Amid the usual photos and other office knickknacks, Ralph Bryan has a surefire conversation icebreaker: a Tony award.

Bryan won the Tony as a producer of “Jersey Boys,” the year’s top Broadway musical. The Tony was a fitting encore to his stellar performance in revitalizing the finances of the La Jolla Playhouse. Bryan chairs the Playhouse’s fund-raising, raking in donations of more than $15 million in the last three years.

He launched the Playhouse’s Inner Circle program, which gives donors the opportunity for a behind-the-scenes look at Playhouse productions. Under Bryan’s leadership, the Playhouse’s donor base now exceeds 50 corporate sponsors who make donations from $2,500 to $50,000.

During business hours, Bryan, 38, is the senior partner of The Financial Group of Wachovia Securities in La Jolla, managing more than $450 million in assets. He is ranked in the top 1 percent of the more than 6,000 financial advisers at Wachovia.

“We’re constantly adjusting to market situations, so it’s never dull,” Bryan says of his job. “People trust us with their money, so planning and building a portfolio that organizations and individuals can be comfortable with gives me a great sense of accomplishment.”

In his spare time, Bryan takes to the water. He’s the past president of the UCSD Scuba Club, and competes in triathlons, Ironman races and the La Jolla Rough Water Swim.

Alhough his Broadway foray has been by all accounts a smash success, Bryan offers a sobering view of the theater as an investment.

“Only one in five shows ever makes any money,” he says. “I would not recommend it on my regular job.”