Brittany Davenport Lives Her Fantasy as Classy Geneva Lee Browne

Brittany Davenport (left) as Geneva Lee Browne, with Grace Muawad, Taylor Alfano and Amy Lauter

In The 1940s Radio Hour, Brittany Davenport is living the dream.  Brittany plays Geneva Lee Browne, who she describes as “a beautiful, high-class black singer.  On a personality level, Geneva is basically everything I'm not.  She's loud, brassy, egotistical, flavorful, and self-assured to the point of being carefree.  She says anything and everything that she has on her mind and has no filter.  She's a star, and knows it, and wants everyone else to know it as well.”  As Geneva, Brittany offers soulful performances in Rose of the Rio Grande and I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).

It’s not easy playing her opposite, but as Brittany says, “I love her attitude.  I know that's a weird thing to say, but I'm such a reserved person that playing Geneva gives me an avenue to do things that I would NEVER do myself.  I also love her confidence.  Geneva may be overly confident, but at least she knows her worth.  Being so stiff, shy, and conscientious myself, playing a character that is my polar opposite really is exhilarating!  In some ways, I'd even say Geneva Lee Browne is my fantasy.”  Brittany has been heavily involved in music since she was a young child: “I’ve been singing ever since I was able to open my mouth, and wrote my first song at 9.  I started playing saxophone when I was 10, guitar when I was 13, and picked up a little bit of piano at 15.  I was in a band in high school, and have continued to song-write all the way up to the present time. Music has always been a large part of my life.”

While Geneva is a self-assured star, Brittany is a perfectionist.  As she says, “These concepts really do collide, and the hardest part about playing her is getting out of my own head and just letting Geneva come out.  Brittany might be worried about doing everything perfectly and analyzing every situation, but Geneva is fabulous and knows anything she does will be so!”  Brittany loves the jazzy music of the 40's and also enjoys how the 1940’s singers, “even in times of strife, were able to use what resources they had to still look put together and glamorous!”

1940s is Brittany’s Barn debut.  She participated in theatre at Ann Arbor Huron High School and the University of Indianapolis.  Her favorite productions include Anything Goes, Wit, Dogg’s Hamlet Cahoots Macbeth, Family Names, and Into the Woods. 

The 1940s Radio Hour runs through December 22nd.  Reserved seats for this musical comedy sponsored by Weinstein Jewelers are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.