Darren Katz

Darren Katz is a New York-based director who specializes in creating original musicals and unique theater rooted in biography and autobiography. Darren developed & directed You Say Tomato I Say Shut Up, based on the book by Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn (prod. Orin Wolf/OBB), and I Got Sick Then I Got Better by Jenny Allen (co-dir. James Lapine, prod. New York Theatre Workshop). Darren was Resident Director of The Lion King on Broadway from 2010-15, during which the show became the highest grossing musical in Broadway history. He was the Resident Director for the Broadway production of Spelling Bee as well as Associate Director for the San Francisco, Boston, and first national touring productions. Darren was Associate Director for Kathy Najimy on Back to Bacharach and David (LA), and Assistant Director on the Broadway productions of Amour, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the national tour of Kiss Me, Kate. He has also directed club shows with the king of downtown burlesque, Murray Hill, and developed original shows with Pace University and NYU/Strasberg Studios. Originally from Cleveland, Darren lives in Manhattan with his husband and daughter. He received his BA in Urban Studies with a concentration in Architecture from Columbia University.

Select Credits Include: Flying Over Sunset (Lincoln Center - World Premiere), Odd Squad Live!, Pub Crawl, West Side Story 60th Anniversary Concert (Phoenix Symphony), The Real True Story (Mass MoCA, Joe’s Pub, Second Stage), SeXcurity (Cleveland Public Theatre, Joyce Soho, Dixon Place, IRT), Excuse Me There's A F*ggot In My Closet, Days Of Rage, Lifeboat, Squirrel Heart (Joe’s Pub), Cut the Sh*t (writ. Stan Richardson and the Representatives), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 10th Anniversary Original Cast Concert (co-dir. James Lapine), Lift Up Your Skirt (writ./star. Kathy Najimy), Ha! the Musical (writ. Michelle Wendt), Eleanor & Hick (writ. Tom Wilson Weinberg, Peggy Stafford), Happy Sunshine Kung Fu Flower (writ. Matthew-Lee Erlbach)