Robert Ahrens
Robert Ahrens (born 1970) is a film and theatrical producer based in New York City. Early life. Ahrens grew up in Long Island, New York. He began his career at the Chase Manhattan Bank and graduated from Cornell University. Career. Ahrens is best known as a producer for the Broadway stage adaptation of the film "Xanadu", which was nominated for Best Musical at the 2008 Tony Awards. Ahrens began acquiring the stage rights to the "Xanadu" musical in 2002 after seeing an unauthorized 2001 stage production of the film. Working as an assistant to an executive at Paramount  Pictures at the time, he pursued the rights to "Xanadu" and its soundtrack by the Electric Light Orchestra and swiftly began courting writer Douglas Carter Beane to write the book. He has also produced three films: "Bumping Heads", "Book of Love", and "WTC View". He also produced "Evita" on Broadway and executive produced "Finding Neverland" for Harvey Weinstein. He has presented "Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony", Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and The Temptations and The Four Tops on Broadway.