Ken Davenport at the UCSB

The UC Santa Barbara is bringing a well-known Broadway producer Ken Davenport to campus. Our students will have the opportunity to talk to Mr. Davenport on Friday, April 28, 2017 at 3 pm in the HSSB Ballet Studio. The short reception will follow in the Performing Arts Theater lobby. The event is free and there are no RSVPs.

DAVENPORT, WHO IS ON A MISSION TO KEEP BROADWAY RELEVANT, IS BRINGING CROWDFUNDING, SMARTPHONE APPS AND VIDEO GAME-LIKE INTERACTIVITY TO MUSICALS. – Molly Petrilla, SmartPlanet

ONE OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. – Brooke Baldwin, CNN

Ken Davenport's credits include The Play That Goes WrongGroundhog Day,  Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), AllegianceIt’s Only a PlayMacbeth starring Alan Cumming, GodspellKinky Boots (Broadway – Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto and West End), The Visit (Tony nomination), Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), The Bridges of Madison County, Chinglish, Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, Speed-the-Plow, Will Ferrell’s You’re Welcome America, Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury (Broadway, West End and tour), and 13, as well as Daddy Long LegsThat Bachelorette Show (Creator), Altar Boyz (Co-Conceiver), My First Time (Author), The Awesome 80s Prom (Creator), and Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage (Author) Off-Broadway. Ken’s productions have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world. In addition to his own work, Ken was recently named the Executive Producer of North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.

Outside of theatre, he has produced the award-winning These Magnificent Miles: On the Long Road with Red Wanting Blue, a documentary on one of the top unsigned rock bands in the country, and an award-winning TV pilot entitled The Bunny Hole which has appeared in the LA Indie Film Festival, the Orlando Film Festival, the LA Comedy Festival and more.  Ken was featured on a national commercial for Apple’s iPhone, named one of Crain’s “Forty Under 40″ and is one of the co-founders of TEDxBroadway. He created the best-selling Broadway board game Be A Broadway Star and runs a number of theatrical websites including DidHeLikeIt.com and its respective smartphone app. His blog, TheProducersPerspective.com, has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Gothamist and more. He has written articles for Forbes, Mashable, and many others. Ken’s unique production and marketing style has garnered him international attention, including two front page articles in the NY Times and features on MSNBC, Rock Center, Fox News, BBC, and his favorite, a mention in Jay Leno’s monologue on “The Tonight Show.”

Upcoming projects include the revival of Once on this Island,  his original musical Gettin’ The Band Back Together, which premiered at George Street Playhouse, Mass Appeal, and the revival of The Great White Hope.

Prior to his career as a Producer, Ken was a Company Manager and General Manager for Broadway shows and National Tours including Show Boat, Ragtime, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Candide, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gypsy and others.