Robert Ahrens is a Tony Award-winning producer whose career spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, touring productions, independent film, and live concert events. Renowned for his ability to shepherd both daring new works and reimagined classics, Robert has become a leading creative force in American theatre—bringing together visionary directors, celebrated performers, and timeless stories to captivate audiences on Broadway, across the country, and around the world.
Current Productions
This season, Robert is lead producing the first-ever Broadway revival of Chess, directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer and starring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher. “He's also lead producing Just in Time,” the smash hit Broadway musical of the year, directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers and starring Jonathan Groff as the legendary Bobby Darin. This summer, he lead produced Call Me Izzy, a gripping new play by Jamie Wax, directed by Sarna Lapine and featuring six-time Emmy Award winner Jean Smart in a highly acclaimed theatrical performance.
Also currently running is the hit revival of Little Shop of Horrors at the Westside Theatre in New York City, directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by Ellenore Scott. The production has earned widespread acclaim and numerous honors, including Best Musical Revival Awards from the Drama Desk, the Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle, with Christian Borle earning multiple Outstanding Featured Actor awards for his performance as “Orin.”
About
Robert was recently represented on Broadway with Grey House, a psychological thriller starring Laurie Metcalf and directed by Joe Mantello, and is currently a co-producer of the Tony Award-winning Hadestown (Best Musical). His past list of co-producing Broadway credits includes Death of a Salesman, Company (Tony Award for Best Musical Revival), Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations, Oklahoma! (Tony Award for Best Musical Revival), Anastasia, Angels in America (Tony Award for Best Play Revival), Sunday in the Park with George, and Evita.
Robert first garnered major attention as the developer and lead producer of Xanadu, the cult hit musical adapted from the 1980 film. The show earned four Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Best Book of a Musical. He also developed and produced Disaster!, the original musical comedy by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick that debuted on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre.
In addition to his theatrical work, he has brought star-driven concert events to Broadway theatres, featuring performers such as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, The Temptations and The Four Tops, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, and Kathy Griffin in her Tony-nominated solo show Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony.
Before entering the entertainment industry, Robert began his career in finance at Chase Manhattan Bank, having graduated from Cornell University where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He later transitioned to theatre, serving as a general manager for acclaimed Off-Broadway productions including Full Gallop and Never the Sinner, and oversaw West Coast productions of Full Gallop as part of his early producing career.
Dedicated to the next generation of theatre professionals, Robert taught for seven years in the prestigious M.F.A. Theatre Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He now co-leads Live Wire Theatrical with producing partner Chris Aniello, a New York-based general management and producing office committed to developing and managing high-quality theatrical productions.
With a proven record of commercial success and critical acclaim, Robert Ahrens continues to shape the future of Broadway with a fearless commitment to storytelling, collaboration, and the belief that theatre should move, challenge, and inspire.
Staff
Evan Schild
Associate Producer
Andrew Fick
Associate General Manager
Grace McCormick
Assistant General Manager
Ya’ShaNikquia Delaney
Producing and General Management Assistant
