Brian Anthony Moreland is currently the only black lead producer on Broadway – a two-time Tony Award nominee who has grossed more than $100 million with productions. Othello Starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. He joined me. How is success? To talk about building a groundbreaking career in one of the most competitive industries on earth as his new show, Come and Gone by Joe Turnerready to open. I’ve broken down his insights to help you highlight your personal success in three, two, one!
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Three Key insights.
- The Power of Passionate Work
Brian didn’t set out to be a producer – he set out to be an actor. It all started in third grade, when a teacher cast him as Santa Claus in a school play. Be what you want to be.. “I have no recollection of what happened. Once the lights went on and they came down, I just knew I wanted to do it again, like your favorite roller coaster ride,” he told me. That one moment hooked him on theater for life — and eventually led him to a career managing multimillion-dollar productions. Today, his budget ranges from $7.5 million to $16 million, and he manages it all with skills he learned entirely on the job — no business school required.
Takeaway: Don’t wait until you have all the credentials — chase what moves you emotionally and trust that the skills will follow.
- Listen first, solve second.
When things go sideways (and in live theater, they always do), Brian’s secret weapon is deceptively simple: Actually listen. He described walking on a chaotic load to a touring production to find his lighting designer, sound designer, and general manager, who weren’t speaking. “I went to each side of the room privately to ask them what happened and what they needed,” he shared. Criminal? Poor information from the incoming theater — none of his team. An apology replaced the blame, and the show went on. His philosophy: “It’s not about blame, it’s about the real problem and where it is that we’re trying to get to.”
Takeaway: The next time conflict breaks out in your organization, resist the urge to fix things while someone is still talking—absorb the problem fully before suggesting any solutions.
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- Be a vessel for work.
Bryan has spent time with some of the biggest names in entertainment—Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and now Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” in the upcoming Come and Gone by Joe Turner On Broadway this spring. When asked what he learned about continued success from legends like Denzel, his answer was striking in its simplicity: “It’s about being a vessel for art. It’s about one show, one script, one story at a time.” That’s how Brian chooses every project – by how he makes it. feltnever about how important he thinks he is. As he said, “I can tell you how the show makes me feel, and I hope that if you want to feel that way for two and a half hours, then this is the show I invite you to watch.”
Takeaway: Ask yourself: Am I doing this because I genuinely care, or because I think I should? should Does it care? Audiences – and consumers – can always tell the difference.
two Great ways to learn more
- See what Brian is up to and thinking at @therealbrianmoreland and his official website, and get tickets. Come and Gone by Joe Turner At the Barrymore Theater – previews begin March 30, opening night April 25.
- Read famous Broadway director Jerry Zacks’ insights on staying determined and persevering through challenges big and small.
one Considerable question
Brian has built his entire career on chasing the feeling he first experienced as a third-grade Santa Claus — a moment of pure joy that told him, it is.
Your question is: What is one moment from your past – no matter how small or unexpected – that made you feel truly alive and fully yourself?
Send your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com — your answer could be read in a future episode!
About how success happens.
Every episode of How is success? Shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports took on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every great career, there’s a person who perseveres in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that comes their way.
Brian Anthony Moreland is currently the only black lead producer on Broadway – a two-time Tony Award nominee who has grossed more than $100 million with productions. Othello Starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. He joined me. How is success? To talk about building a groundbreaking career in one of the most competitive industries on earth as his new show, Come and Gone by Joe Turnerready to open. I’ve broken down his insights to help you highlight your personal success in three, two, one!
Subscribe now: Apple | Spotify | Youtube
Three Key insights.
- The Power of Passionate Work
Brian didn’t set out to be a producer – he set out to be an actor. It all started in third grade, when a teacher cast him as Santa Claus in a school play. Be what you want to be.. “I have no recollection of what happened. Once the lights went on and they came down, I just knew I wanted to do it again, like your favorite roller coaster ride,” he told me. That one moment hooked him on theater for life — and eventually led him to a career managing multimillion-dollar productions. Today, his budget ranges from $7.5 million to $16 million, and he manages it all with skills he learned entirely on the job — no business school required.
