On The Road To Broadway!

Some have described theatre as the "pie in the face profession." You probably have heard the old adage about life as an artists that goes something like - "who is Kevin Davis?...get me Kevin Davis!...Get me a Kevin Davis type....and finally who is Kevin Davis!" Sadly, many artist toil in obscurity their entire careers as such is the inherent nature of "showbiz!" So why do we even bother? 

My interest in the arts began when I was 4 years old when my mother took me to see the children’s musical "Young Abraham Lincoln." I can still hum some of the catchy tunes. Composers wrote good hooks in those days – even for children’s plays! 

It was love at first site. I grew up in a housing project in East New York with a single mom and there were not many avenues in which to explore the arts. Despite this, it was my love of theatre that helped insulate me from many of the ills that plague under privileged kids to this day. The harsh realities of my early years did not dampen my love for the arts. When you are young, fantasy and reality are co-mingled. When your live in a housing project, fantasy is better. I did not identify with the pimps and drug pushers. I wanted to be “young Abraham Lincoln” and a host of other theatrical heroes! Unlike many children in the projects, I knew there was a bigger world and I began to dream… 

As I fast forward to the present and look back, I was the first person in my family to graduate college; was fortunate to work many high profile executive jobs such as VP of Corporate Finance for CIBC; perform at Carnegie Hall; and write and produce successful shows consistent with my passion. 

Did a trip to the theatre as a young child lead to all of that? I know that it did because theatre, and the other arts, have the power to transform lives and impact the culture and that is why I do this.