Industry Profile: Dennis Condon

— By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen

Dennis Condon has done it all, from artist management to talent buying and agency booking to producer to production manager to special event creation to sports marketing to casting director and everything else in between. All these positions have served him well as manager of talent casting and booking for the Disneyland Resorts including Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure, Resort Hotels and various other Walt Disney Company entities.

Dennis has gone full circle in his profession, starting out at Disneyland and more than 30 years later, returning to Disney Entertainment Productions in 1998 as manager of talent casting and booking, managing the casting and booking of professional talent for the Disney properties.

In his present position, Dennis directs six casting directors in the recruitment and acquisition of over 450 singers, actors, musicians, variety acts, name talent and specialty attractions for multiple shows in both Disney parks with regular auditions locally and regionally, reviewing thousands of hopeful performers. He additionally supervises advertising materials for the audition process, manages the financial budget process and price structure for all talent casting and booking, and produces concert promotions with popular tween, teen, and pop rock attractions.

For the past three years, Dennis has produced Grad Nites, a series of eight all-night parties for high school graduates, creating a thematic entertainment program and accompanying scenic elements.

Dennis also supervises contract and payroll administration for variety acts, shows and attractions, and name talent and is responsible for administration of the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) and American Federation of Musicians (AF of M) union agreements for working conditions and salaries of professional performers in these categories. And, if that's not all, he is also a member of the negotiating team for master collective bargaining agreements.

Prior to his current position at Disney, Dennis was director of special events at the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority from 1993-98, where he was responsible for the creation, development, acquisition, production, marketing and promotion of special events to help increase tourism and enhance the image of the Reno-Sparks-Tahoe area and improve the quality of life within the community. In this capacity, Dennis identified event opportunities and developed a financial model to determine viability, risk, return on investments (ROI) and media and economic impact of events. He created a strategy and business plan for acquisitions, negotiated acquisition terms, presented event to Board and stakeholders, selected venue/site, developed business and marketing strategies, hired staff and vendors, executed events and reviewed event performance results via research, attendance and other means of analysis. Events included major festivals, top name concerts, television productions, sporting events, shows and productions and other programs.

Some major events included: Holiday Festival on Ice -- a live ice concert starring Kristie Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, and other world and Olympic champions that was taped for a two-hour syndicated TV Christmas special for four years; RenoAir Games -- an NBC-TV indoor professional track meet for two years; the Reno Gymnastics Team Challenge -- a unique "battle of the sexes" gymnastics event starring Bart Conner and Nadia Comanechi and featuring the top women and men Olympic contenders -- Shannon Miller, Kim Zmeskal, Amy Chow and others, for a 90-minute TV special; and the Reno Grand Prix, a professional Trans-Am road race on a 1.27-mile temporary circuit.

Dennis also initiated the development of the Reno-Tahoe Sports Commission; negotiated the acquisition of Big West Conference Basketball Tournament; produced professional boxing for HBO, ABC-TV and other broadcasts; and produced and directed the opening ceremonies for ABC and WIBC bowling tournaments at National Bowling Stadium. Dennis served on local event boards as a consultant and developed and executed marketing, promotions, volunteer and sponsorship sales programs.

From 1988-1993, Dennis was vice president of talent and production for the Dick Clark Agency, where managed six agents as well as being involved in marketing and publicity (brochures, ads, press releases, talent acquisition, show packaging and production, finance and administration). He averaged personal sales of over $1.2 million yearly. Dennis also coordinated and produced the American Music Awards Concert Series-Japan with profits of $1.3 million. He additionally developed, produced, and executed profitable tours for children's shows such as "Alvin & the Chipmunks" and wrote, produced, and directed the American Bandstand musical revue in Atlantic City showroom. Dennis also bought talent and consulted for special events, hotel/casinos, concert venues, fairs, and corporate clients with sales specialization in parks, fairs, hotel/casinos, the Far East and Australia.

From 1986-1988, Dennis was vice president of talent and production at Legends in Concert Productions where he specialized in sales and marketing of the Las Vegas show to new markets. He organized all production elements, finance, marketing, personnel, contracts and other logistics for all touring units. He also designed lighting and production logistics for touring and Broadway versions.

With all that Dennis has accomplished in his career, the highlight, he says, was as production manager of the awards department for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where he coordinated the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal ceremonies for all 26 Olympic venues. He supervised all details for 229 award ceremonies in three weeks of Olympic activity and coordinated everything from budgets and procedures to labor and volunteers.

For four years (1981-1985), Dennis had his own firm, Dennis Condon & Associates, Inc. Once again, he acted in a multi-faceted capacity as producer, agent, director, personal manger, and production manager, technical director and stage manager.

As a producer, he wrote, produced and executed rock revival shows and special events for stadiums, fairs, parks and other venues. As an agent, his clients included Frankie Avalon, Wolfman Jack, rock and pop acts, shows and other attractions, and booked them into amusement parks, state and county fairs, concerts, clubs, casinos, corporate events and other venues as well as in film and television. As a director, he directed AMERICAFEST, a large July 4th pageantry and fireworks spectacular at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and at Anaheim Stadium in 1984 and 1988. The show included circus acts, special effects, lasers, marching bands and drill teams with attendance ranging from 30,000 to 50,000.

As a personal manager, he managed the L.A. Connection Comedy Group, and negotiated contracts for the syndicated TVcomedy series, "Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection" and developed movie deals for them He also managed other actors and musical performers. For many different events, including concerts, special events, musical shows, and presidential rallies, Dennis put on his production manager/technical director/stage manager hat.

But there's more. From 1979-81 Dennis opened the West Coast office for the Norby Walters Agency as its general manager, and booking acts and attractions such as Marvin Gaye, Beatlemania, Laser Shows, plus 30 additional rock, pop, and R & B artists in venues and major talk and variety TV shows. He also developed and negotiated picture and TV deals.

From 1972-1978, Dennis was director of entertainment for Magic Mountin Amusement Park where he negotiated and booked celebrity performers and acts, and produced all shows and exhibitions, as well as doing artist relations and payroll administration, budget preparation and operation, union negotiations, coordination and administration of theater and show facilities, coordination of advertising, PR and marketing for all productions. While at Magic Mointain, he formed a production company, Spotlight Productions, to function in booking, producer, creative/producer and personal management.

Dennis has a Master of Arts degree in directing from California State University at Fullerton and has done graduate and extension college work in marketing, sports marketing, sponsorship, sales, entertainment law and entertainment finance at UCLA.

He is a member of numerous professional industry associations including International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE), Western Fairs Associations (WFA) and International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA).

How do you scout your talent for Disney's various productions?
I scout talent in various ways. I attend many industry conferences and showcases. I have long term relationships with acts and agents, and they keep me full of acts and press kits. We receive 10 - 15 press kits and videos each week from all kinds of acts. Since we use a lot of street performers, bands, and variety acts, we are always looking for that special attraction that can entertain our family audience. My staff and I attend a ton of local and regional shows and events to find our talent. We also hold many, many auditions year round, seeking to find the next musical theater star. Many of our performers have Broadway credits. The lead performer in one of our shows toured with "Rent" for a while.

You've been both an agent and a manager. What did you like/dislike about those professions?
Being an agent is a unique job, and I enjoyed it a lot during the times I worked in this end of the business. I really liked it when I had a hot act, hated it when I had to grind out sales. Loved in when I could develop new talent. I also loved the sales side. Charting commissions and running a team of agents for profit was great. Did not like the cold calls and rejection, but you get used to that. As Norby Walters once told me, the more calls you make, the more sales you take. I had a great time working with Norby, Sal Michaels, and Jerry Ade in the early days. Loved trying to make the Dick Clark Agency the next William Morris, and had a great time when I booked Wolfman Jack and nostalgia acts.

I enjoyed managing acts also. I had a revelation once that it would be easier for me to call one person a lot -- the act's agent -- instead of the 100 cold calls each day. Plus, getting into TV, movies, record, and sponsor deals with developing talent was very rewarding. Bad part is the baby sitting and long hours. Also hard to keep a family going with acts all over the place.

Has anyone now famous, risen out of your Disney productions?
We don't have anyone that has risen out of our recent shows to become famous in my short tenure, but many from the past such as soap star Brad Maul--Soap Star, Terry Garr ... Steve Martin worked in our Magic Shop, and many dancers and singers have gone on to Broadway and touring shows.

Having started out at Disneyland some 20-plus years ago, did you think you'd come full circle and wind up there again?
I am thrilled to be back at The Disneyland Resort and even more thrilled to have this job. I did not have much hope of coming back, tried a few times, but never hit the timing right. Mike Davis, then vice president of entertainment here and now general manager of entertainment at Universal Japan, and I were playing golf just as my job in Reno was ending. Mike and I had known each other for a long time, in fact, I managed him in a band and he worked in shows for me at Magic Mountain. I told him I was looking and he told me he had an opening. And this gig is one of the best around so I jumped at the chance.

I started here as a ride operator on Casey Jr. Railroad, worked as a audio mixer, electrician, stagehand, and other tech jobs, became a stage manager here, toured with Disney on Parade for a year and then booked a bunch of acts and show here over the years. It's great to be back and especially with the exciting growth of the Disneyland Resort -- two parks, another coming, three hotels, more coming, and a ton of tours and special events. I can't wait to get to work each morning!

My job has two sides, one is supervising three casting directors in the acquisition and casting of over 400 singers, dancers, and actors who work all the shows in the venues on the property. The other side is supervising the booking of a myriad number of acts, from a mime to name talent. We have Jim Belushi and his band here for a private party for Microsoft on Sunday (July 15) and have started the quest to book talent for our annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration in September.

I really manage a internal talent agency of sorts. We get talent requests from all over the resort and within the Disney Company for all sorts of talent. My great staff of Casting and Booking Directors seek out and find the talent to fit those requests. We negotiate the deal, issue contracts or hire the talent, and even process the payment for contract talent. Not much different than other agencies I have worked at except we are buying the talent for our clients and not booking for the public.

Of all the different aspects of your career, is there any one area you miss the most?
One of the best parts of my career is the production world -- shows, special events, etc. I really love to produce. The '84 Olympics was spectacular. I was the production manager for the medal ceremonies for all 26 venues. Doing political rallies with the secret service and politicians was very unique.

Large outdoor events were my real love, from pyro shows at the Rose Bowl to motor racing in Reno. I wanted to be the next Tommy Walker or Bob Jani -- two of the best Disney impresarios of our world. Did not quite make it but enjoyed a lot of big special event productions. I get to produce a bit here. I do our Grad Nites -- eight nights from midnight to 6 a.m. with high school graduates partying all over Disneyland.

I also do a few "Tween" concerts each year with our record company acts and other talent. We do a Spring Break each year with acts like BBMak, the A-Teens, and others that generate fun for their young audiences. I also produce the bands for our dance and show venues and book rock, top 40, R&B, Celtic Rock, Blues, Latin, and other great contemporary and classic musical acts.

What were some of your production highlights?
Mixing the sound for the Cream live, meeting and touring with Marvin Gaye, working with Dick Clark, meeting Annette Funicello, Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was also great to coordinate a major music festival in Japan with big names like Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan and others.

And if I can just close the deal for a celebrity narrator for next Tuesday's (July 17) press event for our 46th birthday and the re-opening of the Mr. Lincoln attraction, I will have had a great day.

First industry job
Stage carpenter at Teen Fair at Anaheim Convention Center starring the Doors and Jefferson Airplane.

Career highlight
1984 Olympics, 26 venues, saw 22 finals right on the finish line.

Career Disappointment
None, I have been very fortunate to have had great gigs!

Greatest challenge
Producing pro Grand Prix car race in the Reno Hilton Hotel parking lot.

Best business decision
Too many to list but one that comes to mind is my partnership with IMG to promote a pro ice skiing show in Reno. It was a two-hour TV special. It had great gaming participation, big media exposure for the area, and was a great community event which is hard to do in a gaming town."

Worst business decision
Would never admit to one!

Best business advice you received
Retain honesty and high ethics.

Most memorable event
Olympics.

What people would be surprised to learn about you
I love loud rock music and can still break 75 [in golf] from time to time.

Office paraphernalia
Tons of industry reference books, talent databases and rolodexes, plus hundreds of CDs and talent videos.

Industry pet peeve
High price for talent that can't sell tickets.

Dennis can be reached at 714-781-3446; e-mail: dennis.condon@disney.com.