Travis LeMont Ballenger Joins MJ THE MUSICAL Production Company, Lia Vollack Productions, as Producer

Lia Vollack Productions has announced the hiring of Travis Lemont Ballenger, who will serve as Producer. Most recently, Mr. Ballenger held the position of Associate Artistic Director at The Globe Theater in San Diego, California. In his new role, Mr. Ballenger will help oversee production of the upcoming Broadway musicals MJ and Almost Famous, as well as the development of the company's pipeline of future shows.

Lia Vollack said, "Throughout his career, Travis has already distinguished himself as a true creative force. He is a passionate theater maker and an outspoken advocate for artists. I am so thrilled that Travis is joining me and I know my company, our shows, and Broadway will be so much richer for having his voice in the room."

In a separate statement, Mr. Ballenger said, "As you can imagine, accepting this position was not a hard decision. Lia is a forward-thinking, deeply decent human being, with a clear vision for what theater can be. She is passionate about bringing new audiences and artists to Broadway and beyond. Therefore, she has her hands on some of the most exciting material around. I'm thrilled and honored to work with her!

Travis Lemont Ballenger is a generative artist. As a producer, he has developed work with a number of artists, including: Katori Hall, Lynn Nottage, Sarah Treem, Pearl Cleage, Lydia R. Diamond, and Radha Blank. While at Arena Stage, he line-produced a number of shows including the pre-Broadway run of Lydia R. Diamond's Stick Fly, Travis then served as the Associate Producer for the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, where he produced both DC and New York Festivals and a co-production with the Classical Theater of Harlem. Travis worked as Associate Producer for Market Road Films, a documentary film company, creating films for National Geographic and independent documentaries. At Market Road, Travis field-produced Lynn Nottage's The Reading Project, from which she wrote her Pulitzer-winning play Sweat. Travis served as Associate Producer and Casting Director at Dallas Theater Center and associate producer of The Drama League of New York, producing both in New York and internationally. Recently, Travis had the honor to serve as the Associate Artistic Director at The Globe Theater in San Diego, CA. Travis' poetry has been published in Glasschord Magazine and The Journal of African American Literature.