Producer Ken Davenport Acquires Rights to Joy Mangano's Life Story

Producer Ken Davenport announced today that he has acquired the musical rights to the life of Joy Mangano, best-selling author and one of the most-successful and celebrated product inventors of her time. A creative team will be announced in the future.

Joy said, "My life has taken me to many unexpected places - from the back of the auto-body shop where I worked on my first invention, my successes on QVC and HSN (Home Shopping Network) and to Hollywood when the film Joy was produced. Being the subject of a Broadway musical is more than a dream come true for me. I'm a local Long Island girl; I just used to dream of coming into town to see a Broadway musical - much less to be the subject of one!"

Ken Davenport said, "Joy Mangano's journey from divorced and working mother to a wildly successful businesswoman was made for the stage. If she didn't exist, I would have tried to invent her. Her wit, savvy and perseverance in the face of great odds made this remarkable woman into an inspiration and pop culture legend. Joy is a just that - a complete joy. I can't wait to begin developing her story for Broadway."

Joy Mangano has created and sold nearly $3 billion of product to people across America. Author of the best-selling memoir "Inventing Joy: Dare to Build a Brave & Creative Life," Joy was also the subject of the CBS digital series "Inventing Joy." In 1991, Joy invented and launched the first-ever self-wringing Miracle Mop, and hasn't looked back. She has gone on to invent and launch hundreds of successful products across virtually every category, most notably Huggable Hangers, My Little Steamer, Forever Fragrant, and luggage with her revolutionary SpinBall Wheel System. Dispelling myths and breaking barriers every day, Joy was one of the first in her field to harness the power of TV to connect and communicate with her customers. Joy currently appears on HSN (Home Shopping Network) approximately once a month, reaching more than 90 million homes live and her products can be found in retailers across the country. Joy is also the founding director of the Joy Mangano Foundation, and has overcome incredible odds to experience great success.

Press and business leaders alike have also recognized Joy's accomplishments as a product creator and innovator. She was named one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People" and she and her products (which regularly receive the Good Housekeeping Seal) have been profiled by numerous national TV shows and magazines.

Ken Davenport is currently represented on Broadway by the acclaimed production of Once On This Island. His other Broadway credits include Deaf West Theatre's Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It's Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Tony Award), The Visit (Tony nomination), Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), The Bridges of Madison County, Allegiance, Chinglish, Oleanna, Speed-the- Plow, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America (Tony nomination), Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury, and 13. Off-Broadway Ken has produced Daddy Long Legs, Altar Boyz, My First Time, The Awesome 80s Prom, That Bachelorette Show, and Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage. He also produced the award winning These Magnificent Miles: On the Long Road with Red Wanting Blue, and an award-winning TV pilot entitled "The Bunny Hole" which has appeared in the LA Indie Film Festival, the Orlando Film Festival, the LA Comedy Festival and more. Ken was named one of Crain's "40 Under Forty," is one of the co-founders of TEDxBroadway, and was featured on a national commercial for Apple's iPhone. He created the Broadway board game Be A Broadway Star, and runs a number of theatrical websites including DidHeLikeIt.com. His blog, TheProducersPerspective.com, has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Gothamist and more. He has written articles for Forbes, Mashable, Imedia and others. For more information, visit www.DavenportTheatrical.com.

Image courtesy of HSN