Arden, Michael (2006)

Michael Jerrod Moore (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as Michael Arden, is an American actor and theatre director. Arden has received two Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Musical, winning for the revival of the musical ''Parade'' in 2023 and ''Maybe Happy Ending'' in 2025.

Early life

Arden described his upbringing as "rocky." 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 the 5th grade onwards. Starting in the 5th grade, he was a student at Trinity School, a college preparatory school in Midland. He was bullied in his youth for being gay.

Arden's interest in acting began when he was four years old and his grandparents took him to see ''Sesame Street Live''. He was active in the Pickwick Players, Midland Community Theatre's youth performing company. He also built theatrical sets in his grandparents' garage. A Presidential Scholar in the arts, he received a scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy as a theater student, where he graduated in 2001. He was accepted on a full scholarship to the Juilliard School, where he was in the Drama Division's ''Group 34'' (2001–2005). He left Juilliard in 2003 to join the Broadway revival company of the musical '' Big River''.

Career

Theatre

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 Twyla Tharp musical '' The Times They Are A-Changin''', based on the music of Bob Dylan, which 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 to November 19, 2006.

In 2007, he starred as John Robert in ''Ace'' at the Old Globe Theatre from January 13 to February 18. In the summer of 2007, he toured Europe with Barbra Streisand as one of her "Broadway Boys." 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.

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 Hunchback of Notre Dame'' musical at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse. The production ran from October 26 to December 7, 2014, and at Paper Mill Playhouse from March 4 to April 5, 2015.

Arden directed Deaf West Theatre's acclaimed Broadway revival of '' Spring Awakening''. The production featured a cast made up of both deaf and hearing actors, performed simultaneously in American Sign Language and English. The production began in at Inner City Arts in Los Angeles 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. On May 3, 2016, Arden received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for his work on the ''Spring Awakening'' revival.

Arden went on to direct the musical ''My Fair Lady'' at the Bay Street Theater in Southampton, New York in August 2016. 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,'' the latter of which earned him a 2017 Ovation Awards nomination for Best Director of a Musical.

Arden directed the first Broadway revival of ''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 was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards and eight Tony Awards, including a second Best Director Tony nomination for Arden.

Arden directed '' Annie'' at the Hollywood Bowl in July 2018 for the venue's annual summer musical production. Following this, Arden was directed Jefferson Mays in his one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens' ''A Christmas Carol'' at Los Angeles' Geffen Playhouse beginning October 2018. Arden directed the American premiere of ''Maybe Happy Ending'' at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta in January 2020. In November 2022, Arden directed a production of Jason Robert Brown's ''Parade'' for New York City Center's 2022 gala. The production transferred to Broadway in March 2023. This production won Arden the 2023 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Arden directed the Broadway premiere of ''Maybe Happy Ending'', which opened in fall 2024 at the Belasco Theatre. He won a Tony Award for Best Director for the show.

Television

He has appeared on ABC's ''Grey's Anatomy'' (in the episode "17 Seconds" as Neal Hannigan) and in ''NUMB3RS'' for CBS. He was cast in the Fox show '' The Return of Jezebel James'', which cancelled after three episodes in the spring of 2008. Arden had a recurring role in the NBC series ''Kings'' as Joseph. He also guest starred in an episode of ''The Closer'' as well as guest starring in an episode of ''Bones''. In August 2011, Arden was cast in a recurring role on ''The Good Wife''. He had a regular role in the FX series ''Anger Management''.

Film

Arden featured in Colin Spoelman's independent film ''The Cave Movie'' (2009). He also acted in the 2011 movie ''Source Code'' and appeared as Kevin in the film ''Bride Wars.''

Composing and writing

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

Personal life

Arden is gay. He got engaged to fellow 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. They have been together since 2011. 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.

Theater credits

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

* List of LGBTQ people from New York City

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Arden, Michael
1982 births
20th-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American male actors
American gay actors
American gay musicians
American male musical theatre actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American theatre directors
Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni
Juilliard School alumni
LGBTQ people from Texas
Living people
Male actors from Texas
People from Midland, Texas
Tony Award winners