Interview: Phil Kenny, Broadway Producer and Writer

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Phil Kenny, who is a writer and composer of musical theatre as well as a Broadway producer. Phil wears many hats. He is a lead producer currently, and has co-produced over 25 shows. Phil is very proud of his work as a writer. At this moment Phil is co-writing the book, music, and lyrics to an original work titled ALICE IN NEVERLAND. I could hear the passion for this project in Phil's voice when we spoke. Phil explained: "ALICE IN NEVERLAND is a sequel to 'Alice in Wonderland', a prequel to 'Peter Pan', and a musical!"

ALICE IN NEVERLAND is a pop/contemporary musical in the vein of WICKED. The team just had a reading in New York and they are looking at other theaters to get involved in the creative process. There are many steps to get a project to Broadway, beginning with readings and workshops, then progressing to an out-of-town production. All of these steps bring the team closer to the Broadway debut. "Shows aren't written; they are re-written," Phil remarked. He has been working on ALICE IN NEVERLAND for over eight years. Phil continued: "You have to really love what you do and what you're working on to have gas in the tank to make it through the process." Phil is thrilled that he heeded personal inspiration to follow his path and his "unquenchable fire to write Broadway musicals."

Phil considers himself a writer first and foremost, although he is no stranger to the stage. He played Curly in OKLAHOMA and Billy Bigelow in CAROUSEL. Phil studied Music Composition at Brigham Young University. He met his wife Claire while in school, and now they produce shows together. Phil enjoys the behind-the-scenes work that goes into providing the words that actors speak and sing onstage. Because he has helped shows by other writers get to Broadway, Phil understands the process and is able to apply it to his own creative work. "I understand the pipeline of how shows get to Broadway, and this is a massive help for my show," Phil said.

Phil's journey to Broadway began with investing in Broadway shows. He founded 42nd.club, a group that now has 220 members and Broadway investors. 42nd.club has won seven Tony Awards over the past six years. Phil's favorite project as a co-producer was the revival of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, which was also his first Tony win. "Nothing beats the first time you win a Tony Award," Phil shared. "I also loved being a part of HADESTOWN. That has been our most financially successful show. You are looking for projects like HADESTOWN when you invest in Broadway shows." Some of Phil's other projects include WAITRESS, & JULIET, MOULIN ROUGE, and BEETLEJUICE.

Phil believes that there is a place for Arizona on the map. Phil explained that Arizona would flourish through the creation of new works which first find life as workshops and readings. These projects could take place in Phoenix or other large Arizona cities. Phil presented the concept of affordable "mini out-of-town productions" that could then transition to Broadway. When it comes to writing Broadway musicals, Phil's philosophy is that an education in West Coast Hollywood storytelling will help improve the quality of musical theatre writing.

Phil is very excited for the future. He is currently lead producing 13 GOING ON 30: THE MUSICAL along with three partners, to be performed in Manchester. They are expecting to transfer the show to the West End. Every step in Phil's Broadway journey has a purpose. Phil concluded: "If I hadn't invested in shows, I wouldn't have started co-producing shows. I wouldn't have had the knowledge of how shows get to Broadway. I am grateful for the inspiration." For more information on Phil Kenny and his work, visit philkenny.com. Photos: Phil Kenny and Bailee Morris