Stafford Arima on ‘Beaches’ Broadway Debut, ‘The Tale of the Gifted Prince’ and His Evolution at Theatre Calgary
…It’s not a radical new thought, but it is understanding the power of a story. The power of storytelling is transformational. It creates metamorphosis because the telling of those stories — fiction or non-fiction — has the ability to engage, enlighten, and educate an audience.
The art of storytelling is medicine for today. It has been around for centuries and has impacted politics, history, and life. I would tell the next generation of artists never to give up on the creativity of telling a story in whatever articulation they choose. Know that we, as creative people, have the potential to make a difference and change the way people think, react, and process.
Art reveals to then heal. Art has the capacity to show you something and facilitate a healing process. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it is a powerful thing that we cannot forget or neglect…
I had the pleasure of talking with Stafford Arima, a director whose career spans decades, borders, and the vast, often turbulent landscape of musical theater. Sitting down with Arima isn’t just a chat about show business; it’s a masterclass in resilience and the sheer, stubborn will required to make art. At 57, Arima has evolved from a wide-eyed kid in Toronto to the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary, but the fire that started it all is still very much alight.
Arima’s story begins in the late sixties in Toronto, but his spiritual origin story takes place in the dark of a movie theater. Like so many before him, he was first seduced by the technicolor fantasy of The Wizard of Oz. “All of a sudden, these fantastical characters are traveling through a journey, and they stop and sing,” Arima recalls. “That concept of singing in real life drew me in.”
But it was a trip to Los Angeles in 1980 that shifted his obsession from the screen to the stage. At 11 years old, sitting in the very last row of the balcony at the Shubert Theatre for Evita, everything changed. “That was really where I was bitten by the theater bug,” he says. “From that moment on, I knew on some level that this world of song, dance, and story was going to be a part of my life.”
That “bug” led him to pursue a life in an industry that is notoriously unkind to newcomers. However, Arima possessed a quality he now lists as essential for any artist: chutzpah. In the early 90s, hearing that the legendary director Hal Prince was coming to Toronto to revive Show Boat, Arima didn’t wait for an invitation. He simply wrote a letter.
“I just wanted to be an assistant or an observer in the room,” Arima explains. He wanted to understand the “grandness and epicness” of large-scale musicals. That letter opened a door, landing him in the room with Prince and choreographer Susan Stroman. “Watching how Hal worked with his cast, the designers, and how he took something from the page to the stage to make a visionary piece of theater was incredible,” he says. It was the kind of education you can’t buy, forged by simply asking to be there.
Arima’s career hasn’t just been about riding the coattails of classics, though. It has also been about finding value in the discarded. He famously directed the revival of Carrie, a musical that had previously gone down in history as one of Broadway’s most spectacular flops. Where others saw a disaster involving telekinesis and pig’s blood, Arima saw a relevant story about bullying.
“A lot of doors closed in my face because the piece had a history; many felt it was better to leave it locked in a drawer,” Arima admits. But he refused to accept the rejection. “If 17 doors close, it means there are still 18, 19, and 20 to be opened,” he insists. Eventually, he staged the revival in New York, proving that “no” is often just a temporary state. “I’m a firm believer that ‘no’ doesn’t mean ‘no.’ It just means ‘no, not now.’”
After twenty years of the hustle in New York City, living in the same apartment on 56th Street, Arima made a pivot that surprised even him. He returned to Canada to take the helm at Theatre Calgary. It was a shift from the singular focus of a freelance director to the broad responsibility of an administrator. “I didn’t leave the industry to open a pie shop; I stayed in theater,” he jokes, but notes that the transition was the most challenging time of his life.
Today, he wears two hats. As Artistic Director, Theatre Calgary (and their co-partner, Somerled Arts) are shepherding a new musical, The Tale of the Gifted Prince towards a world premiere production in February; while Beaches A New Musical — which had its international premiere at Theatre Calgary — prepares for its Broadway opening in April. As a freelance director, he just directed the play Forgiveness at the Stratford Festival in which The New York Times called it a “gripping production,” as well as a sold-out production of A Christmas Carol at Theatre Calgary. He has a few more projects in the works.
When asked what sustains a career in the arts, Arima offers a philosophy grounded in reality rather than stardom. It requires chutzpah, clear goals — “I want a tongue sandwich with Russian dressing,” he uses as an analogy for specificity — and the ability to pivot when the universe changes your plans. Above all, he emphasizes relationships. “This isn’t about ‘kissing ass’; it’s about treating everyone with respect and professionalism,” he notes. Finally, one must move dreaming into action. “You don’t just close your eyes, say ‘Om,’ and a career happens.”
Ultimately, Arima views experiencing theater not just as entertainment, but as a necessity. In a fractured world, he believes the “art of storytelling is medicine for today.” Whether it is a musical about a misunderstood girl or a grand historical epic, the goal remains the same: to foster empathy.
“Art reveals to then heal,” Arima says, summing up a lifetime spent in the dark, watching the lights come up. “Art has the capacity to show you something and facilitate a healing process. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it is a powerful thing that we cannot forget or neglect.”
Yitzi: Stafford, it’s a delight and an honor to meet you. Before we dive deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood, how you grew up, and the seeds for all the amazing work that has come since then?
Stafford: I was born in Toronto, Canada, in the late 60s. I was an only child. My first introduction to the magical world of musicals was probably The Wizard of Oz on television. All of a sudden, these fantastical characters are traveling through a journey, and they stop and sing. That concept of singing in real life drew me in.
I remember it was 1975 when I saw another movie musical. It was the sequel to Funny Girl called Funny Lady, starring Barbra Streisand. The music was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb, who are well known for their musical theater compositions like Chicago. It was Funny Lady that seduced me hook, line, and sinker to this artform of the movie musical.
However, it wasn’t until I was 11 years old that I got a chance to experience my very first live professional theater experience: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita at the Shubert Theatre in Century City, Los Angeles, back in 1980. I was there on spring break vacation with my mother. My mother loved the theater, and Evita was the hottest ticket in town. We were sitting in the last row of the balcony because everyone wanted to see it. That was really where I was bitten by the theater bug. From that moment on, I knew on some level that this world of song, dance, and story was going to be a part of my life.
I look now — I’m 57 years old, so 46 years have passed — and I feel really privileged to be continuing in this space. Being a theater practitioner has just been a great joy and an honor to call my career.
Yitzi: You probably have some amazing stories about your career leading the theater. I’m sure it’s hard to single out, but if you were writing a retrospective memoir about your career, what story would have to be in it?
Stafford: One of the greatest gifts I experienced was with a prolific Broadway director and producer named Harold Prince. Hal Prince directed Evita — the first musical I ever saw — and other amazing musicals like Sweeney Todd, Company, and The Phantom of the Opera.
I was given the opportunity simply because I wrote to Hal and said, “I hear you’re coming to Toronto to do a revival of the classic musical Show Boat.” I just wanted to be an assistant or an observer in the room. This was probably in the early 90s, around 1992, and there weren’t a lot of new musicals coming out of Canada at the time; this was pre-Come From Away or The Drowsy Chaperone. I wanted to understand how large-scale musicals were made. I was interested in something that had a grandness and epicness to it.
That was my very first chance to assist and observe a director. It was a privilege to be in that room and see how he and his team worked. Susan Stroman was the choreographer of Show Boat. Watching how Hal worked with his cast, the designers, Stro, and how he took something from the page to the stage to make a visionary piece of theater was incredible. I wouldn’t omit that from the memoir. For a first experience working with a director at a young age, it was quite an eye opening experience.
Yitzi: There’s a saying that “No is not rejection but redirection.” Do you have a story where you received a “no” to an opportunity, but that led to an unexpected success or blessing?
Stafford: Another way to say it is “nothing’s impossible.” With every door that closes in your face, there’s another door to be opened.
I was very interested in directing a revival of the musical Carrie. The original Broadway production was considered one of the greatest flops in the history of musical theater. It was based on Stephen King’s book and the movie. There was a period where I thought to myself, there’s something more involved in this story than just a horror movie about a girl with telekinetic powers who gets bullied and has pig’s blood dropped on her head at the prom.
It was at a time when the catchphrase “bullying” was becoming ubiquitous, and how bullying was taking over the country at schools. I thought, “This is the story of Carrie White. She was basically bullied as a kid.” I spoke to my agent and said, “I want to direct a revival.” A lot of doors closed in my face because the piece had a history; many felt it was better to leave it locked in a drawer. But I knew there was something relevant to the story.
As a result of the “no,” I inevitably did direct a revival of it in New York City at the Lucille Lortel Theatre produced by MCC Theater, and with the blessing and collaboration of the original authors (Larry Cohen, Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore).
My mantra is the chorus from Mariah Carey’s song “Make It Happen.” We have the potential as human beings to make our dreams a reality. They might not happen immediately — you don’t just close your eyes, say “Om,” and it happens. You make it happen by understanding that a closed door means another one opens. If 17 doors close, it means there are still 18, 19, and 20 to be opened. I’m a firm believer that “no” doesn’t mean “no.” It just means “no, not now.”
Carrie was a great example of lots of doors closing, but I kept opening different ones, and as a result of opening different doors, the revival happened.
Yitzi: What’s been the most challenging project or role you’ve taken on so far and why?
Stafford: Challenge is just a word. Living is challenging; waking up and reading the headlines is challenging.
One of the biggest changes of my life was moving. I was born in Toronto, and in 1998, I moved to New York City and spent 20 years there. I lived in the same apartment on 56th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenue. One could say that was a challenging two decades, but really, working in the arts is challenging, so you just do it.
The move from being a freelance director — which I was for 20-plus years — to becoming an Artistic Director here at Theatre Calgary in Canada was probably the biggest pivot. I stayed within the theater world but changed positions. My point of view and role were different. I had never imagined myself in that role. I started off wanting to be a performer, which mutated into being a director. I never thought I’d be an Artistic Director. That change happened in 2017.
I’ve been in this position in Calgary for about eight years now. What’s been exciting is that the synapses in my brain are firing on many different levels. Because I still direct musicals, plays, and new works, I use my creative cells in different ways. Sometimes I direct a play, and sometimes I put on the Artistic Director hat and think like a producer or administrator.
I firmly believe that the body of work we do — from the first job to retirement — should be filled with a variety of changes and opportunities. I didn’t leave the industry to open a pie shop; I stayed in theater. But leaving New York to start a new job back in Canada was the most challenging time.
Yitzi: Please tell us about the new exciting work you are on now and what we hope to be seeing in the near future.
Stafford: I’m very lucky to wear two hats. My primary hat is as an Artistic Director at Theatre Calgary. We are right in the middle of rehearsals for a brand new musical called The Tale of the Gifted Prince, which will make its world premiere on our stage in February. We have an extraordinary creative team from Broadway, Calgary, and Toronto. It is an international group, and we’re producing it in partnership with an American company named Somerled Arts.
In 2024, we did the international premiere of Beaches A New Musical here at Theatre Calgary. In April of 2026, it’s going to open on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre. Those are two very exciting projects within the Theatre Calgary world.
Regarding my own work outside of Artistic Directing, I’m currently in a research and development mode for a couple of new musicals. I can’t speak much about them as they are under wraps, but they are bubbling on the burner. I also directed a play called Forgiveness at the Stratford Festival in Canada last year, which will have a future life in a couple of years.
Yitzi: This is our signature question. Stafford, you’ve been blessed with a lot of success and must have learned a lot from your experiences. Looking back to when you first started in the theater, can you share five things that a person needs to create a successful career in live arts or theater?
Stafford: Hopefully, I can keep it to five. It’s important to note that these are not in any specific order of importance.
- Chutzpah. You have to have chutzpah. That doesn’t mean we don’t live with insecurities or Imposter Syndrome, but you need a healthy dose of chutzpah, especially in the arts. It is a challenging career, especially if you are looking for longevity.
- Having Goals. You have to have some focus. I use the analogy of going to a restaurant: you might say, “I want a tongue sandwich with Russian dressing on coleslaw and rye bread.” You have a specific idea of what you want. In a career, you must put out what you want. “I want to learn about musical theater.” That is a goal. How did I do it? I wrote to Hal Prince.
- Being Open to Change. Once you have a goal, be open to what the universe presents. You might want to work with Hal Prince, but maybe synchronicity doesn’t make that happen, and you work with another director of note instead. You must be open to how those goals shift.
- Relationships. It is crucial to maintain a relationship with everyone you come in contact with — not just the A-list director, but the understudy, the production assistant, and the receptionist. Keep those relationships full and hearty.
- Moving Dreaming into Action. You have to dream, and have big dreams. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, but you must put those dreams into action. It is the doing that inevitably gets you where you need to be. It might take you down obscure paths. Did I think I would live in New York? Not in a million years. Did I think I would live in Calgary? No.
Yitzi: Thank you. It’s a blessing. I feel like I was at the right place at the right time to catch the blessing. I don’t feel like it was because I had extraordinary skill or talent. I feel grateful to do this.
Stafford: Well, I agree with you. There are people out there who have God-given talent that is beyond human. Then there are a lot of us who have talent and creativity, but we follow these methods to get to where we want to be. Sometimes it’s not always the most talented person that succeeds, but in the doing of it, the dreams can come true.
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Yitzi: That’s very well said. Beautifully said. This is our final aspirational question, Stafford. Because of your amazing work and the platform that you’ve built, it’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re a person of great influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Stafford: It’s not a radical new thought, but it is understanding the power of a story. The power of storytelling is transformational. It creates metamorphosis because the telling of those stories — fiction or non-fiction — has the ability to engage, enlighten, and educate an audience.
The art of storytelling is medicine for today. It has been around for centuries and has impacted politics, history, and life. I would tell the next generation of artists never to give up on the creativity of telling a story in whatever articulation they choose. Know that we, as creative people, have the potential to make a difference and change the way people think, react, and process.
Art reveals to then heal. Art has the capacity to show you something and facilitate a healing process. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it is a powerful thing that we cannot forget or neglect.
Yitzi: To support what you’re saying, there’s a saying that politics is downstream from culture. Politics really just means the choices that leaders make. So I agree 1000%.
Stafford: Exactly. We have the potential of using the platform of art to show a different point of view.
I worked on a musical called A Beat of Our Own that celebrates the idea that there is black and white, but there is also gray. There are red states and blue states, and both can coexist. If we can communicate and converse without saying “I’m right, you’re wrong,” that makes the world exciting. It would be boring if everybody thought the same way. Art has the potential of distancing us — we’re watching the story take place, so it’s not really us — but we can still learn from it.
Yitzi: Amazing. How can our readers continue to follow your work? How could they attend one of your performances or support you?
Stafford: You can follow my website, which is staffordarima.com. If you’re interested in the work of Theatre Calgary, we have a website called theatrecalgary.com. Thank you for being a supporter of the arts and a believer in its potential. I appreciate you.
Yitzi: It’s truly my pleasure. Just anecdotally, I was 9 or 10 years old when I saw my first play. I was taken to a theater in the Los Angeles area to see Fiddler on the Roof. It really imprinted itself on my consciousness. Later, on Broadway, I was lucky enough to see Les Misérables with my father. In this age of AI and automation, seeing human talent and technique in front of you is something we crave. It’s so precious.
Stafford: It is. As much as the world is becoming accustomed to AI and watching things on screens, and while some say it’s pushing live performance away, it actually makes live performance that much more unique. When you’ve lived on a screen and finally go to the theater to experience that communal event, it’s like ecstasy — meaning the joy, not the drug. It becomes that much more exciting and meaningful because you’ve lived 80% of your life looking at a screen.
Yitzi: I agree completely. Stafford, it’s been such a joy to meet you. I wish you continued success, good health, and blessings. I hope to see you in person one day and maybe attend one of the performances. I would be delighted to do this again next year.
Stafford: I hope so too, friend. Thank you so much, Yitzi. All the best to you. I’ll connect with you soon.
Stafford Arima on ‘Beaches’ Broadway Debut, ‘The Tale of the Gifted Prince’ and His Evolution at… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.