listen in to hear: Why being a Producer means taking advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself. How to work with stars and how not to work with stars. Whether or not he goes into the chat rooms during previews for a new show. How being a lawyer helped him be a Producer.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wendy Orshan of 101 Productions has General Managed a truckload of shows from Spamalot to The Elephant Man to The Addams Family to The Bridges of Madison County and so many more. Tune in to listen to Wendy talk about: Her definition of the Broadway show hierarchy or wheel-archy, and where a General Manager fits. Why sometimes working within the box is as important as thinking outside the box. The skills you need to produce and manage today that you didn’t need yesterday. Whether or not she would ever produce and why or why not. Her opinion on whether stars matter . . . or not. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard LaGravenese is an Academy Award nominated screenwriter and film director, best known as the writer of The Fisher King. There have been a ton of Broadway musical to movie adaptations over the years . . . from Chicago to Hairspray to Rent to Into the Woods. But there have been hardly any Off Broadway musical to movie adaptations. And then all of a sudden, here comes a film version of The Last 5 Years starring A-lister Anna Kendrick and soon-to-be-an-A-lister Jeremy Jordan. How did this movie happen? Two words. Richard LaGravenese. So what drew him to The Last 5 Years?  And what does he think about our industry? Listen to his podcast to hear: The difference between writing plays and writing screenplays. Why the business model of Broadway is much more attractive to writers than the business model of Hollywood. Why there are a lot of writer/directors in Hollywood but not so much here. And whether or not he’s got more musicals he wants to make into movies. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damian Bazadona is the founder of Situation Interactive, a digital marketing agency spotlighting see-it-to-believe-it experiences for the top brands in theater, arts, travel, tourism, film, television and sports. Over the years, Damian has worked with many notable brands including Stoli Vodka, The Metropolitan Opera, HBO, Major League Soccer, Wicked, and the Ad Council. His agency has also been honored with numerous workplace awards from Crain’s, Best Companies Group, Cynopsis, Digiday, and Fortune. Cynopsis also honored Damian with the Social Good Leader of the Year and HR Visionary of the Year awards. It wasn’t too long ago that the most buzzed phrase around the biz was “The future of advertising is online.” Broadway (and the rest of the world) got swept up in the digital marketing revolution so fast that our head is still spinning. You should listen to this podcast if you want a lesson in how “tech” can help theater expand its audience (and how it can help your show), but what I love about Damian is that he’s the industry’s top digital mind . . . yet his ideas, his initiatives, his campaigns are so rooted in classic, ol’ school marketing.  Listen in to hear . . . What Damian has in common with Al Gore. How he got more Twitter followers for a Broadway musical than a major brand and major celebrities. Where he was and what he did to boost If/Then sales when John Travolta butchered Idina’s name on the Oscars. Why Broadway should give away 15% of its inventory every year to kids who can’t afford it, and why it wouldn’t cost us a penny.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Roth is an American theater producer. He is the president and majority owner of Jujamcyn Theaters in New York City. Roth oversees five Broadway theatres including the St. James, Al Hirschfeld, August Wilson, Eugene O'Neill, and the Walter Kerr. Theater owners are the curators of Broadway. They are the protectors of the tradition. They guarantee all of our futures. And Jordan Roth, President of Jujamcyn Theaters, takes that responsibility seriously. Listen in to hear . . . Jordan’s “three bucket challenge” if you want a show in one of his theaters (which seems to be working well, since four of the five Jujamcyn theaters host Tony Award winners for Best Musical). How coming out affected his choice of a career. How his first show as a Producer, the interactive The Donkey Show, still stays with him in everything he does. His simple solution for one of Broadway’s greatest challenges – the lines at the bathroom.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hal Luftig started his career Off-Broadway working in some of New York's most storied and venerable theaters. There, he created fertile ground for up-and-coming talents like Eric Bogosian and Charles Busch, in shows like Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll and The Lady in Question. Soon, Hal began to produce on Broadway, as well. His shows have included Ariel Dorfman's Death & the Maiden, George Wolf's Jelly's Last Jam, Tony Kushner's Angels in America, the 20th Anniversary production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart at the Public Theater, the unexpurgated revival of The Diary of Anne Frank, Twyla Tharp and Billy Joel's Movin' Out, the work of comic geniuses like Whoopi Goldberg & Kathy Najimi, and Tony Award-winning new musicals like Thoroughly Modern Millie, as well as revivals of delightful classics like Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I and Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. The artists whose work he has produced have themselves moved on to win their own awards and run important institutions.Hal has gone on to be one of the leading producers in New York and around the globe. He has won four Tony Awards, including two as lead producer, and two Olivier Award, also as lead producer. Hal has seen all sides of the business, having worked his way up from working in an Off Broadway Theater, and subsequently producing Off Broadway shows, until he started producing big Broadway ones. And now he’s going to tell you all his secrets, including . . . What he believes modern Producers need to know to succeed. How Audra McDonald is helping him cross something off his bucket list. The wise words his therapist of a husband has told him that keeps him going through the tough times. The secret to campaigning for a Best Musical Tony Award.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todd Haimes (Artistic Director/CEO) joined Roundabout as the Executive Director at the age of 26. From 1983 to 1990, he served in that position, overseeing the company's finances, marketing and fundraising. Mr. Haimes has been the Artistic Director of Roundabout Theatre Company since July 1, 1990, and he became the Artistic Director and CEO in 2015. Mr. Haimes is the former President and currently serves on the Board of The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York – the service organization representing all not-for-profit theatres in New York City – and he is a member of the Broadway League Executive Committee. He is the recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award and was named a Crain’s New York Business 40 Under 40 honoree in 1992. It was under Todd’s leadership that the Roundabout Theater emerged from bankruptcy, acquired three (!) Broadway houses, and expanded its mission to produce classic musicals which eventually yielded productions like Cabaret with Alan Cumming. So how did this all happen? You’ll find out on this week’s podcast, where Todd tells me . . . Why he’s an Artistic Director that doesn’t direct. The three seminal moments that made Roundabout what it is today. How Roundabout almost went bust . . . more than once, and how his gut turned it around. Why never having a “master plan” was the best plan anyone could ever make. Why he hates premium pricing.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Riedel is an American theatre critic, broadcaster, and columnist. He is the co-host of "Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning" on 710 WOR in New York City, weekdays 6-10am. Riedel has been a controversial and influential Broadway columnist of the New York Post, for over 20 years. But there’s a lot about Michael that you may not know, which is why I sat down with the writer and over a 45 minute chat, Michael talked about: Why he never wanted to be a reviewer. What it was like having Arthur Miller work for him. Where he gets his gossip. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Hodges is a designer, strategist and founder of New York's SpotCo, a creative agency known for the iconic branding of Broadway shows Rent, Chicago, The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, and many more. If you asked me what the one skill I think a modern day Producer should have, it’s marketing . . . which is why this podcast is a crucial one for you to listen to. Listen to Drew talk about . . . His process for creating the art for a show. What he thinks about research and focus groups. Are they the future? Or should you forget about ’em? How Producers should work with their agencies, and how they shouldn’t. Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terrence McNally is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He has received the Tony Award for Best Play for Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, as well as the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Kiss of the Spider Woman and Ragtime. He is a 2018 inductee of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is a recipient of the Dramatists Guild Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Lucille Lortel Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his award-winning plays and musicals, he also written two operas, multiple screenplays, teleplays, and a memoir. Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally shares stories and advice from his 50+ years on Broadway including: How he spent his first night in New York City (I’ll give you a hint – he saw a show) The difference between writing a play and a musical How new playwrights can get discovered And more! Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nina Lannan, Broadway General Manager, Executive Producer and the co-founder of Bespoke Theatricals and has a line of management credits longer than the lines at women’s restroom at intermission that include all sorts of shows from Cats to Mamma Mia! to School of Rock. I learned so much during my few years as her management foot soldier, and I wanted you to get just a sample of what I got every single day, which is why I asked Nina to be the first GM guest on my podcast. And boy did she not disappoint. Listen to the podcast and hear Nina discuss: How Cats went more than a million dollars over budget, and couldn’t pay their bills. The difference between producing/managing in The West End compared to Broadway. The importance of not getting pushed around, even if you make a mistake. What super long running show she’s budgeting for a revival right now – that’s right guys, Nina gives us some scoop!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlotte St. Martin, the President of The Broadway League, the trade organization that oversees all of Broadway.  If you’re not sure exactly what The Broadway League does, and who makes up its 800 or so members, then, well, you really need to listen to this podcast because Charlotte will explain the whole thing to you. In addition she’ll talk about . . . Why Broadway is booming and what we can do to keep it booming What Broadway can learn from the hotel industry Why having Theater Owners and Producers in the same trade organization is a good thing Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick Miramontez began his career, direct from college, as the press director of the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre where he organized the campaigns for more than 25 major productions, including the RSC’s The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby and world premieres of Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, and James Kirkwood’s infamous Legends! (starring Mary Martin and Carol Channing, and documented in Kirkwood’s hilarious book, Diary of a Mad Playwright). He was the press director for the 1987 and 1990 Los Angeles Festival (the latter under the direction of Peter Sellars), seminal events in the American cultural world, where he presented Cirque du Soleil to the U.S. media, as well as Peter Brook’s epic The Mahabharata. On my very first episode, I chat with superpower press representative Rick Miramontez, co-founder and President of O&M, one of the leading publicity companies on The Great White Way. Kinky Boots, It’s Only A Play, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Beautiful . . . and that show that never got any press at all . . . Spider-Man . . . are just a few of Rick’s clients. We discuss press relations on Broadway and much more!   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices