--- title: "Why Every Business Leader Should Spend a Day Backstage — Notes from the Wings" description: "Inside YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain — Sue Gilad's executive program using Tony-winning theatre, backstage access, and improv to teach leadership." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Person", "name": "Suzanne Gilad", "alternateName": "Sue Gilad", "jobTitle": "Broadway Producer, Author, Editor, Speaker", "description": "Grammy and five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, published author, professional editor, and arts-education advocate.", "award": [ "Grammy Award", "Tony Award for Best Musical (5x)", "30 Tony Award wins across productions" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Why Every Business Leader Should Spend a Day Backstage", "description": "Inside YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain — Sue Gilad's executive program using Tony-winning theatre, backstage access, and improv to teach leadership.", "image": [ "/notes/post-3-backstage.jpg" ], "datePublished": "2026-06-08T10:00:00+00:00", "dateModified": "2026-06-19T05:21:51.024199+00:00", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sue Gilad", "url": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/about" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Suzanne Gilad", "url": "https://www.suzannegilad.com" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes/why-every-business-leader-should-spend-a-day-backstage" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Notes from the Wings", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Why Every Business Leader Should Spend a Day Backstage", "item": "https://www.suzannegilad.com/notes/why-every-business-leader-should-spend-a-day-backstage" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It's an executive program created by Sue Gilad that combines attending a Tony-winning Broadway production with backstage access, an improv-based workshop, and a facilitated discussion connecting theatre production to business leadership." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who is this program designed for?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The program is built for senior executives and leadership teams, originally developed for YPO (Young Presidents' Organization) members." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do participants need any theatre background?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No theatre experience is required or expected. The program is designed specifically for business leaders with no prior connection to the industry." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How can I book this program for my organization?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Reach out through the Speaking page for booking inquiries and program details." } } ] } ] --- [Suzanne Gilad ](/) [About ](/about)[Producer ](/producer)[Author & Editor ](/author-editor)[Speaking ](/speaking)[Philanthropy ](/philanthropy)[Notes ](/notes)[Glossary ](/glossary)[Contact ](/contact) [Notes from the Wings](/notes)/ Speaking # Why Every Business Leader Should Spend a Day Backstage What I learned creating YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain, an executive program that uses theatre as a leadership classroom. By Sue Gilad June 8, 2026 5 min read ![Empty Broadway theatre seen from backstage with a single warm gold stage light and red velvet seats.](/notes/post-3-backstage.jpg) Share [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuzannegilad.lovable.app%2Fnotes%2Fwhy-every-business-leader-should-spend-a-day-backstage)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Why%20Every%20Business%20Leader%20Should%20Spend%20a%20Day%20Backstage&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsuzannegilad.lovable.app%2Fnotes%2Fwhy-every-business-leader-should-spend-a-day-backstage) A few years ago, I started getting a specific kind of question from friends in the business world. They'd come backstage after a show, watch the chaos of a scene change happen in total darkness and total silence, and ask some version of the same thing: how does anyone manage this without everything falling apart? That question became the seed for YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain, an immersive program I created for senior executives that combines Tony-winning productions with backstage access, improv workshops, and direct conversation about leadership. ## What backstage actually teaches A Broadway production is, structurally, one of the most demanding leadership environments that exists. Hundreds of people, from stagehands to musicians to actors to wardrobe, have to execute a complex, time-sensitive sequence flawlessly, eight times a week, with zero room for the kind of "we'll fix it next sprint" thinking that's common in business. What executives discover backstage isn't really about theatre. It's about: - Decision-making under irreversible time pressure. Once the curtain is up, you cannot pause the show to fix a problem. Every department has built systems for handling failure in real time, not after the fact. - Trust without constant oversight. A stage manager calling a show from the booth cannot see every department simultaneously. The entire operation runs on trust built through rehearsal, not surveillance. - Creative risk inside rigid constraints. A two-hour run time, a fixed budget, a finite stage. Constraints don't kill creativity backstage, they sharpen it. ### How the Program Works 1. 01 See the show Executives experience a current Broadway production from house seats, as any audience member would. 2. 02 Go backstage A guided walkthrough of the production's infrastructure: wings, fly system, quick-change stations, the calling booth. 3. 03 Workshop An improv-based session led by working theatre professionals, designed to put executives in unfamiliar creative territory. 4. 04 Discuss A facilitated conversation connecting what they just experienced to real leadership challenges in their own organizations. ## Why improv, specifically Improv terrifies most executives in the first five minutes and becomes the most-cited part of the experience by the end. There's no way to fake competence in improv. You either listen to your scene partner and build on what they give you, or the scene collapses immediately. It's one of the fastest ways I've found to teach genuine collaborative listening to people who are used to being the smartest person in the room. Frequently asked ## Questions about this piece ### What is YPO Broadway: Behind the Curtain? ### Who is this program designed for? ### Do participants need any theatre background? ### How can I book this program for my organization? SG Written by Sue Gilad Grammy & five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, author, editor, and arts-education advocate. [More about Sue](/about) · [Contact the office](/contact). Related reading ## More notes from the wings [ ![Open manuscript with red editing marks beside a vintage Broadway playbill and a brass pocket watch.](/notes/post-1-books-broadway.jpg) Author & Editor ### What 1,200 Books Taught Me About Producing Broadway Twenty-five years editing manuscripts and twenty-five years producing Broadway shows aren't two separate careers. They're the same instinct, applied twice. June 15, 2026· 6 min read ](/notes/what-1200-books-taught-me-about-producing-broadway)[ ![A young theatre student standing alone on a rehearsal stage under a warm gold spotlight.](/notes/post-5-scholarship.jpg) Philanthropy ### What Makes a Scholarship Worth Applying For Why I started two scholarships with very different rules, and what I wish more students knew before they apply. June 1, 2026· 5 min read ](/notes/what-makes-a-scholarship-worth-applying-for)[ Speaking ### Theatrical Conflict Resolution for Leaders in the Room Conflict in the rehearsal room is often a symptom of passion rather than malice. Learn how a producer’s mindset facilitates resolution by balancing artistic integrity with fiscal responsibility. July 18, 2026· 6 min read ](/notes/theatrical-conflict-resolution-for-leaders) [← Back to all notes](/notes) Suzanne Gilad Grammy & five-time Tony Award–winning Broadway producer, author, editor, speaker, and arts-education advocate. Explore - [About](/about) - [Broadway Work](/producer) - [Author & Editor](/author-editor) - [Speaking](/speaking) - [Philanthropy](/philanthropy) - [Notes from the Wings](/notes) - [Theater Glossary](/glossary) - [Contact](/contact) Scholarships - Suzanne Gilad Grant - Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky Theatre Scholarship Get in touch © 2026 Suzanne Gilad. All rights reserved. Bringing extraordinary stories to life — on stage and on the page.