End of Q2 Results for Broadway’s 2014-15 Season by Ken Davenport

If you’re new to the blog, then welcome to my quarterly analysis of Broadway grosses and attendance (The big-boy businesses on the Dow look at their “earnings” on a quarter…

The secret of “closing” when you’re raising money. by Ken Davenport

Raising money is very similar to selling . . . anything.  That’s why I recommend you become a master salesperson if you want to become a money raising superstar and fund all your show…

Everyone wishes they could Be Like Mike. by Ken Davenport

I’m going to admit something super selfish right now. Yesterday, Mike Nichols, the genius writer/director/actor/superhero passed away. And I never got to work with him. (Told you it wa…

Here ye! Here ye! It’s The 7th Annual Producer’s Perspective Social – And You’re Invited! by Ken Davenport

It’s that time, y’all! As you know, I love me some online communication.  Blogs, email, the ol’ tweeter.  It’s all good. But nothing, no-thing, compares to actual f…

Ex-ch-ch-ch-changes! by Ken Davenport

Did that David Bowie reference come across in the headline for this blog? Try again. Ex-ch-ch-ch-changes! There we go.  You get what I’m laying down now, right? Speaking of laying dow…

5 Tips to Starting a Theater Blog (or any blog for that matter). by Ken Davenport

So you wanna start a theater blog, huh? Gosh, I hope the answer to that is yes. See, my mission statement, on and off my blog, is simple.  I want to amplify the conversation about theater. …

First Colony Records and now they take our Chicken Soup??? by Ken Davenport

It was two years ago (time doesn’t fly, it rockets by) that Colony Records announced it was closing its doors forever.  It was a sad day, of course, especially for those of us who sho…

The secret to making more people fall in love with your show. by Ken Davenport

It’s dramatic writing 101 that the hero of your story (whether that’s a play, a musical, or a movie) has to want something.  Badly.  It gives him (or her) an action.  A hero t…

What my father said that pi$$ed me off. by Ken Davenport

My dad really knows how to get my "billy" goat.  (That will make sense in a minute.) About five years ago I got my father tickets to see the Metropolitan Opera . . . in HD.  You know about…

What running a red light taught me about Producing. by Ken Davenport

I used to deliver pizza for Domino’s Pizza. That was my high school survival job (aka how I afforded to take my high school sweetheart to Riverside Park and Billy Joel concerts). It wa…

My Take on Non Union Tours: Part II – Where are these tours headed? by Ken Davenport

Yesterday, I gave you a brief history of Non Union Tours as I know it, and as I lived it. But what do I think about these tours?  What do I think about the current campaign aimed at theater…

My Take on Non Union Tours: Part I – A History by Ken Davenport

I was but a wee boy of an actor when the Non Union national touring market exploded on the scene in the early, early ’90s.  I remember auditioning for the national tour of Grand Hotel…

10 Things I Learned from Broadway Theatergoers at My Focus Groups by Ken Davenport

Over the past month, I’ve conducted two sets of focus groups for Gettin’ The Band Back Together, my upcoming Broadway Musical (there was about a 50/50 shot I was going to annou…

What the NYC Marathon Runners taught me. by Ken Davenport

In case you didn’t see the swarms of people with aluminum foil wrapped around them yesterday, the NYC Marathon was held this weekend. The marathon is one of those weird periodical New …

The Most Popular Posts of the Month: October by Ken Davenport

Time for that monthly summary of what got your attention last month here at The Producer’s Perspective: The most read post of the month: The Last 20 Years of Best Musical Winners: A By the…

A Salad by any other name would still be Just Salad. by Ken Davenport

I’m trying to eat healthy.  I swear.  I’m only having ‘wings’ 3 times a week now instead of 5.  Progress! One of my new favorite healthy lunch spots is Just Salad,…

Even Oscar winners have to make it on their own. by Ken Davenport

You’d think that winning an Oscar would mean you’d get the keys to do anything you wanted to do in the entertainment business, and you’d have a plethora of offers for the b…

I’ve been keeping a secret from you. by Ken Davenport

The truth is . . . I’ve been cheating on you. Yep.  It’s true.  I’ve been emailing other people on the side. Before you break up with me, let me explain. Over the past co…

Why New York needs to nip the Ebola buzz in the bud. by Ken Davenport

When it was announced that the Ebola virus had landed in New York City last week, I, like a lot of New Yorkers, got a little nervous. I didn’t get nervous about the health risks to me …

5 Ways Professional Wrestling is like Broadway. by Ken Davenport

I got sucked into a late-night cable vortex last night. I was flipping through my brand new FiOS (it’s fancy, y’all, and so much better than Time Warner), and I stopped my click…

The Ambiguously Gay Duo by Ken Davenport

Can you build a house without a blueprint? by Ken Davenport

I guess you could build a house without a blueprint. But it would probably be pretty loosely constructed, and might fall over, taking you and all of your possessions with it. Remember analog…

Is what came before more interesting than the original? by Ken Davenport

There’s a new trend in entertainment, which I like to think that Broadway ignited with the monster success of Wicked, the prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Ok, ok, I know that Wicked was a pre…

Who said there are a limited # of theaters in Times Square? by Ken Davenport

The current Broadway theater crunch has got everyone thinking about what to do with the next set of shows coming down the pike. If Broadway was JFK airport, there would be at least 20-30 pla…

The First TEDxBroadway 2015 Teaser. by Ken Davenport

At the very first TEDxBroadway, I gave a talk about what Broadway looked like 20 years ago. That was back in 2012!  It’s almost time for another talk about what it was like back then!…

The Last 20 Years of Best Musical Winners: A By The Numbers Infographic by Ken Davenport

Admit it. If you’re a Writer or Producer of musicals, I’d bet that you’ve stood in front of a mirror, imagining yourself collecting your Best Musical Tony Award.  You̵…

Sure you can be successful doing this, but do you wanna? by Ken Davenport

I snapped this pic in this blog at the baggage claim at the Myrtle Beach airport last weekend.  It was my first trip to Myrtle Beach (and maybe my last – thanks to that reprehensible …

People are laughing at how high the ticket prices are at this theater. by Ken Davenport

A Spanish comedy club has taken the ol’ classic “pay-what-you-can” marketing ploy to the next level, and it has been so successful the club and its patrons have been laugh…

Picking at the peak. by Ken Davenport

Yesterday, I spent a few hours of the holiday afternoon engaging in a typical fall familial activity . . . I went apple picking! Or, I should say . . . I tried to go apple picking. My first …

Forget Mike. Be like Chris. by Ken Davenport

Whether you think Chris Columbus “discovered” America or whether you think he was a lucky land thief, you have to agree with one thing. He was one hell of a Producer. Well, wasn&…

Need to finish your musical? Here’s how. by Ken Davenport

The best advice I ever got as I was coming up as a Producer was, “Want a show to happen?  Book a theater.” There’s nothing better than an opening night to make you make it…