The Agency Group's Dave Hart has been signing so many Broadway stars that also have concert careers that The Agency Group has officially inaugurated a Theatrical Concert Division. Recent signings include Tony Award winners Betty Buckley and Lea Salonga. "The division has been growing in leaps and bounds," says Hart, who has been with The Agency Group for almost three years.
Hart, an industry veteran (SFX, Magic Promotions, MCA Concerts, Nederlander, Monarch Entertainment), started the division with Linda Eder, whose success in the concert and recording world laid the path for the concept. On Broadway, she starred in "Jeckyll and Hyde." Hart has been working with Eder for the past 13 years; she has sold out three Carnegie Hall concerts and two at Westbury Music Fair. "I found a real need for adult programming," Hart tells CelebrityAccess, "and Eder and the other acts on my list provide quality artists for performing arts centers, symphony orchestra and promoters across the continent and internationally. I call this the new MOR–selling tickets aimed for an older demographic."
After Eder, Hart signed Tony award winning Kristin Chenoweth, Faith Prince, and Hal Linden as well as Tony Award nominees Tom Wopat, Alice Ripley, Marin Mazzie, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Judy Kuhn, and Douglas Sills among others.
"Most of the artists are comfortable in concert or symphony orchestra situations," notes Hart. "Successes like Linda Eder's have fueled the fire for this kind of programming."
"The Television exposure of Tom Wopat and Hal Linden, along with the impact of long running Broadway appearances, helps the audiences recognize the talents of artists who are not likely to be heard on pop radio," adds Hart.
Only three of Hart's clients have recording contracts: Eder records for Atlantic Records, Wopat for Angel Records and Chenoweth for Sony Classical. "With or without a record," says Hart, "they have a Broadway following that translates into being a viable concert artist."
