The busiest man on Broadway talks about the art of staying focused while multitasking
Hustle culture. Productivity porn. The business world has no shortage of stereotypes to describe the dangers of overwork, and probably for good reason. But on the flip side, sometimes you just have to get stuff done , and few people are getting more done these days than Michael Arden. At 44, the Tony Award-winning theater director has emerged as one of the busiest practitioners on Broadway, with…
Michael Arden, a Tony Award-winning theater director at 44, is currently one of Broadway's busiest practitioners. His credits include A Christmas Carol, Parade, The Queen of Versailles, Maybe Happy Ending, and the crowd-pleaser The Lost Boys. His newest project is the Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin's A Few Good Men, which opened recently at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.
The play, first staged in 1989, is a courtroom drama with a message about unethical leadership. Arden's direction results in brisk scene transitions, seamlessly inserted flashbacks, and a winning cast reciting Sorkin's sharp dialogue. Bradley Whitford plays the role of Nathan Jessep, a Marine Corps colonel played by Jack Nicholson in the film. Whitford's interpretation is described as "so damn likable."
Arden, who started his Broadway journey over two decades ago as an actor, now directs, produces, and operates the production company At Rise Creative. He is currently handling three Broadway shows simultaneously and has multiple projects in various stages of development, including musical adaptations of Happy Feet and Huckleberry Finn.
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