‘Dear Evan Hansen’ Producer, Steve Fickinger, Dies at 62

Broadway legend, Steve Fickinger passed away at age 62.

According to a Facebook post from his niece Jessica Roy, he passed away suddenly in his Laguna Beach home on Friday.

“I am devastated to share the news that my uncle, Steve Fickinger, passed away suddenly last week,” Roy wrote. “We’ve lost one of the good ones. I wrote his obituary and I’d love it if you’d read it. He led an amazing life. An incredible loss.”

Fickinger’s legacy consists of producing the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. Along with Dear Evan Hansen, Fickinger also brought Newsies and The Lion King to Broadway when he was a Disney executive.

Those are only a few of Fickinger’s accomplishments. He also worked on numerous Walt Disney Feature Animation films as director of creative development. You may know some of his work like Mulan, Tarzan, and Lilo & Stitch. After serving in creative development for animation films, he became the vice-president of creative development for the Disney Theatrical Group, thus bringing famed musicals like The Lion King, Aida, and Aladdin to life. Before he exited his role at Disney, he oversaw the national tour of High School Musical.

When he left Disney, Fickinger created his own studio called FickStern Productions in 2013. On his first project, he created Dear Evan Hansen, which won six Tonys, one of which was best musical. Fickinger’s creativity didn’t stop with Broadway. He also produced Rock of Ages at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood. He had many other upcoming projects, including Live at the Crescendo Club: An Evening With Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Pearl Bailey.

Early and Personal Life

Before these accomplishments, Fickinger was born the youngest of five kids in Chicago in 1960. He attended New Trier High School West where he engaged with the drama department. For college, he went to UCLA and then spent time in New York City as a stage actor after college. He, then, went to LA when he got the job at Disney.

Apart from the stage, his niece notes that “In addition to his professional and creative achievements, Steve was known for a lot of things. He was a sharp dresser whose eclectic style landed him in multiple red carpet photo galleries…He had impeccable taste in decor, and said if he hadn’t gone into entertainment, he would have been an interior decorator…He loved having the latest gadgets, including what he described as a close, personal relationship with his iPad; and had just figured out how to do duet videos on his TikTok. He threw legendary parties at his beloved home in the Hollywood Hills where he’d lived since 1998.”

Fickinger’s funeral will be in Chicago with a memorial service in LA.

Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Rock of Ages Hollywood