`Awesome' success; Tony nominations piling up for Sturbridge-born theater producer.

Byline: Craig S. Semon

Going from the "Steadfast Tin Soldier" when he was 5 to being named one of New York City's rising young stars at the age of 35, Ken Davenport has had a good run.

Davenport, a 36-year-old Sturbridge native who now calls New York City his home, is the founder of Davenport Theatrical Enterprises.

Last week, three Davenport-produced shows were nominated for Tonys, garnering four Tony nods overall. They were "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush," nominated Best Special Theatrical Event; "Speed-the-Plow," nominated for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (for Raul Esparza); "Blithe Spirit," for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Angela Lansbury) and Best Costume Design of a Play.

In addition, his productions have grossed more than $100 million worldwide and are being produced internationally in 25 countries. To date, six of seven of his productions have recouped their original investments.

Recently hailed as the "P.T. Barnum of Off-Broadway" by The New York Times, Davenport is the only independent producer to have three shows running simultaneously off-Broadway. One of those shows, "Awesome 80s Prom" (which Davenport wrote and directed), will be coming to Boston beginning this weekend.

Davenport's father, Dr. Kenny Hasija, lives in Southbridge, and mother, Pamela Soper, a music and musical drama teacher at West Street School in Southbridge, lives in Sturbridge. He took the name Davenport (his mother's maiden name) as a tribute to his great-grandfather, who was also involved in theater.

When it comes to the secret of his phenomenal success, Davenport credits his Sturbridge upbringing as a key ingredient.

"The majority of people that go to see Broadway shows and off-Broadway shows, what keeps them running for a long period of time, are tourists," Davenport explained. "So to get our shows running for a long time, you need to appeal to the tourists' market. You need to appeal to the suburban audience. And that's how I grew up."

Davenport made his stage debut at 5, in a production of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," put on by the Gateway Players of Southbridge.

"I recall getting very specific instructions from the director saying, `You cannot talk on stage.' I remember then, that it felt like the word of God," Davenport said. "I also remember the girl stood next to me in line. She talked to me all the time, and she would try to get me to talk to her, and I remember just like staring straight. My eyes wide open, refusing to interact with her because God had told me I can't talk while I'm up here."

Davenport scored the male lead in "Anything Goes" during his senior year at Bancroft School in Worcester, where he graduated in 1990.

He went to Johns Hopkins University for a year, studying to become a lawyer, but he couldn't shake the acting bug.

In 1991, he played Tom Trainer in "No, No Nannette" and Tony in "West Side Story," both at Theatre at the Mount in Gardner. The next year he played Kenicki in "Grease," also at The Mount. He went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated with a BFA in acting in 1994, but by that time, the acting bug mutated into a full-blown theater bug, and he found out he would rather work behind the scenes.

During his time at Tisch, Davenport did an "eye-opening" internship as a production assistant on the Broadway revival of "My Fair Lady" starring Richard Chamberlain.

"I did everything on that show. I was Richard Chamberlain's line coach at one point. I was also getting his fresh turkey sandwiches. I was walking dogs. I was designing the rehearsal schedule on computer," Davenport recalled.

"And I saw how many different positions there were available for people to work on a Broadway show, and I was very intrigued by many of them. And I really said, `Wow, acting isn't the only thing that I can do and feel really satisfied.'"

Davenport founded Davenport Theatrical Enterprises in 2004.

The same year, "The Awesome 80s Prom" premiered Off-Broadway and went on to win the Improvisational Theater Association's Award for "Best Interactive Show" in 2006.

An interactive show on the lines of "Tony 'n Tina's Wedding," it's as if attendees are walking into an actual high school prom, circa 1989.

"It is exceptionally improvisational and interactive, very high energy," he said. "I was going to say you let your hair down but, actually at this show, we tell the audience, tease up your hair, put on your blue eye shadow, find a Member's Only jacket and come to the prom ready to rock."

For his fictitious high school in the play, Davenport was inspired by Tantasqua Regional Junior High School in Sturbridge (which he attended prior to going to Bancroft).

He wanted something that was "Indian-sounding" with a tongue-in-cheek double-meaning. He came up with "Wanaget High."

The figurehead of the school is named Principal Snellgrove, after the principal he had at Burgess Elementary School in Sturbridge.

Davenport, who received the 2008 Spirit of Theatre Award from Theatre Resources Unlimited for "Altar Boyz" (which he co-conceived and produced) and was featured in a national commercial for Apple's iPhone, is not one to rest on his laurels.

Besides running an insider's blog, the producersperspective.com, Davenport is working on developing "Somewhere in Time," a Broadway musical based on Richard Matheson's classic novel. Will it be another hit? Safe bet is it will, but only time will tell.

`Awesome 80s Prom'

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 16 and 30, June 13 and 27, July 18 and Aug. 29

Where: Bello Playhouse, Venu Night Club, 100 Warrenton St., Boston

How much: $39.99, $54.99 and $99.99; www.awesome80sprom.com

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) Sturbridge native Ken Davenport had a calling for the theater. Three shows he's produced were nominated for Tony awards earlier this month. (2) The dance floor is crowded in a scene from the interactive "Awesome 80s Prom."