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Michael Arden

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Michael Arden
Arden in May 2018
Born
Michael Jerrod Moore

(1982-10-06) October 6, 1982 (age 42)
Midland, Texas, U.S.
EducationJuilliard School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • musician
  • theatre director
Years active2003–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2016)​

Michael Jerrod Moore (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as Michael Arden, is an American actor, singer, musician, and theatre director. Arden won a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2023 for the revival of the musical Parade.

Early life

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Arden described his upbringing as "rocky".[1] He was born to a very young mother who struggled with drugs and alcohol and his father died by suicide when Arden was around 2 years old. Arden went on to live with his grandparents, Pat and Jim Moore, in Midland, Texas from 5th grade age onwards.[1][2] Starting in the 5th grade, he was a student at Trinity School, a college preparatory school in Midland.[2] It was at the school that Arden first came out to his 9th grade English teacher, Shelly Wright. During his Tony Award speech in 2023, he revealed that he was bullied in his youth for being gay.[3]

Arden's interest in acting began when he was four years old and his grandparents had taken him to see Sesame Street Live. Growing up in Midland, he was active in the Pickwick Players, Midland Community Theatre's youth performing company.[4][2] He says he asked his grandparents to let him build theatrical sets in their own garage.[5] A Presidential Scholar in the arts, he received a scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy as a theatre student, where he graduated in 2001.[6][7] He was accepted on a full scholarship[8] to the Juilliard School, where he was in the Drama Division's Group 34 (2001–2005).[9] He left Juilliard in 2003 to join the Broadway revival company of the musical Big River.[10]

Career

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Theatre

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Arden made his Broadway debut as Tom Sawyer in the 2003 Roundabout and Deaf West revival of Big River. He also starred opposite John Hill in the 2004 off-Broadway show Bare, a Pop Opera. In Summer 2005, he played Nick, a sexually promiscuous gay man in love with a shark, in Adam Bock's surreal play Swimming in the Shallows at New York's Second Stage Theatre. He played the title character in Pippin for the World AIDS Day Broadway benefit concert in November 2004. He starred in the new Twyla Tharp musical The Times They Are A-Changin' based on the music of Bob Dylan.[11]The Times ran January 25 to March 5, 2006, at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California and then on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre from October 26, 2006, to November 19, 2006.[12]

Arden performing with the cast of The Times They Are a-Changin' in 2006 at Broadway on broadway.

In 2007 he starred as John Robert in Ace, at the Old Globe Theatre from January 13 to February 18.[13] In the summer of 2007 he toured Europe with Barbra Streisand as one of her "Broadway Boys."[10][1] From July to September 2010 he played the lead role in a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.[14][15][16]

Arden's regional theatre credits include Pippin, God of Vengeance, Falsettoland, Tom Jones' Harold and Maude, West Side Story, Songs for a New World, The Common Pursuit and The Winter's Tale.

Beginning in October 2014, Arden played the role of Quasimodo in the new musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse.[17][18] The production ran from October 26 – December 7, 2014, and at Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4 – April 5, 2015.[19]

Arden directed Deaf West Theatre's acclaimed Broadway revival of Spring Awakening. The production marked his return to Deaf West and featured a cast made up of both deaf and hearing actors, performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and English. The production began in a small theater near Los Angeles' Skid Row in September 2014, transferred to the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills in May 2015, and finally transferred to Broadway, where it began previews September 8, 2015, and opened on September 27, 2015, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.[20] On May 3, 2016, Arden received a Tony Award nomination in the category Best Direction of a Musical for his work on the Spring Awakening revival.[21]

Arden went on to direct the musical My Fair Lady at the Bay Street Theater in Southampton, New York in August 2016.[22] He then returned as the first Artist-in-Residence at the Wallis Annenberg Center, where he directed productions of The Pride and Merrily We Roll Along,[23] for which he earned a 2017 Ovation Awards nomination for Best Director of a Musical.[24]

Arden directed the first Broadway revival of the musical Once on This Island, which began previews on November 9, 2017, and opened on December 3 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran until January 6, 2019. The acclaimed revival, noted for its gender fluid casting[25] and inspired staging, was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards[26] and eight Tony Awards, including a second Best Director Tony nomination for Arden.[27] The cast includes Hailey Kilgore and Alex Newell in their Broadway debuts as Ti Moune and Asaka, Lea Salonga as Erzulie, and Merle Dandridge as Papa Ge.[28]

Next, Arden directed Annie at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2018 for the venue's annual summer musical production, with a cast including Ana Gasteyer as Miss Hannigan, Lea Salonga as Grace Farrell, and Megan Hilty as Lily St Regis.[29] Following this Arden was slated to direct Jefferson Mays in his one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse beginning October 2018.[30] Arden directed the American premiere of the musical Maybe Happy Ending at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA in January 2020.[31] In November 2022 Arden directed a production of Jason Robert Brown's Parade for New York City Center's 2022 Gala.[32] The production transferred to Broadway in March 2023 with the cast led by Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond as Leo and Lucille Frank.[33] This production won Arden the 2023 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.[3]

In the fall of 2024, Arden is set to direct the new musical Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre.[34]

Television

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He has appeared on ABC's Grey's Anatomy (episode "17 Seconds" as Neal Hannigan) and in Numb3rs for CBS. He was cast in the Fox show The Return of Jezebel James, which aired and was cancelled after three episodes in the spring of 2008. Arden had a recurring role in the NBC series Kings as Joseph, the secret boyfriend of the closeted gay heir to the throne, Prince Jack Benjamin. He also guest starred in an episode of The Closer as James Clark, a schizophrenic murder suspect, as well as guest starring in an episode of Bones as Harold Prescott. He was set to star alongside Radha Mitchell, Jeffrey Nordling, and John Heard in the A&E drama The Quickening. Producers of The Good Wife announced in August 2011 that Arden had been cast in a recurring role as a potential love interest for the recurring character Owen Cavanaugh (Dallas Roberts).[35] He starred alongside Charlie Sheen in the FX series Anger Management.

Film

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Having also worked in film, he is a featured actor in director Colin Spoelman's independent effort Underground, the story of five friends who become trapped inside a cave system deep below a mountain ridge in central Kentucky. Arden's more recent work included the 2011 movie Source Code, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. He also appeared as Kevin in the film Bride Wars.[36][37]

Composing and writing

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As a composer, Arden has written several works, including Easter Rising,[38] As You Like It, and Ripley.

Personal life

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Arden is gay.[39] He first came out to his English teacher, though it took longer to tell his Southern Baptist grandparents, who both died in 2014.[40]

Arden got engaged to fellow Broadway and TV actor Andy Mientus on June 23, 2014. He and Mientus had both planned proposals to each other the same day without the other knowing. They married on August 18, 2016, at Babington House, Somerset, England.[41] They have been together since 2010. The two first met in 2006 during the opening night party of the Broadway show The Times They Are-a-Changin', in which Arden was a performer.

Theatre credits

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Acting
Year Production Role Category
2003 Big River Tom Sawyer Broadway
2004 Bare Peter Off-Broadway
Pippin Pippin New York (concert)
2005 Regional (concert)
Swimming in the Shallows Nick Off-Broadway
The Secret Garden Dickon New York (concert)
2006 The Times They Are A-Changin' Coyote Regional
Broadway
2007 Ace John Robert Regional
2013 Ragtime Younger Brother New York (concert)
2014–2015 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Quasimodo Regional
2019 King Lear Aide to Cornwall Broadway
Directing
Year Production Credit Category
2008 A Tale of Two Cities Assistant Director Broadway
2014–2015 Spring Awakening Director Los Angeles (Deaf West Theatre)
2015–2016 Broadway
2016 My Fair Lady Director Regional
2016 Merrily We Roll Along Director Los Angeles
2017 The Pride Director Los Angeles
2017–2019 Once on This Island Director Broadway
2018 Annie Director Los Angeles
2018 A Christmas Carol Director Los Angeles
2020 Maybe Happy Ending Director Atlanta
2022–2023 A Christmas Carol Director Broadway
2022 Parade Director New York City Center
2023 Broadway
2024 Maybe Happy Ending Director Broadway

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 The Good Shepherd Pinafore Actor
2009 Bride Wars Kevin
2009 The Cave Movie Sam
2011 Nurse Jackée Gabe Short film
2011 Source Code Derek Frost
2012 The Odd Life of Timothy Green Doug Wert
2016 So B. It Elliot

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Numb3rs Whitley Episode: "Backscatter"
2006 Grey's Anatomy Neal Hannigan Episode: "17 Seconds"
2008 Cashmere Mafia Denis Episode: "Dog Eat Dog"
2008 The Return of Jezebel James Buddy 3 episodes
2009 Bones Harold Prescott Episode: "The Bond in the Boot"
2009 The Closer James Clark Episode: "Identity Theft"
2009 Kings Joseph Lasile 3 episodes
2010 The Forgotten James Poole Episode: "Mama Jane"
2011 The Good Wife Finn Episode: "Get a Room"
2011 Off the Map Pher 2 episodes
2011 Unforgettable Joe Williams Episode: "Lost Things"
2012–2014 Anger Management Patrick Main cast
2012 GCB Reverend Steve Stewart 2 episodes
2012 The Mentalist Evan Kress Episode: "War of the Roses"
2012 Nurse Jackie Gabe Episode: "Slow Growing Monsters"
2012 Royal Pains Homer Episode: "Some Pig"
2019 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Milken Prince 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2015 Ovation Awards Direction of a Musical Spring Awakening Won
2016 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Nominated
Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical Won
2018 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Once on This Island Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
2023 Tony Awards Best Direction of a Musical Parade Won
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Director of a Musical Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Fung, Lisa (November 28, 2016). "Michael Arden, man of the moment in L.A. theater, stages a revival of a famously 'troubled' musical". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Michael Arden '01". Trinity School of Midland. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Stevens, Matt (June 12, 2023). "Michael Arden Wins Best Direction of a Musical, Drawing Cheers for Calling Out Homophobic Slur". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  4. ^ Wong, Wayman (April 1, 2004). "THE LEADING MEN: Candor and Ebb". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007.
  5. ^ "Interview with Deaf West's director for SPRING AWAKENING, Michael Arden". Theplaybillcollector.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  6. ^ "Interlochen alumni in 2016 Tony-nominated productions - Interlochen Center for the Arts". Interlochen.org. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  7. ^ "Interview with Michael Arden". Thetheatretimes.com. December 8, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  8. ^ "Broadway singer, actor comes home for performance". Midland Reporter-Telegram. October 20, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  9. ^ "Alumni News". Juilliard School. September 2007. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011.
  10. ^ a b Nondorf, Tom (July 2, 2007). "THE LEADING MEN: Streisand's 'Boys' — Arden, Lockyer, McDermott and Panaro". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  11. ^ Brantley, Ben (October 27, 2006). "The Times They Are A-Changin' - Theater - Review". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  12. ^ Sheffield, Rob (November 30, 2006). "Bob Dylan Musical: The Times They Are A-Endin'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  13. ^ Gans, Andrew (January 13, 2007). "New Musical Ace, With Michael Arden, Begins Old Globe Run Jan. 13". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  14. ^ Blank, Matthew (August 10, 2010). "PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Aspects of Love Star Michael Arden". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  15. ^ Billington, Michael (July 16, 2010). "Aspects of Love - Theatre review". The Guardian. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  16. ^ Benedict, David (July 19, 2010). "Aspects of Love". Variety (magazine). Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "A First Look at La Jolla Playhouse's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Starring Michael Arden and Patrick Page". Playbill. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  18. ^ Charles McNulty (November 14, 2014). "'Hunchback of Notre Dame' at La Jolla has identity crisis". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  19. ^ Isherwood, Charles (March 18, 2015). "Review: 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' at Paper Mill Playhouse". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  20. ^ "Spring Awakening". Broadway.com.
  21. ^ "'Spring Awakening' and Deaf West's unlikely road to three Tony nominations". Los Angeles Times. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  22. ^ "Michael Arden Will Direct My Fair Lady This Summer". Playbill. February 26, 2016.
  23. ^ Ng, David. "Wallis 2016-17 season to feature Simon McBurney, Peter Brook, plus 'Merrily We Roll Along'". Los Angeles Times.
  24. ^ Hetrick, Adam (November 2, 2017). "Michael Arden, Carmen Cusack, Merrily We Roll Along Earn L.A. Ovation Award Nominations". Playbill.
  25. ^ Green, Jesse (January 6, 2019). "Review: 'Once on This Island,' Revived and Ravishing". The New York Times. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  26. ^ McPhee, Ryan (April 26, 2018). "Carousel, SpongeBob SquarePants, Mean Girls Lead 2018 Drama Desk Award Nominations". Playbill.
  27. ^ Libbey, Peter (May 2018). "Tony Awards 2018: Full List of Nominations". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Clement, Olivia (August 8, 2017). "Lea Salonga, Alex Newell, and More Join Once On This Island on Broadway". Playbill.
  29. ^ Gans, Andrew (February 21, 2018). "Michael Arden Will Direct Annie at the Hollywood Bowl". Playbill.
  30. ^ "Michael Arden to Direct Jefferson Mays in One-Man A Christmas Carol". TheaterMania.com. June 7, 2018.
  31. ^ "Jerry Mitchell and Michael Arden Will Helm New Musicals During Alliance Theatre's 51st Season". Playbill.
  32. ^ "Parade". Playbill. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  33. ^ "History Repeats Itself in the Broadway Revival of "Parade"". The New Yorker. March 16, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  34. ^ Huston, Caitlin (May 14, 2024). "Darren Criss to Star in New Broadway Musical 'Maybe Happy Ending' This Fall". The Hollywood Reporter.
  35. ^ "Exclusive: Good Wife Gives Alicia's Bro a Beau". Tvline.com. August 16, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  36. ^ "Kristen Johnston cast in 'Bride Wars'". The Hollywood Reporter. April 13, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  37. ^ Burr, Ty (January 9, 2009). "Bride Wars". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  38. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Easter Rises at Joe's Pub — with Arden, Butler and Pasquale — Dec. 21" Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.com. September 13, 2004.
  39. ^ Wong, Curtis (August 10, 2012). "Michael Arden Dishes His Upcoming NYC Gig, Charlie Sheen And Barbra Streisand". HuffPost.
  40. ^ Medina, Monica (October 17, 2014). "Gay Broadway actor brings Quasimodo to town". Gay San Diego. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  41. ^ Avery, Dan. "Broadway Boys Andy Mientus And Michael Arden Got Married - NewNowNext". Newnownext.com. Retrieved May 12, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
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