David King is an English entrepreneur and producer of musical theatre.
King has achieved international success in the entertainment industry, and his management of 25 theatre companies performing his shows worldwide has been referred to as "one of the biggest theatrical organisations in the industry "Peter Hepple "Crowning Glory" "The Stage", 17 March 2005 King regularly travels the globe with his many productions. In the last year, his shows have toured Australia, New Zealand, Manilla, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, East and western Europe, Israel, Dubai, Monte Carlo, U.S.A., and the U.K. King regular visits his productions when they are on tour and he keeps close control of his operations worldwide.
His first musical Spirit of the Dance has been running for more than 21 years in theatres across the globe since its debut in September 1996 at the Bristol Hippodrome. "Preview: Spirit of the Dance at the Liverpool Empire" "The Liverpool Echo", 11 June 2011 Spirit of the Dance soon became one of the world's biggest dance shows and, in the period 1998 to 2006, there were 14 different troupes simultaneously performing the show in 14 different countries.Laura Davis, "Spirit of the Dance producer David King on how to make a successful show" "The Liverpool Daily Post", 14 June 2011 It has received nine global awards, including best choreography and best international production, and has been seen by 20 million people worldwide. "Spirit of the Dance" "theatrebristol.net" It has broken box office records in countries around the globe .Simon Wilson "The Whole World at their Feet" "Nottingham Evening Post", 5 April 2011 King is credited with bringing musicals to the massesSarah Freeman, "Life in the limelight for mogul of the musicals", "The Yorkshire Post", 19 May 2011 and his business model has been described as unique. Robin Leach "Casts do double duty for N.Y.-N.Y. musicals for the masses", "Vegas Deluxe", 14 May 2012
His international production company, Spirit Productions, currently has up to 25 shows on global tour.Kari Rosenberg, "Talent Show Secrets of the Dancing King", "totallyjewish.com", 5 May 2011 He employs around 500 dancers, singers and technical crewand is acknowledged as one of the largest employers of performers in the industry. "Life in the limelight for mogul of the musicals", "The Yorkshire Post", 19 May 2011 and owns two theatres "Producer's pride as circus rolls into his home town", "The Yorkshire Post", 24 July 2009 in which his companies play for most of the year at the Kings Castle Theatre in Branson, Missouri. In 2012, King secured a third theatre, the newly constructed Broadway Theatre in the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. "The Broadway Theater Debuts at New York-New York Hotel & Casino", "Las Vegas Informer", 12 April 2012 King's American operations are handled from his US headquarters, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. King has several ongoing contracts to supply major casinos in the US and worldwide with entertainment. He is also one of the principal suppliers of entertainment to the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco . Kings shows regular tour China and the Asian territories, where he is one of the most successful theatre producers touring in these regions.
In 2011, he was the subject of a six episode television documentary about his work producing shows. Dancing King: Man in the Mirror was commissioned by Discovery Networks UK.Kelly Anderson, "Discovery enlists celebrities for its MIPTV offerings", "realscreen.com", 24 March 2011 In September 2011, the show was broadcast in the UK, and countries around the world including prime time ABC2 in Australia. "Dancing King: Man in the Mirror", "ABC Television"
In 2012, King took part in the UK TV show Secret Millionaire, where he went back to his home town of Leeds looking for good causes to help. He was the victim of a carjacking while filming undercover that came close to costing him his life. His episode, in which he donated money to three community groups in Leeds, launched the 2012 series on Channel 4. "The Secret Millionaire", "Channel 4" and attracted a record breaking number of viewers.
In September 2012 he simultaneously opened two new shows on opposite sides of the world on the same day, opening in the US and China simultaneously. "Leeds showbiz producer in theatre world first", "Yorkshire Evening Post" 19 September 2012 Since that time, King has domineered the market in Asia, Australia and Europe with his various theatrical productions.
Early life
David King was born in the Alwoodley district of Leeds, the only son of Stanley and Trudie King. His parents were both musical hall performers, having met when his father worked as a music hall comedian and his mother was a dancer. From the age of seven, King was considered a classical prodigy on the piano and gave concerts in Leeds Town Hall. However, at 12 years old he turned his back on the rigours of classical training, preferring to set himself up in business, buying and selling whatever he could get his hands on. With his sisters Wendy and Linda, he grew up in a musical household, and every weekend family members would gather to perform a family concert .
King attended Roundhay School in Leeds until the age of 15 when he left without any formal qualifications to become a self-employed market trader. He sold ladies clothing on Leeds Market, and, later, moved into jewellery retail. He maintained an interest in music and wrote musical compositions, including the musical score for his hit show "Spirit of the Dance"
Professional career
In the spring of 1996, King was struggling to forge a successful career in the entertainment industry when he went to see the Irish dance musical Riverdance at the Hammersmith Apollo theatre, London, starring Michael Flatley. Struck by the phenomenal success of the show, he decided to capitalise on demand for Irish dance and put together his own musical show, which he called Spirit of the Dance. Riverdance was not scheduled to go to provincial theatres around the UK or Europe at that time but the show had created a huge demand and Spirit of the Dance, which also incorporated tango, flamenco and salsa, would step in to meet the demand.Victoria Finlay "New Lord of the Irish Dance" "South China Morning Post", , 30 January 2000 Spirit of the Dance was to become a worldwide hit, and would launch King's career into the international theatre mogul he is today.
However, As an unknown, King could not secure financial backing and needed to raise substantial funds to launch Spirit of the Dance. . He sold all his possessions, including his car and family silver to raise the money to launch the show. . King singlehandedly wrote the plot and used musical score and songs he had written and boxed away in his younger years. He developed the entire show within three months and tickets for the first week at the Bristol Hippodrome sold out within four hours.The Sunday Times Perth, Australia, 27 June 1999 He credits his working class background with giving him a good business head and the ability and determination to keep going when all the doors were closed to him. Despite the continual rejections, King refused to give in, and despite all the odds, went on to produce what became one of the world's most successful dance shows.Risking it all on dance, The Jerusalem Post, 15 January 2008
At the end of a four-month tour of UK theatres, Spirit of the Dance was declared the season's box office winner in Pollstar, an international trade magazine, and calls from around the world for the show began to flood in. King invested the money he had madeFrom stage hand to the Irish King, The Daily Telegraph Sydney, Australia, 19 May 1999 to improve the show and take it to the US, Australia, Europe, the Far East and South Africa. Within two years, there were 14 companies of Spirit of the Dance appearing in 14 different countries at the same time and the show became one of the biggest dance shows in the world.
After five years of concentrating on Spirit of the Dance, King went on to broaden his portfolio of musical productions. There are currently 25 shows in King's portfolio, all of which he created, financed and produced himself. His shows include "Puttin on the Ritz", celebrating the music of Irvin Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, Man in the Mirror - The Michael Jackson Show which celebrates three decades of music from the King of Pop, Michael Jackson Le Grand Cirque, an acrobatics and stunt shown the style of Cirque du Soleil, drawing on the traditions of circus acts from Russia, China and Eastern Europe.
King's Spirit of Christmas show was declared an unexpected box-office hit in China over the festive period from December 2011 to January 2012 and cast members found themselves mobbed by fans on the streets of Beijing.Juliette Bains, "Spirit of Christmas: International success for festive show", "Yorkshire Evening Post", 2 January 2012 King's Christmas show has been developed since then, and now regularly tours America, under the title "Christmas Wonderland". For the first time, in 2016 a version of the show appeared at the Orb theatre in Tokyo, Japan as well as a specially created version that performed in the arena in Bucharest.
King's theatre in Branson Missouri, USA was wrecked by a tornado which ripped through the mid west of America leaving at least 12 people dead in March 2012. Reports said that one twister tornado narrowly missed the hotel where he was staying, but destroyed his theatre across the road, leaving him a £1million bill.David Jarvis, "Briton's £1M tornado bill", "The Express", 2 March 2012 The damaged theatre was rebuilt and re-opened in October 2012 under the new name of the King's Castle Theatre. Sam Clanton, "BVT Reopens 30 October as King's Castle Theatre","Branson Daily News", 2 October 2012
Country music legend Dolly Parton selected King's show Spirit of the Dance to headline at her US themepark Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the 2012 summer season. "Award-Winning 'Spirit of the Dance' Headlines Dollywood’s 2012 Festival of Nations Presented by Humana", "Yahoo Finance", 13 March 2012 Spirit of the Dance still appears round the world, some 21 years after its first performance.
A new show, an affectionate tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called New Jersey Nights, opened to acclaim at the Milton Keynes Theatre in January 2013. It went on to embark on a 20-week national tour of the leading UK theatres, followed by tours of Europe and America. The show is also performed by two companies in the US at King's theatres. Anne Cox "New Jersey Nights (review)", "Milton Keynes Citizen", 16 January 2013
King also operates an international management and agency company, Spirit Artists, which supplies music acts to corporate events and private clients. He has worked with major acts including Sir Elton John, Leona Lewis, Andrea Bocelli, Vanessa Mae, Liza Minnelli, Simply Red, Lily Allen, Duffy, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Gloria Estefan and Jamie Cullum.
In October 2013 King became the first theatre producer to have three productions touring China at the same time."Big step", "The Metro", page 4, 28 May 2013 His show "Red Hot Broadway"toured the country between 12 September 2013 and 1 December 2013, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao. Another of his shows, "Dancing Queen", toured China between 29 October 2013 and 19 January 2014.. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
King opened his production of "Dancing Queen" at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, on 13 September 2013. Pop star Britney Spears also begin a residency at the same hotel at the end of 2013.
Honours