The Producer's Perspective Podcast with Ken Davenport

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157 - Rebecca Taichman Jun 03, 2018

Show notes

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

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156 - David Lindsay-Abaire May 20, 2018

Show notes

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

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155 - Nelle Nugent May 06, 2018

Show notes

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

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154 - Lisa Kron Apr 22, 2018

Show notes

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 interms 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

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153 - Warren Leight Apr 08, 2018

Show notes

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

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151 - Michael Korie Mar 25, 2018

Show notes

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

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150 - Danny Burstein Mar 11, 2018

Show notes

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

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149 - Charles LaPointe Feb 25, 2018

Show notes

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

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148 - Sergio Trujillo Feb 11, 2018

Show notes

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

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147 - Walter Bobbie Jan 28, 2018

Show notes

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

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