What Alberta Bair Theater does

Alberta Bair Theater is a 501c3 nonprofit performing arts venue located in downtown Billings, Montana. Originally opened in 1931 as the Fox Theatre, the venue was rescued from conversion to a movie house in 1978 and renamed Alberta Bair Theater in 1987 after Alberta M. Bair, whose family homestead originally occupied the site. Today it operates as the largest fully-equipped performing arts venue in Montana, with 1,375 seats across the Orchestral Level and Loge/Balcony, plus ADA-accessible seating and companion spaces. The venue underwent a $13.6 million expansion and renovation completed in Fall 2020, modernizing stage rigging, audio, lighting, HVAC, and adding an elevator and grand staircase.

The theater presents a curated seasonal slate of live concerts, Broadway tours (BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL, THE WIZ, Jersey Boys), ballet (World Ballet Company), comedy (Rob Schneider, Big Sky Comedy Festival), tribute acts, and serves as the home venue for the Billings Symphony Orchestra & Chorale for more than 50 years. Programming delivers to a regional market of approximately 400,000 people across the Northern Rockies. Ticketing operates through a direct-to-consumer model via box office (in-person and phone), online e-commerce, and seasonal subscriptions, with ticket prices ranging from $17 student pricing up to $135 for premium seating, supplemented by a $3 facility fee per ticket. Complementary revenue streams include facility rentals to outside groups, concession sales (beer, wine, spirits, snacks), an 8-tier donation program (Benefactors at $20,000+ down through Patrons at $1,000+), corporate show sponsorships, and playbill advertising.

Beyond ticketed performances, the theater operates a substantial educational mission serving 22,000 school children annually through student matinees, school outreach, master classes, the Access to the Arts voucher program (for underserved populations), and the Ten for Ten program ($10 tickets for groups of 10+). The staff of 11-50 includes an executive director (Jan Dietrich, holding the Hewes and Susan Agnew Executive Director endowment), a board of directors, and functional leads across marketing, education, technical production, front of house, and box office operations. Capital and programming partnerships include the Charles M. Bair Family Trust, City of Billings, Stockman Bank, First Interstate Bank, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Billings Clinic, and the Montana Arts Council/NEA.

Name

Alberta Bair Theater

Legal name

Alberta Bair Theater

Website

https://albertabairtheater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alberta Bair Theater is a 501c3 nonprofit performing arts venue in Billings, Montana, operating as Montana's largest fully-equipped performing arts facility (1,375 seats). It presents Broadway tours, concerts, ballet, and comedy to a regional population of 400,000, and serves 22,000 school children annually through educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), VIP Hospitality & Client Entertainment (Boxes, Suites, Hosted Experiences) (MPAGAHAG), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Live performance venue
• Performing arts center
• Theater ticketing services
• Arts education programs
• Venue rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales to performances. Tickets vary by show with prices ranging from $17-$135+. Includes facility fees ($3.00 surcharge per ticket) and per-ticket processing fees for phone and online purchases.
2. Facility Rental: Revenue from renting the theater to outside groups and events. The theater is available for rental for events using the stage or front-of-house areas, with fees determined by the Programming Director and/or Executive Director.
3. Concessions: Food and beverage sales during performances including hot drinks, soda, water, beer (domestic, craft, import), wine, spirits, and snacks.
4. Donations and Sponsorships: Tax-deductible contributions from donors at various levels (Benefactors $20,000+, Sponsors $10,000+, Stars $5,000+, Directors $2,500+, Patrons $1,000+, etc.). Includes corporate sponsorships with billing in event publicity, marquee recognition, and complimentary tickets.
5. Playbill Advertising: Revenue from advertising in the theater's full-color playbill distributed at events, with Fall and Spring editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Alberta Bair Theater operates as a nonprofit performing arts venue that presents a seasonal lineup of live concerts, Broadway touring shows, ballet, comedy, and symphony performances to individual ticket buyers, subscribers, and school groups. Beyond presenting performances, the theater also generates revenue through facility rentals to outside groups, concessions, educational outreach programs, gift vouchers, and donor/sponsor contributions.

Product overview

Alberta Bair Theater is a nonprofit performing arts venue operating as a single unified product—a live event venue with integrated service offerings. The core product is presenting live performances including concerts, Broadway shows, plays, ballet, comedy, and symphony concerts. Supporting services include a Student Matinee Education Program serving 22,000 school children annually, facility rental for touring and local groups, ABT Gift Vouchers, Access to the Arts voucher program, and the Ten for Ten discount program for educators. The theater is the largest fully equipped performing arts venue in Montana, seating 1,375 and serving a population of 400,000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 22,000 school children annually through educational programming
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Billings Symphony Orchestra & ChoralecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Billings Symphony has called ABT its home venue for more than 50 years. The symphony presents multiple concert series at the theater annually including classical performances, The Nutcracker Ballet (45+ years), and free family concerts. The 2026-2027 season features a Music Director Search with multiple finalists conducting.
• Langlas & Associates General ContractorssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner$50,000+ donor to the $13.6 million renovation capital campaign. Appears as show sponsor for multiple performances including THE WIZ, Herb Alpert, and Herve Koubi.
• DoubleTree by Hilton BillingssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as show sponsor for The Slocan Ramblers and A Christmas Carol. Located at 27 North 27th Street, described as a quick walk to the theater.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ellen Theatre: Historic performing arts venue in Bozeman, Montana, presenting concerts, films, and live performances. Comparable to ABT as a regional Montana PAC serving a similar-size community with touring and local programming.
• Mansfield Center for the Performing Arts: Great Falls, Montana performing arts venue presenting Broadway tours, concerts, and educational programming. Direct regional peer to ABT with similar mission and scale within Montana.
• Washington Pavilion: Sioux Falls, South Dakota regional performing arts and science center of similar scale, presenting touring Broadway, concerts, and educational programming to a comparable Upper Midwest market.
• McCain Auditorium: Kansas State University's performing arts venue in Manhattan, Kansas. Comparable mid-size regional PAC presenting touring Broadway, concerts, and educational programming to a similar-sized community.
• Paramount Theatre: Cedar Rapids, Iowa historic performing arts venue presenting touring Broadway, concerts, and community programming. Comparable in scale, mission, and nonprofit structure to ABT.

Broad incumbents

• Overture Center for the Arts: Larger Madison, Wisconsin performing arts center presenting touring Broadway, symphony, dance, and educational programming. Comparable mission and nonprofit structure to ABT at a larger scale.
• Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Kansas City, Missouri major regional performing arts center hosting ballet, symphony, and touring Broadway. Comparable in mission (nonprofit regional PAC) but significantly larger scale than ABT.
• Tennessee Performing Arts Center: Nashville, Tennessee nonprofit performing arts center presenting Broadway, concerts, and educational programming. Comparable nonprofit regional PAC model to ABT, but at a larger metropolitan scale.
• Strathmore: Bethesda, Maryland nonprofit performing arts center presenting concerts, educational programs, and visual arts. Comparable nonprofit model with strong education programming similar to ABT's 22,000-student program.
• Brown Theatre: Historic Louisville, Kentucky performing arts venue operated as part of the Kentucky Performing Arts nonprofit. Comparable historic venue and touring programming model, though in a larger metro market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/albertabair
• Facebookfacebook.com/AlbertaBairTheater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alberta-bair-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alberta Bair Theater