The original musical Unknown Soldier beautifully weaves together themes of empathy and self-discovery and whisks us away to a place where the past dances with the present. Through Goldstein’s enchanting storytelling and Michael Friedman’s warm melodies, we are taken on a journey that touches all of our hearts.

“I’m interested in impossible stories to tell on stage.” — Daniel Goldstein

Daniel Goldstein, a luminary in the world of theater, boasts a distinguished background in his education at Northwestern University, where he earned a degree in Performance Studies. His creative journey spans various facets of the industry, showcasing his unparalleled talent and versatility.

As a director, Goldstein shines brightly, exemplified by his impeccable vision to breathe new life into American works, such as his Broadway revival of Godspell and The Old Globe’s Anna Christie. From skillful staging to challenging tradition, Goldstein is known for his bold productions.

“Bookwriting is the most collaborative of theatrical sports…” — Daniel Goldstein

He was the recipient of an inaugural Calderwood Commission from the Huntington Theatre Company, for which he first wrote Unknown Soldier. The musical was further developed at the Manhattan Theatre Club, O’Neill National Music Theater Conference, and McCarter Theatre, and won Goldstein the Kleban Prize for most promising musical theater librettist for Unknown Soldier. “I was already so proud of what Unknown Soldier has become – but this is icing on an already tasty cake and pushes me to continue doing what I’ve already been loving doing – writing musicals,” he shared.

“But for me, it is a story about both loss and empathy and how as humans get older, our ability to empathize gets larger.” — Daniel Goldstein

Unknown Soldier is a sweeping, elegiac musical about a woman’s journey to unearth the secrets of her family’s past… and which will chart her future. As its librettist and co-lyricist, Goldstein has an intimate connection to its narrative sharing, “Michael [Friedman] and I were really interested in telling a sort of past and present mystery, and I was trying to figure out how to live in the present means searching for what the past is.”

Michael Friedman, prolific composer and lyricist, was known as dazzling in his humanity and kindness, which is seen through all his work, including Unknown Soldier. “There’s so much of Michael’s voice in it,” continues Goldstein. The musical had a hit run at Williamstown Theatre Festival, with high praise for the pair’s collaboration, “Michael Friedman (music and lyrics) and Daniel Goldstein (book and lyrics) show a keenly attuned appreciation of how music, lyrics and text relate, work as an integrated whole in telling a story,” raved the Berkshire Eagle review.

Following a truncated Off-Broadway run in early 2020, Unknown Soldier will now have its long-awaited third production at Arena Stage this spring. Audiences can anticipate a heartwarming tale that transcends conventions, offering a deeply powerful message to embrace life in its entirety.

We hope you will join us for Unknown Soldier, beginning March 29.