Stardar Report: Be A Broadway Star (or Just Play One!)

Friday, 17 June 2011 10:28 | Written by Byron

Ken Davenport, the creator of "Be A Broadway Star"

ON THE BOARDS: Ken Davenport is a Broadway and Off-Broadway producer. His recent Broadway productions include Speed-the-Plow with Raul Esparza, Will Ferrell's "You're Welcome America," and Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury. He's the only independent producer to have had three shows running simultaneously Off-Broadway giving him the distinction of being called the "P.T. Barnum of Off-Broadway." Although he is well known inside Broadway circles, the first time I ever heard about him was on "The Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda." The girls weren't talking about one of his award-winning shows, rather they were focused on their latest "favorite thing"—the "Be A Broadway Star" board game. In light of last week's spectacular Tony Awards I thought it might be fun to check in with the creator of the game, none other than Ken Davenport himself. Here's what he has to say about his very cool board game, the art of "second acting" and whether or not gays are better at playing games than straights [editors note: Kenny has a girlfriend].

What makes you a Broadway expert?
Ken Davenport: Although I went to Tisch at NYU for undergrad, I tell people that I went to grad school in Times Square. I spent every night during my college years "second acting" shows—which means I would wait for intermission and then sneak back into the show with the smokers and grab an empty seat. I saw the 2nd Act of Phantom 17 times. You can't do that anymore. Fascist ushers.

Why did you develop this game?
Because we didn't have a game like this when I was growing up, and I would have loved one. Oh wait, that's not true. We did have one game we played in college. It was called, "Let's sing Les Miz in the hallway". I figured we could do better. More importantly, my mission statement as a "Producer" is to amplify the conversation about theater. If I can get a couple of kids playing "Be A Broadway Star" on a Friday night instead of "Apples to Apples", then maybe they'll be more inclined to want to see a show, or be in a show, the next time they have that opportunity. Playing a game is much better for audience development than making a kid sit through Shakespeare.

Is it just for New Yorkers or can people in Pocatello, Idaho play it too?
I was just at a conference in Galway, Ireland and guess what they played when the keynotes were over? You got it. Of course, it was Ireland, so they played the drinking game version . . . which is awesome.

Does it help to be gay to play this game or can anyone play it?
Yes, it helps. But not because of the type of game. I mean, don't gay people do everything better than straight people?

Does it help to have a good knowledge of Broadway shows, or at least carry a tune or shake your groove thing?
Sure some knowledge definitely comes in handy, but just like Broadway itself, what you really need is guts, stamina, and a bit of luck.

What might people learn from playing this game?
You might learn that your friend who is an accountant knows all the words to "Tea for Two" from No, No, Nanette.

Do you think that the song Neil Patrick Harris belted out at the beginning of this year's Tonys might help sales?
The opening number and the whole night will definitely help sales. Why? It was fun. And that is what Broadway is all about. Fun. We tried to capture that fun in Be A Broadway Star, so you'd had something instead of second-acting a show.