Industry NewsKwofe Coleman Named New President and CEO of St. Louis MunyColeman will succeed Denny Reagan in 2022.
By
Andrew Gans
April 23, 2021
Kwofe Coleman
Phillip Hamer
Kwofe Coleman has been named the new president and CEO of The Muny, effective January 1, 2022. He is currently the theatre’s managing director and oversees the organizational, financial, and business affairs of the St. Louis venue.
Coleman will succeed Denny Reagan, who announced his plans to retire in December, and has been with The Muny since 1968, having served as president and CEO since 1991.
“Kwofe is a remarkably gifted leader who understands the institution at its core, and more importantly, its commitment to the St. Louis community,” stated Muny President and CEO Reagan. “He will ensure The Muny’s future remains bright while offering a new perspective on how to lead our beloved theatre into its next century. Without question, he is the perfect choice.”
“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead The Muny and serve a community that I love. The unparalleled history, remarkable resources, and aspirational spirit that have yielded a century of success for The Muny are our foundation as we begin our second century,” added Coleman. “With great excitement, I look toward the future of a cultural institution that will take intentional steps to broaden and evolve our identity and relationships through both our art and our investment in this community.”
Coleman joined The Muny full time in 2008 as a staff accountant. In 2011 he formed The Muny’s first digital communications department, reconstructing The Muny’s internet presence and social media identity while also increasing the theatre’s internet sales stream and national presence. He was promoted to director of marketing and communications in 2014, where he managed The Muny’s branding and marketing efforts through its 2018 centennial season. He was also key in the creation of both The Muny’s Second Century Strategic Plan and The Muny’s $100 million Second Century Capital Campaign. Following the 2018 season, Coleman was named managing director.
The theatre leader currently serves as the president-elect of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and was a 2018 Fellowship Advisor for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Saint Louis Club and is a 2015 recipient of the St. Louis American’s Salute to Young Leaders Award and was named to the 2020 St. Louis Business Journal 40 under 40.
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Flip Through 100 Stars for 100 Years of Theatre at the Muny
Flip Through 100 Stars for 100 Years of Theatre at the Muny
From Guys and Dolls to Aida, the Muny has produced hundreds of shows since its founding in 1919.
100 PHOTOS
1926: Irene Dunne in The Muny's 1926 season
1931: Cary Grant in the Muny's 1931 season
June Havoc in the Muny's 1936 season
1938: Richard (Red) Skelton in Gentlemen Unafraid
1940: Vincent Prince in The American Way
1954: Elaine Stritch in Call Me Madam
1957: Barbara Cook in Irene
1957: Paul Lynde in Irene
1959: Bob Hope in Roberta
1961: Edie Adams in Calamity Jane
1961: Jack Gilford and Mary M. Cook in Cinderella
1960: Dan Rowan and Dick Martin in The Red Mill
1962: Margaret Hamilton in Oklahoma!
1964: Andy Devine in Show Boat
1966: Eddie Albert in The Music Man
1966: Betty White in Bells are Ringing
1967: Margot Fonteyn in The Royal Ballet
1967: Rudolf Nureyev in The Royal Ballet
1968: Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam
1968: Arthur Godfrey in Show Boat
1968: Florence Henderson in The Sound of Music
1968: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Eddie Albert in My Fair Lady
1968: Cab Calloway and Pearl Bailey in Hello, Dolly!
1968: Pearl Bailey in Hello, Dolly!
1968: Vicki Lawrence in Carousel
1969: Ozzie Smith and Harriet Nelson in State Fair
1969: Billy Barty in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1969: Cyd Charisse in Damn Yankees
1970: Jerry Orbach in Promises, Promises
1971: Betty Grable, Chita Rivera, and Dorothy Lamour in This is Show Business
1971: Jackie Coogan and Mary Wickes in The Music Man
1971: Mary Wickes in The Music Man
1971: Milton Berle and Nancy Andrews in Two by Two
1972: William Daniels in 1776
1972: Ann Miller in Anything Goes
1972: Yvonne DeCarlo in Follies
1973: Debbie Reynolds in Irene
1973: Agnes Moorehead in Gigi
1974: Bernadette Peters and Robert Preston in Mack and Mabel
1974: Bernadette Peters and Robert Preston in Mack and Mabel
1974: Gene Kelly in Take Me Along
1974: Carol Burnett and Rock Hudson in I Do! I Do!
1974: Rock Hudson in I Do! I Do!
1975: Jack Klugman in The Odd Couple
1976: Gale Gordon in Show Boat
1976: Peter Graves in 1776
1976: Yul Brynner in The King and I
1976: Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof
1976: Angela Lansbury in Mame
1976: Patti LuPone and Chaim Topol in The Baker's Wife