I first met Stacey Mindich when we were both co-producers on 13.  It was her second Broadway show, and it wasn’t long before I realized that she was a Mindich on a mission.

I watched her soak up information from everyone she talked to, from her fellow co-producers to the account reps at the advertising agency, to the people who worked the merch stand, squirreling away every tidbit and tip for that day when she’d be lead producing her own show.

That day has come . . . and while she was the lead on Bridges of Madison County, it’s this season where we’re getting a show that has been born and raised in Mindich County.  And that show is the breakout out, Dear Evan Hansen.

DEH is everything that should scare Broadway Producers.  It’s a totally original idea, with no underlying source material (one of the least likely types of shows to recoup), there are no stars, it isn’t about spectacle, etc.

In this week’s podcast, Stacey shared with me why she wasn’t scared about producing this unique piece (and how she got it to grossing over $1mm a week) as well as  . . .

• How being an Editor for a major magazine helped prepare her for a career as a Broadway Producer.
• How one lunch eight years ago led to Dear Evan Hansen.
• The hardest part of a Producer’s job during the (long) development period of a new show like Dear Evan Hansen.
• What it was like breaking into the old boy’s club of Broadway.
• How she used cookies to find new musical theater talent.

Stacey’s style may be one of the simplest strategies of all.  Support writers you’re passionate about like they were your own children.

As you can see in her quick rise from rookie Producer to Lead Producer of the season’s most surprising hit, it’s also super effective.

Enjoy the podcast!

Click here to listen.

Listen to it on iTunes here.  (And if you like the podcast, give it a great review, while you’re there!)

Download it here.

Sorry about the sound issues in this podcast. We found the bug and fixed it in later episodes. It gets better, I promise 🙂