At the 2023 Tony Awards, director Michael Arden stepped on stage to accept his first-ever Tony for directing the Ben Platt-led Parade. In his speech, he spoke about being called the f slur more times than he could count as a kid. And as he wrapped his remarks, he declared, All I can say now is Im a faggot with a Tony. Since then, Arden has become one of the most in-demand theater directors on Broadway. He helmed Maybe Happy Ending, which nabbed him a second award for directing. And now, hes opening another show on Broadway this time, its about and starring a diva. For his seventh Broadway show, he is directing The Queen of Versailles, featuring Kristin Chenoweth as Jackie Siegel, an eccentric billionaire who attempted to build a replica of the Palace of Versailles in Florida in the early 2000s. The musical boasting songs by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Lindsey Ferrentino was inspired by the 2012 documentary with the same title, which followed Jackie's journey from a middle-class upbringing to marrying David Siegel, an older wealthy man known as The Timeshare King.Over the span of two hours and 40 minutes, audiences watch as the characters grapple with what Arden calls the American cancer, that is, the unquenchable thirst for more. Siegel, like the main characters in both Parade and Maybe Happy Ending, paints a cautionary tale. Parade showed how discrimination and racial bias led to the death of an innocent man. In Maybe Happy Ending, audiences were dazzled by the love story of two defunct robots, a cautionary tale of losing one's self and purpose in their jobs. Versailles is a punishing look at how capitalism rigs the system to benefit the wealthy and not the poor, despite what lawmakers today might say.Adrens two shows currently on Broadway have found themselves at the center of controversy for two different reasons. Maybe Happy Ending saw backlash from the Asian American theater community, which vocalized disappointment with the casting of a white man in a role that was originated by an Asian actor. And with Versailles, the shows lead voiced her support of the divisive slain political commentator Charlie Kirk, which drew swift backlash from the LGBTQ+ community.In this interview with Out, Arden talks about the eight-year journey to getting the show open on Broadway, facing criticism head-on, and reminding audiences that art is meant to spark constructive conversations.Out: Tell me about how The Queen of Versailles came to be and what drew you to the project.Michael Arden: I met [playwright] Lindsey Ferrentino at a dinner that was hosted by the National Theater of England, in which they invited writers and directors that they liked, and she and I happened to be seated next to each other. We got to talking, and I asked her if she had any crazy ideas for a musical, and I said, Do you have any crazy ideas for musicals? And she's like, Well, have you seen this documentary The Queen of Versailles? And I was like, Yeah, I love that documentary. It's really incredible. I had actually just watched it with my design partner and artistic collaborator, Dane Laffrey. I thought, If we could make something that, like, captures the like ridiculousness of Jackie Siegels story and life, but also craft a cautionary tale thats medicine masked as candy a little bit, then we might be able to make something that is really complex and is about the American cancer, which is this unquenchable thirst for more which I think none of us are immune to, no matter what our ideals are.Ive always been attracted to cautionary tales, and this one is certainly that. Its been interesting to create something that is both entertaining and provocative. So, making something that is surgical, nuanced, and complicated and hopefully makes people think is what we set out to do, while also having a great time. Michael Arden and Kristin Chenoweth at the opening night red carpet of "The Queen of Versailles"Emilio MadridHow do you think this show will sit with people in this political moment?What I hope to do as a theater maker is to give people a really unforgettable, exciting time while they're in the space. Then, and more importantly is the moment they walk out of the theater, I've sort of given them a mental STD... It is very easy for theater goers and theater producers, I think to say, "OK, we want to make something simple. We want people to leave saying, I feel happy, Oh, I feel sad. I feel like I laughed a lot." But I think you know what we strived for with this particular piece, and what I'm proud of is that it is, it's all of those things. I ran into a person on the street last night who didn't know I directed it, who said, "I'm gonna have to really think about that," and I thought, "Thats the best that you can ask for," art that makes you think. Imagine that, which we dont always get on Broadway, and I think [most people, if not all theater goers] want to be guaranteed an experience for your high ticket price, and with this, theres no guarantee. Everyones gonna react to it differently.Has Jackie Siegel been involved with the show at all?No, not really. She kind of had to approve the basic plot points of the shows. But the nuance, texture, and tone of the show is completely all the writers.I have no idea what it's like to be her watching this show. For all the things I disagree with politically and socially, shes always been very kind to me, and Im incredibly impressed that she was like Sure, you can tell my life story and do anything you want. I think she recognizes that maybe her story could help someone in the cautionary tale aspect.With stories like this, about complex, nuanced characters, where people want to put someone like Jackie in a black or white box of good or bad, I wonder if you and the creative team behind this show wanted to tell us whether she is a good or bad person, or if you wanted us to come to that conclusion on our own?Definitely come to that conclusion on your own. Most people arent just one thing, and I think there are many wonderful things about Jackie, and there are many things I highly and severely disagree with. To kind of like in an unbiased way show both sides of that coin, I think, is my responsibility.I hope that people come to the theater and think, "Look at this bitch, I am nothing like her, isnt she ridiculous?" And then by the end when she says the words, "Im not that different than you," I think that should ruffle some feathers.In that final image of the show, what I was trying to evoke is this idea that shes in a tomb. Shes built her own mausoleum and will be there all alone. Kristin Chenoweth in "The Queen of Versailles"Julieta CervantesI wanted to ask about Kristins comments about Charlie Kirk. And as you know, as a queer person it was a bit tough to hear. Being that you know her personally, what do you have to say about the way it was handled, and have you guys spoken about it?I know Kristin and have known her for a very long time, and she is one of the most wonderful, loving, supportive allies that I've known. She is a huge empath. I think here is a woman who sees someone who is uplifting a huge part of her life, which is her Christian faith, and so theres that connection. And I think she saw someone whose wife and child saw their spouse and father be murdered.I would just have to say that I know her heart, I know who she is, I know what her actions have shown me and countless others I have spoken with her about it, and I think certainly this has been an eye-opening experience for her, and we've had conversations we wouldn't have had otherwise.I find Charlie Kirk an abhorrent figure. I would never wish anyone murdered, and both of those things can be true at once. It's also tough when we expect artists and performers to be the bearers of opinions on really complex social matters. This is the danger were in with social media.I also did want to ask about the Maybe Happy Ending casting backlash, which also gained traction online. I wanted to know if you had a response to that as well.My job as a director is to fulfill as best I can the story and vision of the writers, and I feel like we have continued to do that beautifully and will continue to at the Belasco.My job as an artist is to interpret, and will continue to interpret, hopefully in new and exciting ways. And I guarantee that as long as I'm around, MHE will be one of the most diverse shows on Broadway. Hopefully, we will be shown a prime example that these two characters can really be played by anyone. And I'm excited to see where that takes us, so we can be more diverse and less exclusionary as we move forward. And I'm so excited for audiences to see that.The Queen of Versailles is now playing at the St. James Theatre in New York City. Find out more at queenofversaillesmusical.com.