Dennis Reagan will leave his job as president and CEO of the Muny in December 2021. He has led the organization since 1991 and is its longest-serving president.
鈥淚鈥檝e accomplished pretty much everything I wanted to accomplish,鈥� said Reagan, 68. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e on a good trajectory right now.鈥�
His roots at the outdoor theater in Forest Park stretch back to his days as a teenager on the cleanup crew in 1968. He鈥檚 held several jobs at the theater, including a stretch as general manager.
Reagan led the organization through , including the stage, concession stands and backstage facilities. Under his guidance, the Muny has raised more than $85 million toward a $100 million capital campaign launched in 2018.
The fundraising campaign has paid for some of the ongoing renovations and an enhancement to the organization鈥檚 endowment, which was created under Reagan鈥檚 watch.
The Arts and Education Council of St. Louis presented Reagan its Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award in 2018.
鈥淒enny has not only been a vital leader for The Muny, but also has been a pillar of the musical theatre field as a whole,鈥� National Alliance for Musical Theatre Executive Director Betsy King Militello said in a statement.
The Muny is one of the oldest and most prominent arts organizations in the region, with an annual budget of more than $21 million. It would have presented its 102nd season this year, but leaders because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Muny鈥檚 audience capacity of nearly 11,000 makes it the largest outdoor theater devoted to musical theater in the country.
The Muny has made it through the pandemic thus far in part because of corporate sponsors maintaining their financial commitments despite the season cancelation. The organization has not laid off any of its 33 year-round employees, though some 600 seasonal employees lost their summer work.
Reagan will continue his association with the theater in 2022 as senior adviser.
鈥淪o often people say they鈥檝e given the best years of their life to their job,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I gotta say, I鈥檓 a lucky guy, because my job has given me the best years of my life.鈥�
Reagan said that in the 1970s and 鈥�80s the theater shifted its focus from original productions of big-name musicals to booking visits by national tours.
鈥淲e went back to the roots of the Muny,鈥� he said of his time at the helm, 鈥渨hich was producing shows for St. Louisans at the scale that only the Muny can do.鈥�
The Muny鈥檚 large stage presents the opportunity to impress audiences with the sort of spectacle that a touring production wouldn鈥檛 muster.
鈥淲hen we do 鈥楾he Music Man鈥� we can have a 200-piece marching band onstage,鈥� Reagan said. 鈥淲hen we do 鈥楳eet Me In St. Louis,鈥� we can have fireworks in the finale. We can actually put Clydesdales on the stage.鈥�
A natural extrovert, Reagan enjoys the meet-and-greet part of his job.
He is known for standing in his customary spot near the stage and greeting audience members every single night of performance, since 1976 鈥� except for the night of his brother鈥檚 wedding.
鈥淚 have enjoyed this so much, this job. It鈥檚 afforded me the chance to meet some incredible people,鈥� Reagan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 afforded me the opportunity to meet the civic leaders of St. Louis and the industry leaders of theater. That鈥檚 something that I will cherish forever.鈥�
The Muny鈥檚 board of directors has begun searching for a successor.
Ron Himes, founder and producing director of the Black Rep, described Reagan as 鈥渢he nicest guy in theater.鈥�
鈥淗e will be missed by his colleagues in the field and especially by his patrons who will miss him standing in his post every night before the curtain.鈥�
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