He’s the Only Black Lead Producer on Broadway — and His Shows Have Grossed Over $100 Million. Here’s His Secret to Success.

Brian Anthony Moreland is the only Black lead producer currently on Broadway — a two-time Tony Award nominee who has grossed over $100 million with productions like Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. He joined me on How Success Happens to talk about forging a groundbreaking career in one of the most competitive industries on earth as his new show, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, prepares to open. I’ve broken down his insights to help put your personal success in the spotlight in three, two, one!

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Three Key Insights

1. The Power of Passion-Fueled Work

Brian didn’t set out to be a producer — he set out to be a performer. It all started in third grade, when a teacher cast him as Santa Claus in a school play called Be What You Want to Be. “I can’t remember anything that happened. Once the lights went up and they came down, all I knew is that I wanted to do it again, like your favorite rollercoaster ride,” he told me. That single moment hooked him on theater for life — and eventually led him to a career managing multimillion-dollar productions. Today, his budgets range 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 — pursue what moves you emotionally and trust that the skills will follow.

2. 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 onto a chaotic load-in for a touring production to find his lighting designer, sound designer, and general manager all standing in separate corners, not speaking. “I walked each one privately to one side of the room to ask them what transpired and what do they need,” he shared. The culprit? Faulty information from the incoming theater — not anyone on his team. Blame was replaced by apologies, and the show went on. His philosophy: “It’s not about the blame, it’s about the actual problem and where is it that we’re trying to go.”

Takeaway: The next time conflict erupts in your organization, resist the urge to fix things while someone is still talking — fully absorb the problem before proposing any solution.

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3. Be a Vessel for the Work

Brian has spent time alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment — Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and now Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” in the upcoming Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway this spring. When asked what he’s learned about sustained success from legends like Denzel, his answer was striking in its simplicity: “It’s about being a vessel for the art. It’s about one show, one script, one story at a time.” Brian chooses every project the same way — by how it makes him feel, never by how important he thinks it is. As he put it, “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 see.”

Takeaway: Ask yourself: Am I doing this because I genuinely care about it, or because I think I should care about it? Audiences — and customers — can always tell the difference.

Two Great Ways to Learn More

1. See what Brian’s doing and thinking on @therealbrianmoreland and his official website, and get tickets to Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Barrymore Theatre — previews begin March 30, opening night April 25.
2. Read insights from legendary Broadway director Jerry Zaks on staying committed and persevering through challenges big and small.
   

One Question to Ponder

Brian built his entire career chasing a feeling he first experienced as a third-grade Santa Claus — a moment of pure joy that told him, this is it.

Here’s your question: What is one moment from your past — no matter how small or unexpected — that made you feel truly alive and completely yourself? 

Send your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com — your response may be read on a future episode!

About How Success Happens

Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.