About this episode

Michael Arden discusses the challenges and innovations in bringing The Lost Boys to Broadway.

Michael Arden joins the show to discuss the monumental task of bringing The Lost Boys to Broadway and the technical alchemy required to turn a cult classic film into a soaring musical experience. He opens up about his "mad lib" approach to stagecraft, explaining how he utilizes traditional theatrical tools in unexpected ways—like tilting the entire orientation of a set to keep an audience off-balance or ensuring the set moves entirely on its own to make the space feel "alive". Michael also reflects on the high-stakes pressure of bypassing an out-of-town tryout, the "fearless skydiving" energy of his cast during a grueling preview process, and his years-long quest to convince his favorite band, The Rescues, to join him in the theater. The conversation also dives into Michael’s deep-seated love for the "visual feast" of theater, tracing back to his childhood days rigging special effects in his garage. He shares how his collaboration with the design team at At Rise Creative allows for a "crash and burn" mentality that eventually leads to the most innovative solutions, from the irising neon boxes of Maybe Happy Ending to the complex verticality of the Palace Theater. Looking ahead…

People in this episode

Host: Alan Seales

Guest: Michael Arden

Topics covered

• Broadway
• theater production
• musical adaptation
• stagecraft
• collaboration
• design innovation

Keywords

• Broadway
• The Lost Boys
• musical
• stagecraft
• theater
• design
• puppetry

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Rescues

Books & works: The Lost Boys, Maybe Happy Ending, Happy Feet

Places: Palace Theater

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