Steve Fickinger dead: Dear Evan Hansen producer turned 62

Steve Fickinger, the Broadway producer who won a Tony for Dear Evan Hansen, died suddenly Friday in Laguna Beach, California, officials have confirmed diversity. He was 62.

Born in Winnetka, Illinois, Fickinger began his career at Disney as a temp in the mailroom and worked his way up to lead creative development at Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he oversaw the production of animated films such as “Mulan.” “Tarzan” and “Lilo and Stitch”.

He later joined Disney Theatrical Group, where he served as vice president of creative development. During his tenure as Vice President, he oversaw six Broadway productions, including the Tony-winning The Lion King, Aida, Newsies and Aladdin, and the national tour of High School Musical. He also led Disney Theatrical’s Musicals in Schools initiative, which provided free resources and mentored artists for underfunded arts programs in schools.

Fickinger left Disney in 2013 to start his independent theater production banner, FickStern Productions. Dear Evan Hansen, a musical by Steven Levenson and music writing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, was the company’s debut production. After trials in Washington DC and Off-Broadway, the show opened on Broadway in 2016, where it received critical acclaim and won six Tony Awards, with Fickinger receiving a Tony for producing the show. Other accolades the show has also received include two Drama League Awards, a Grammy, a Critics’ Circle Award and three Laurence Olivier Awards.

In addition to Dear Evan Hansen, Fickinger also executive produced a 2020 revival of Rock of Ages at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood. At the time of his death, Fickinger was under a production contract with Warner Bros. Studios and was completing a project for the studio with director Jon Chu, Rashida Jones, Rodney Rothman and Alex Timbers. Other projects he worked on included the musical Live at the Crescendo Club: An Evening with Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Pearl Bailey, written and directed by Seret Scott and produced by Deniece Williams.

Outside of theater, Fickinger has also been involved with numerous non-profit and charitable organizations, including the AIDS Walk, the Los Angeles Food Mission, Meals on Wheels, and the Race to Erase MS.