danibiopixeditDani Davis

 

DANI DAVIS is co-founder and president of half pint productions, inc., a theatrical production and music recording company. Under the auspices of half pint production: theatrical, Davis co-produced on Broadway THE LONESOME WEST written by Martin McDonaugh (four Tony nominations including Best Play). She produced LITTLE WOMEN - THE MUSICAL (three Drama Desk nominations, one Tony nomination) starring Sutton Foster on Broadway last season. She is currently producing the first national tour of LITTLE WOMEN - THE MUSICAL starring Maureen McGovern With the music recording division, she conceived, co-wrote and was the Executive Producer of The Dreams in You from Broadway for the September 11th Fund and For Aria, Love at Christmastime from Broadway, two very successful benefit recording projects. This year, her project for UNICEF's Go Girls initiative, Dare to Dream, will be produced and sung by major pop music recording artists. 

Davis is a songwriter whose work has been featured on recordings and on national network television specials. She is the co-author of MARIEL, a musical based on a true story about the Mariel boat lift out of Cuba with Jason Howland and Larry Pellegrini, the creator of Tony n' Tina's Wedding. With Pellegrini and Howland, Davis also created and co-directed the play BLESSING IN DISGUISE Off-Broadway. In 2006, She will direct Jason Howland's THE METAL MESSIAH, a Christmas rock event, based on Handel's Messiah.

As a dancer and choreographer, her theater credits include Lee Theodore's Broadway dance company, THE AMERICAN DANCE MACHINE (performing member), JOESPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (First National Tour), THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND (Off Broadway), and FOSSE (pre-Broadway workshop). She served as the assistant choreographer on Broadway's THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, and as choreographer of Kenny Rogers' CHRISTMAS FROM THE HEART for Hallmark Entertainment. Davis has appeared in numerous regional productions of popular musicals, and several television commercials. She is a member of Actors Equity Association.

From 1989 to 1991, Davis was the director of the theater program for the American International School in Vienna Austria. When the Berlin wall fell, Davis organized the first "All Europe Young People's Theater Festival." Children from Eastern Europe alighted in Vienna for their first trip to the West. The weekend culminated in a Peace Performance featuring children from every European nation. The festival continues today.

Davis served as a consultant to Interlochen Academy for the Arts in the creation of the school's academic musical theater program and remains a guest faculty member. She serves on the advisory board for the Baldwin Scholars, a women's college at Duke University.

She is a graduate of Duke University and lives in New York City with husband and partner, Jason Howland and their two children, Noah and Nina.

 

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Jason Howland


JASON HOWLAND is a composer, conductor, musical supervisor and producer. He is the composer of this season's Broadway musical LITTLE WOMEN - THE MUSICAL, which is embarking on a 50 week national tour starting in September 2005. He also composed the score for last season's off-Broadway hit, BLESSING IN DISGUISE, and working on two other musicals, QUICKSTEP, and MARIEL. He is the composer/creator of the Christmas event THE METAL MESSIAH, a rock concert based on the classical oratorio by George F. Handel.

Howland has been a musical director and conductor on Broadway for over twelve years. He was music director and conductor for Broadway's hit JEKYLL & HYDE, musical director and conductor for Broadway's mega-hit, LES MISERABLES and music director and conductor for Rosie O'Donnel's Broadway production of Boy George's West End musical, TABOO. He was musical supervisor for Broadway's THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL and THE CIVIL WAR, and musical supervisor for the first-class National Tours of JEKYLL & HYDE, LITTLE WOMEN - THE MUSICAL, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, and THE CIVIL WAR. He is also the musical director and conductor of the new tour of JEKYLL & HYDE IN CONCERT, starring Rob Evan.

Howland has worked as a composer, arranger, conductor, and producer on a number of recording projects including: the cast album of Little Women - the Musical (producer/composer/arranger), the cast album of Boy George's Taboo (Musical Director/Conductor), the Grammy-nominated cast album of Jekyll & Hyde (Musical Director/Conductor/Vocal Arranger), The Dreams in You, for the September 11th Fund (Producer, Composer), the Broadway cast album of The Scarlet Pimpernel (Associate Producer/Additional Arrangements), Atlantic Records' release of The Civil War (Choral Conductor, Arranger), the double disk compilation album Jekyll & Hyde : The Complete Work (Vocal Arranger), the solo album for acclaimed international harpist Jung Kwak (conductor), Evolution - A PBS mini-series (Conductor), Chuck Wagner (Producer/Arranger), and Linda Eder's albums Christmas Stays the Same and It's Time (Arranger/Pianist/Vocal Arranger).

He has conducted in concert across the country for such notables as Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Brandy, Bebe & Cece Winans, Carl Anderson, Linda Eder, Sebastian Bach, David Hasselhoff, Rob Evan, Kate Shindle, Lauren Kennedy and Davis Gaines, he has performed and conducted at Carnegie Hall, and was musical director and conductor for the opening ceremonies of the1998 Goodwill Games held in New York City featuring an 80 piece orchestra and 200 member gospel choir.

Through his production company halfpint productions, co-founded with Dani Davis, Howland also co-produced the Tony-nominated Broadway play, LONESOME WEST.

Howland recently signed a co-publishing deal with Cherry Lane Music Publishing, Inc. and is a 1993 graduate of Williams College with an Honors degree in Music Composition.