Interview: Ken Davenport's Producing Perspective

Ken Davenport, Tony-Award winning Broadway producer, is gearing up for his next project "Once on This Island" to hit the Great White Way this fall. When not working on his three other Broadway shows (Groundhog Day, Kinky Boots, and The Play That Goes Wrong) he writes a blog called "The Producer's Perspective" giving up-and-coming theatre artists a 'behind the scenes' look at his role in the industry.

Mr. Davenport was gracious enough to sit down and talk with me about his career, the highly anticipated revival of "Once On This Island" and more.

Christopher Castanho: When was the moment you decided to enter the theatre world? Was there a moment growing up when you knew this was the industry for you?

Ken Davenport: My mom tells me I first kicked when she was watching a production of Godspell, so there was something about it back then that I wanted to be a part of. My parents dragged me to an audition at a local theater when I was five years old. I did it until about twelve as a hobby and didn't get serious about it until I was sixteen years old and I saw "Les Mis". After seeing that show I knew I wanted to be a part of an industry that had an effect on an audience the way that show had an effect on me. I gave up my dreams of becoming a lawyer and started to pursue a career in the theatre.

CC: You graduated from NYU with a BFA in Acting, so did you always want to produce, how did you get into that?

KD: Like most people who end up on the other side of the table, I started as an actor. Most people do start that way, because that's what we know. There aren't any producer positions on high school musical productions across the country. My blog encourages drama teachers to assign a producer for each show, so they can start the training early. I was lucky enough to get a Production Assistant position on a Broadway show when I was in college, it was an internship. That job opened my eyes to all of the other positions on Broadway and I started to get very interested in those, more interested than being an actor. Stage management, company management, general management, and I followed that path which led me all the way to producing.

CC: What was that first Broadway show you worked on?

KD: That production assistant internship was for "My Fair Lady" starring Richard Chamberlain in 1993.

CC: Because you are a seasoned producer, how do you decide which shows to work on?

KD: Actually it's the same thing that got me started in the business when I was sixteen and saw "Les Miserables"; I look at shows, ideas, scripts or music that get me in the gut. Things that make me fall in love: if it moves me in some way. A perfect example of that is the production of "Spring Awakening" that I produced, I saw the out-of-town and in the first fifteen seconds I just remember feeling like 'I have to be a part of this. I have to do this on Broadway.' I look for things that move me, that make me laugh, cry.

The Broadway cast of Deaf West's Spring Awakening at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. (© Joan Marcus)

CC: You mentioned "Spring Awakening", I saw it and it was beautiful. What has been the most rewarding project that you've worked on.

KD: Shows are like your kids, so it's hard to pick a favorite. That said, if you got a parent alone and asked them who their favorite child was, they'd probably tell you (and swear you to secrecy) their first one. My very first show was "The Awesome 80s Prom" and I'd say it was my favorite because it was my first and a lot of hard work. But then again, personally and professionally "Spring Awakening" was probably the most rewarding experience of my entire life. Not only was it a beautiful piece of theatre, but it had beautiful people involved, and opened my eyes and ears to a totally different way of communicating with people. It changed me forever, so that's the one right now most thrilling in my life.

CC: I love Michael Arden, I aspire to be like him as I am a performer and also a director. What are you most excited about working with him on this new revival of "Once On This Island"?

KD: Michael is a genius, I've had a man-crush on him when I saw him in "Bare" many years ago, I often joke with him about it. He's a great actor and is just as effective of a story-teller as a director and more so. He's got a great vision for everything that he does, and he's got a beautiful one for "Once On This Island". "Spring Awakening" is a challenging, tough, dark piece, that deals with a lot of difficult subject matter. What I love about "Once On This Island" is that it's one of the most joyous pieces of Musical Theatre that I've ever been a part of. I look forward to watching Michael wave his magic wand over this musical that's filled with such joy.

Davenport posted this picture on FaceBook page July 30th.

CC: I'm so excited to see the revival. Having Assistant Directed the show earlier this year I understand the joy you speak of. You mentioned that you wrote a blog, and I've actually read a bunch of your work on "The Producer's Perspective". I think it's a really great tool, especially for those who are first starting out in the business.

KD: I created the blog because when I was first starting out there wasn't a lot of information about producing for me to find. There weren't really online resources, some chat rooms, but there wasn't a collection of people talking about producing in the Theatre. That was the main reason I started the blog because I always imagined there were other people like me trying to get into the business. I also have created a podcast that's on the blog.

CC: Is there something that you wish you knew when you first started producing?

KD: I'm a guy who likes to sit in front of my desk and solve any problem in solitude; whether it's a script problem, spreadsheet problem. One of the things I wish I did more of was: I wish I got out of my dorm room in college and talked to more people who were just like me. Do more networking and find more people in order to put a show together. What I tell college people a lot, "The next Andrew Lloyd Webber, the next Stephen Sondheim, they're all with you right now, right down the hall. It's important for you to reach out and start working with them now so you can work with them later."

CC: Since you mentioned networking and having worked with a lot of really cool people, who's been your favorite person you've collaborated within your career.

KD: I'm Andrew Lloyd Webber's Executive Producer for all North American productions, and that's obviously very thrilling. But I've also had the great fortune of working with lots of different people. When I was an actor I remember some people saying 'Oh you gotta learn one method: the Strasberg method or the Adler method.' I never really bought into that, I learned a little from Meisner, a little from Adler, a little from Strasberg. That's the way I've built my career as well. I've had the fortune of watching Hal Prince work, watch Stephen Sondheim work, Sam Mendes, Tommy Tune, all these brilliant people, and what I did was take a little bit from each of them and develop my own method of producing and developing theatre.

CC: Thank you again, Mr. Davenport, for sitting down and speaking with me about your career.

KD: My pleasure, best of luck to you and I'll see you around the business.

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The Broadway revival of "Once On This Island" recently announced casting news HERE.

Be sure to follow Ken on his FaceBook Page, website: Davenport Theatrical, and blog: The Producer's Perspective.