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DANIEL HENNING

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DIRECTOR, WRITER, LYRICIST, CHOREOGRAPHER, PRODUCER

SDC, ASCAP, SAG/AFTRA

PANA, APA

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EMERITUS POSITION:      The Blank Theatre, Founding Artistic Director

LA Drama Critics Circle Award, Ovation Award, LA Weekly Award,

NAACP Theatre Award-winning production company

 

 

FILM/TELEVISION

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NATHAN C. JONES: A LOVE STORY?

                 World premiere musical by Vanessa Claire Stewart and Brandan Milburn

                 Rehearsed and shot during COVID entirely over the internet, but not a "Zoom play"

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THE TRAGEDY OF JFK (AS TOLD BY WM. SHAKESPEARE)

                 Directed, Wrote and Produced the film adaptation of stage play

                 Telly Award for "Best Writing" and "Best Production"

 

LOVE 99

                 Produced documentary film narrated by Helen Mirren about Intimate Theatre in LA

 

ROB DYRDEK’S FANTASY FACTORY – MTV

                  Wrote, directed, choreographed “Livin’ It!” a mini-musical

 

CRITIC’S CHOICE

                  Writer & director of 30 minute film

                  Starring Veronica Cartwright & Raphael Sbarge

                  World Premiere – New York Independent Film & Video Festival

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THEATRE  

*  Nearly all productions below were also produced by Daniel Henning 

 

THE TRAGEDY OF JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare)                                 

Writer/Director                                  

The Blank Theatre Company  –  World Premiere

                "Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times

                Adapted and directed this play that explores the JFK assassination and its aftermath

 

SOMETHING TRULY MONSTROUS                                                                  

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company  – World Premiere

                Developed and directed the play about Peter Lorre, Humphrey Bogart and the night

                they stole John Barrymore’s body

 

THE COST OF THE ERECTION                                                                          

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company  – World Premiere

               "Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times

                Developed and directed the play starring Michael E. Knight

 

DUSK RINGS A BELL                                                                                            

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company  – West Coast Premiere

               "Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times, “GO!” – LA Weekly

                Starring Thea Gill & Josh Randall

 

THE CRADLE WILL ROCK                                                                                    

Director/Choreographer   

The Blank Theatre Company 

                "Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times

                 Rex Smith leads the cast - 3 LA Weekly Award noms Best Ensemble

 

SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE                                                                                    

Director/Choreographer   

The Blank Theatre Company - West Coast Premiere

               “Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times

                 Starring Jason Graae, Olivier Award Winner Lesli Margherita

                 3 LA Weekly Award noms Musical of the Year, Best Direction of a Musical

 

WHY TORTURE IS WRONG, AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM                    

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company  -  West Coast Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” Los Angeles Times

                 Starring Christine Estabrook, Alec Mapa, Rhea Seehorn

                 2 LA Weekly Award noms Director of a Comedy

 

SETUP & PUNCH                                                                                                          

Director/Choreographer   

The Blank Theatre Company -  World Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” – LA Times, LA Weekly, BackStage West

                Developed the musical by Mark Saltzman, Songs by Berton Averre & Rob Meurer

                2 LA Weekly Award noms Musical of the Year, Best Direction of a Musical

 

SPEECH & DEBATE                                                                                                      

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– West Coast Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” – LA Times, LA Weekly, BackStage West, Daily News

                Starring Mae Whitman & Michael Welch

 

DICKIE & BABE                                                                                                              

Writer/Director                  

The Blank Theatre Company– World Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” – LA Times, LA Weekly, CBS Radio, LA Journal

                Starring Michael Urie & Vicki Lewis

                BackStage West Garland Award nom Outstanding Adaptation

               

HOTEL C’EST L’AMOUR                                                                                              

Conceiver/Director/Choreographer

The Blank Theatre Company– World Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” – LA Times, LA Weekly, BackStage West

                 Conceived and directed revue of the music of Michael John LaChiusa

                  LA Weekly Award, Ovation Award

 

LOBSTER ALICE                                                                                                            

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– West Coast Premiere

                “Recommended” – LA Times, LA Weekly

                 Starring Noah Wyle & Nicholas Brendon

                 LA Drama Critics Circle Award, LA Weekly Award

 

THE WILD PARTY                                                                                                         

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– West Coast Premiere

                “Critic’s Choice” – LA Times, LA Weekly, BackStage West, Los Angeles Magazine

                 Starring Academy Award nominee Sally Kellerman, Tony Award winner Daisy Eagan &

                 Tony nominees Valarie Pettiford & Jane Lanier

                 6 LA Drama Critics Circle Awards Best Production, 4 NAACP Theatre Awards Best Director & Best Production,

                 7 BackStage West Garland Awards Best Production, 3 LA Weekly Awards

 

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES                                                                              

Director                

The Blank Theatre Company

                “Recommended” – LA Times, LA Weekly

                Ovation Award nomination, 2 LA Weekly Award nominations

 

THE GIRLY SHOW                                                                                                       

Creator/Director                 

Lincoln Center, NYC – American Songbook Series – World Premiere

                 “Top Live Show – Must see!”  -  Time Out New York

                 Celebration of the songs of Michael John LaChiusa. Starring Lea DeLaria, LaChanze,

                 Michelle Pawk, Carolee Carmello, Mary Testa, Jennifer Laura Thompson, and Kate Shindle.

               

MR. SHAW GOES TO HOLLYWOOD                                                                    

Director                                

Laguna Playhouse Mainstage – World Premiere

                Developed the comedy by Mark Saltzman starring Mala Powers & Nicolas Coster

                OC Weekly Award

 

FILL IN THE BLANK                                                                                                    

Creator/Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company

                 “Critic’s Choice” – Los Angeles Times  - A new evening of one-acts by David Ives    

 

FIRST LADY SUITE                                                                                                       

Director/Choreographer   

The Blank Theatre Company  - Revised World Premiere

                 Musical by Michael John LaChiusa; new material created by LaChiusa and Henning

                 Three NAACP Theatre Award nominations including Best Director of a Musical

                 World Premiere Cast Album available on PS Classics

 

WHAT A PAIR!                                                                                                                

Creator/Director/Choreographer   

Benefit for the Breast Center at UCLA at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, LA

                 Conceived the annual show of female duets from Broadway musicals with Debbie Harry, Patricia Heaton, Rashida Jones,                    Megan Mullally, Jean Smart, Rita Wilson and others.

 

PRECIOUS SONS                                                                                                           

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– Revised World Premiere

                Developed rewritten version of the play by Tony Award winner George Furth

                Starring Tony Winner Gregory Jbara, Nora Dunn, Adam Wylie

                Three BackStage West Garland Awards - Best Director, Best Performance

               

THE WHY                                                                                                                         

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– World Premiere

                World premiere of a play about school shootings by a 19-year-old playwright

                Starring  Noah Wyle, James Marsters, Fred Savage

                Ovation Award nomination - Best Writing – World Premiere

 

STARR STRUCK                                                                                                             

Director/Choreographer   

The Blank Theatre Company– World Premiere

                Featured on: MSNBC, CNN Showbiz Today, CNBC, ABC, NBC, BBC, NHK, ABC (Australia)

                LA Drama Critics Circle Award nomination, Ovation Award nomination

               

HELLO AGAIN                                                                                                                

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company– West Coast Premiere

                Starring Tony nominees Susan Egan & Alyson Reed, Richard Kline

                3 Ovation Award nominations including Best Musical (1 Win), 3 BackStage West Garland Awards

 

LOOT                                                                                                                                   

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company

                Six Critic's Choice designations

                “Noir” version of Joe Orton's dark comedy

                Three Drama Logue Awards Best Production, Best Director,  BackStage West Garland Award

               

1776                                                                                                                                      

Director/Co- Choreographer  

Caswell Theatre LA

                All female version of this almost all male musical

                Choreographed with Academy Award winner and original 1776 choreographer Onna White

 

BREAKING THE CODE                                                                                               

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company

                Starring Dennis Christopher and Jeremy Sisto

                 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award - Best Production, LA Weekly Award

                Ovation Award nomination, Two Drama Logue Awards including Best Director

               

CHESS                                                                                                                                

Director/Adaptor                

The Blank Theatre Company

                Starring Tony nominees Marcia Mitzman-Gaven and Douglas Sills

                Two Ovation Awards - Best Actress & Best Actor in a Musical, Two LA Drama Critics Circle Awards - Lead Performance,

                Five Ovation Award nominations including Best Musical

               

THE CRADLE WILL ROCK                                                                                        

Director                                

The Blank Theatre Company            

                “Best of the Year” Los Angeles Times - Two Ovation Award nominations  Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical,

                 LA Weekly Award - Musical of the Year, Three Drama-Logue Awards - Direction, Production, Musical Direction

                 Complete Cast Album is available through Amazon.com and on iTunes.

 

 

KEY WORKSHOPS

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NOW VOYAGER (Disney/ASCAP) with Marcia Mitzman-Gaven and David Naughton

PRECIOUS SONS with Annette Bening, Daniel Baldwin and Johnny Galecki

DENNIS THE MENACE THE MUSICAL with Susan Egan, Paul Dooley and Marian Ross

SOCCER MOMS with Judith Ivey, Veanne Cox, and Laura Benanti

THE TOWER OF GREEN with Edward Asner & Molly Shannon

 

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