From his home on Union and Lindell in the Central West End, Kwofe Coleman can see The Muny from his upper-story perch.
“On a clear day, when there are no leaves on the trees, I can see Terrace C,” he said, jokingly adding, “I can even tell when the fans are on.”
Generations of fans who grew up going to The Muny know exactly what Coleman means. As The Muny’s incoming president and CEO, Coleman understands that he has been designated as the lead steward for a 103-year-old institution that’s beloved by so many St. Louisans.
Coleman, currently the managing director of the country’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, has been announced as the successor to longtime leader Denny Reagan, who is officially stepping down as president and CEO at the end of 2021.
“I’m honored and humbled,” Coleman said. “I’ve had the opportunity in a number of areas to get very familiar with the organization. It’s important for a job like this – it’s a very unique institution in terms of size and scope and its relationship to the community, for sure. Denny has done well to prepare me for the job.”
Coleman, the son of Ghanaian immigrants, is the youngest of three siblings who grew up in Bellefontaine Neighbors in North St. Louis County. He was a student at St. Louis University High School when he started working at The Muny as an usher.
“I was 16, it was my first real summer job,” he recalled. “My older sister had started working there, and my mom’s friend’s husband, Mr. Johnson, was a mail carrier for The Muny. Back then, my sisters and I were all science kids and worked different jobs around town. I wasn’t a theater student – I was never brave enough to be a front-and-center guy, I was more of a backstage person.”
Despite his lack of interest in being on stage, Coleman knew that the Muny stage had the ability to evoke magical memories.
“Every time I said to someone that I worked at The Muny, I always get a positive response,” he said. “There’s always this nostalgic or wistful look in their eyes. It’s a great feeling that a place where you worked brought that kind of happiness to a person. As an usher, we’d help the elderly patrons with their wheelchairs and there was this strange phenomenon – we’d make friends. These are people who we’d never cross paths with in any other setting …”
Coleman has been The Muny’s managing director since 2018. Prior to his current role, he has served as the organization’s staff accountant, house manager, digital communications manager and director of marketing and communications. It’s a similar path taken by his predecessor, Reagan, who has been with The Muny for 52 years and has been at the helm since 1991.
“Denny is a friend, he’s a mentor,” Coleman said. “He’s been remarkably generous and he has prepared me for this moment. This is someone who has been part of an organization for half a century. Under his leadership, we have a fully renovated campus, he has led the way through our successful capital campaign … he has set us up to be a phenomenal cultural institution.”
Coleman adds he has learned valuable lessons about leadership under Reagan’s wing.
“The most important lesson he’s taught me is that it’s important to care about people,” Coleman said. “You have to know to how to balance. There’s what’s the most financially profitable angle, the easier thing to do, but also what makes a difference for a human being? It’s a necessary way for a leader to represent and I appreciate that he taught me that.”
The Muny plans to kick off its 2021 season with “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” on July 5, one year after the global COVID-19 pandemic forced its stage to go dark last summer. Coleman says despite the uncertainty, it was an opportunity for growth.
“The pandemic has affected so many people, so many of the people we cared about were out of work. But we are fortunate to have the stability and history and longevity to weather things like this,” Coleman said. “It continues to be a challenge in a different way … we will still have to figure out the best, safest way to go forward this year.”
Coleman officially assumes the role of president and CEO of The Muny on January 1, 2022. Until then, he says he is simply excited about the opportunity and is looking forward to Opening Night.
“Nothing compares to the moment you look out and see all the pockets of St. Louis together –nothing ever compares to that,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the ability to exhale, knowing that we are back at work. We’re at year 103 – it’s an exciting moment!”
