Producer Ken Davenport has been hired as advisor of theatrical development and production for Primary Wave Music Publishing.
In the developmental deal, Davenport will have access to the music publishing company’s catalog to develop and license biographical musicals, catalog musicals and compilation musicals. Primary Wave is home to the catalogs of artists including Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson and Burt Bacharach.
Davenport, producer of the “Once on This Island” revival and “Gettin’ the Band Back Together,” will work with the Primary Wave’s internal development team, Ramon Villa, chief operating officer for the company, and Chief Marketing Officer Adam Lowenberg. This is the first move the company has made toward musical theater.
“I’m honored to assist Primary Wave as they expand into the theatrical world,” Davenport said in a press release. “Their incredibly rich catalog is not only filled with beloved music, but it’s filled with beloved music that tells wonderful stories, and I look forward to helping put those songs and stories on stages here in New York and around the world.”
Davenport also works as executive producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group. In addition to his work with Primary Wave, Davenport is developing a musical based on the life and songs of Neil Diamond and an original musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman.
