Brian Moreland: Broadway’s Only Black Lead Producer Hits $100M

Brian Anthony Moreland has quietly become one of Broadway’s most powerful figures. As the only Black lead producer currently working on the Great White Way, his productions have grossed over $100 million — a milestone built not on business school credentials, but on instinct, emotional intelligence, and an unshakeable love for the stage.

His journey began in third grade, when a school play cast him as Santa Claus. The moment the curtain fell, Moreland knew he wanted to spend his life in theater. Decades later, that childhood spark has translated into multimillion-dollar productions, with budgets ranging from $7.5 million to $16 million, featuring stars like Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal, and now Taraji P. Henson and Cedric “The Entertainer” in the upcoming Broadway production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, opening at the Barrymore Theatre this spring.

Listening as a Leadership Strategy

When crises arise — and in live theater, they always do — Moreland’s approach is disarmingly simple. Rather than rushing to assign blame, he pulls each party aside individually, listens carefully, and focuses on finding the root cause. “It’s not about the blame, it’s about the actual problem,” he says. It’s a philosophy that has defused countless behind-the-scenes conflicts throughout his career.

Choosing Projects With Purpose

Moreland selects every production based on one criterion: how it makes him feel. Working alongside legends like Denzel Washington has reinforced that instinct. He describes the secret to sustained success as “being a vessel for the art — one show, one script, one story at a time.”

For Moreland, Broadway isn’t just a business. It’s a calling he answered in third grade and has never stopped pursuing.