Barrymore Theatre

What Barrymore Theatre does

Barrymore Theatre is a 971-capacity independent live event venue located at 2090 Atwood Avenue on Madison, Wisconsin's Near East Side. Originally opened as Eastwood Theater in 1929 and renamed Barrymore Theatre in 1987, the venue features Spanish colonial architecture with an Italian Renaissance-style octagonal dome and historic star-lit ceiling. The venue hosts concerts, comedy performances, films, plays, dance recitals, and community events, serving Madison-area residents, touring arts audiences, and local nonprofit organizations. It operates as a centerpiece of the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood, having been owned since 1992 by the Schenk Atwood Revitalization Association.

The business operates three primary revenue streams: ticket sales (the dominant stream), on-site bar and concessions (enabled by a beer and wine license acquired in 1988), and venue rentals for private and community events. Tickets are distributed through a multi-channel infrastructure including the venue's direct website and box office, Ticketmaster integration for major touring acts booked via promoter partners FPC Live and True Endeavors, and five local Madison retail outlets offering cash/check sales without convenience fees. Programming includes a mix of national touring acts (e.g., Marc Maron, They Might Be Giants), comedy specials, the Wisconsin Film Festival, and charitable events such as the annual Flannel Fest, which has raised over $225,000 for the Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund.

The venue has no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position is built on nearly a century of brand equity, architectural distinctiveness, ADA accessibility, and deeply embedded community ties. Operations are led by General Manager Steve Sperling, an original 1987 investor who has managed the theater since 1996, providing leadership continuity through ownership and market transitions. Revenue and headcount data are not publicly disclosed, consistent with its status as a privately held, nonprofit-owned entertainment venue.

Name

Barrymore Theatre

Legal name

Barrymore Theatre

Website

https://barrymorelive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Barrymore Theatre is a 971-capacity independent live event venue in Madison, Wisconsin, hosting concerts, comedy, film, dance, and community events. Owned by the Schenk Atwood Revitalization Association since 1992, it serves Madison-area audiences through ticket sales, concessions, and venue rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Event Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Concerts & Music Festivals (THAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert hall
• Comedy shows
• Event hosting
• Theatre performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for concerts, comedy shows, theater performances, and other live events. Tickets sold online, by phone, at box office, and through third-party outlets. Subject to credit card convenience fees for online/phone purchases.
2. Concessions and Bar Sales: On-site bar and concession sales during events. Venue acquired beer and wine license in 1988 and has neighboring restaurant.
3. Venue Rental: Space rental for events including community gatherings, political rallies, children's programming, and private rentals. The Schenk Atwood Revitalization Association purchased the venue in 1992 and shifted focus to rental opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Barrymore Theatre is a 971-capacity historic live performance venue in Madison, Wisconsin, hosting concerts, comedy shows, films, plays, dance recitals, broadcasts, and community events. The venue sells tickets directly through its website, box office, and phone, as well as through Ticketmaster for major shows and local Madison ticket outlets. It also generates revenue through on-site bar and concession sales and rents the space for private functions, fundraisers, political rallies, and community programming.

Product overview

Barrymore Theatre is a 971-capacity live music venue on the east side of Madison, Wisconsin, offering live entertainment events including concerts, comedy performances, films, plays, dance recitals, and community events. The venue operates ticket sales services for events and rents the space for private functions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Concert and Performance Events

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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FPC LivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary promoter/presenter for major comedy shows including Marc Maron, Jonathan Van Ness, and Adam Ray. FPC Live events are sold exclusively through Ticketmaster.
• True EndeavorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPromoter for shows like They Might Be Giants. Handles event presentation and ticketing.
• T PresentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresents events like Off Book - The Improvised Musical.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary third-party ticketing platform for FPC Live events and major shows. The Barrymore has no access to individual Ticketmaster order information.
• B-Side RecordsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Madison record store at 514 State St serving as ticket outlet. Cash/check only, no convenience fees.
• Strictly DiscsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Madison record store at 1900 Monroe St serving as ticket outlet. Cash/check only, no convenience fees.
• Frugal MuseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Madison music retailer at 6682 Odana Rd serving as ticket outlet. Cash/check only, no convenience fees.
• MadCity Music ExchangeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Madison music store at 2023 Atwood Ave serving as ticket outlet. Cash/check only, no convenience fees.
• Star LiquorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal Madison liquor store at 1209 Williamson St serving as ticket outlet. Cash/check only, no convenience fees.
• Schenk Atwood Revitalization AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurchased the venue in 1992 and shifted focus to utilizing the space as a rental opportunity. The association saw continued success in the Barrymore Theater as part of neighborhood revitalization efforts.
• Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool FundminorOthersNonprofit beneficiary of Flannel Fest. Annual celebration of Americana music raising funds for the nonprofit that provides heating and cooling services to elderly, disabled individuals, veterans, and working families in crisis. Flannel Fest has raised over $225,000 for the fund.
• Local Restaurants (Atwood Avenue)minorOthersPartnership with nearby restaurants for dining recommendations including Glass Nickel Pizza, Harmony Bar & Grill, Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, Lao Laan Xang, Alchemy, Starkweather Brewing Company, Green Owl Cafe, and others in the Atwood neighborhood.
• Hotel Ruby MarieminorOthersLocal hotel recommended for lodging. Part of recommendations for out-of-town visitors.
• United WayminorOthersAllows Barrymore patrons to park in their parking lots after 5:30PM Monday-Friday, and anytime on weekends. Courteous parking arrangement for venue guests.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Sylvee: A ~1,250-capacity live music and events venue in Madison, WI, operated by FPC Live. Directly comparable mid-size competitor for the same touring concert and comedy acts in the same Madison market.
• The Pabst Theater: A 1,300-capacity historic (1895) theater in Milwaukee hosting concerts, comedy, and community events. Closely mirrors the Barrymore's mid-size, heritage-venue, multi-genre programming model in a nearby Midwestern market.
• Orpheum Theater (Madison): A historic live performance venue on Madison's State Street hosting concerts, comedy, and theater — a direct Madison-market competitor with similar capacity and programming mix.
• Turner Hall Ballroom: A 1,000-capacity historic (1882) ballroom in Milwaukee operated by the same Pabst Theater Group. Directly comparable to the Barrymore in size, era, and mid-tier live music/comedy focus.
• First Avenue: Iconic ~1,500-capacity Minneapolis music venue with a similar historic, multi-genre, community-anchored model. Comparable as a Midwestern mid-size venue competing for the same touring circuit.
• High Noon Saloon: A ~400-capacity Madison live music club. Same market, smaller end of the mid-size tier; competes for emerging artists and locals that overflow or underflow the Barrymore's 971 seats.

Broad incumbents

• Riverside Theater: A ~2,500-capacity historic theater in Milwaukee under the Pabst Theater Group. A larger but adjacent Midwestern venue that books many of the same touring acts the Barrymore targets.
• Overture Hall: A ~2,200-seat performing arts center in downtown Madison operated by a large nonprofit. Overlaps with the Barrymore on touring comedy and theater bookings but at a larger scale and more institutional programming.

Others

• Wisconsin Film Festival: A long-running Madison film festival that has historically used the Barrymore as a screening venue. Not a direct competitor but a recurring programming and audience-development partner that signals the venue's cultural role.

Emerging players

• AtwoodFest: A free neighborhood music and community festival hosted at/around the Barrymore each July. Functions as both an extension of the Barrymore's community programming and a complementary event-based brand in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barrymorelive
• Facebookfacebook.com/BarrymoreTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barrymore-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Barrymore Theatre