Mark Allen David was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Southern California. He attended Santa Monica High School and was mainly focused on history studies. Later, he began taking interest in music and dancing. He began dancing at a local club, from where he was discovered and his professional career began. In the 1984 Olympics, he appeared as a “popper,” at the age of 16. He also appeared as the bagel boy in Janet Jackson’s “Alright” music video.
From there, he branched out into film. He appeared as an extra in the Russian film, Society in 1989. He then took a shot at television by taking the recurring role of “Mark,” a resident student, on the short-lived NBC show, Hull High. On the set, he learned more dance and took some vocal training, giving him a solo on a song called “The Laws of Motion.” Mark also met his best buddy, Ivan Dudynsky, on the set.
While Ivan went on to choreograph the movie Encino Man, both he and Mark landed roles in the film, Mark being seen during the end prom scene. Later, they were contacted by Hull High’s choreographer, Kenny Ortega, who cast the both of them in his feature film debut, Newsies. Mark was also reunited with several other featured castmembers of Hull High. He was given the role of Specs, a bespectacled newsie with a couple solos in the songs. After Newsies, Mark was asked to replace former Newsies dancer Chris Dupre for a TV show Nickelodeon picked up called Roundhouse. He accepted and reunited with Ivan and two other former Newsies castmates David Sidoni and Dominic Lucero.
On Roundhouse, Mark was mainly known for being one of the main singers throughout the entire show, as well as being a supporting dancer, but mainly for his various voices and numerous funny faces. He also had a number of recurring characters, his most noted being Ed McMayonnaise, Principal Bose and “Raphael” of Sally Jessy Raphael. He also had his own profile commercial on Nickelodeon, appeared on Family Double Dare against fellow castmember Natalie Nucci (which he won!), was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight, and even dated third season castmember Amy Ehrlich over the course of the show. He also hosted the MTV Top Twenty Countdown in 1993 and SNICK Live in 1994.
By the time Roundhouse ended in 1994, Dominic had died, and in honor of him, Mark, Ivan and David attended TJ Martell’s Rocker Soccer Celebrity Match for both AIDS and cancer research. He also made a guest appearance on Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Hubert Dweebly, and appeared in a “Weaver Chicken” commercial. Later, he relocated to England, where he joined a boy band called “The Modz.”
The Modz disbanded after a while, from where Mark returned to the US. In 1998, Mark starred on a TV show titled Cheap Theatrix. Little is known about this show except for the fact that it was very short lived. He later moved in with Ivan down in Southern California, where they both began working with Farmclub.com, a website complete with TV show (aired on the USA network), giving spotlight to both signed and unsigned artists. Mark worked as a “tape logger.” Early last year, both Mark and Ivan left Farmclub.com to pursue other opportunities.
Mark relocated to New York City and was spotted on the 2002 VH1 fasion awards show. Today he is a music promoter.
MAD: Mark Allen David Archive
Specs Spotting
Mark’s Twain
Mark, Mirabile Visu
This is just a reminder: A Mark David site
Know Your Newsies!
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