Herberger Theater Center

What Herberger Theater Center does

The Herberger Theater Center is a non-profit performing arts center founded in 1989 and headquartered at 222 East Monroe Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It operates multiple purpose-built venues — Center Stage, Kax Stage, and Stage West — together with lounges, galleries, and outdoor spaces, functioning simultaneously as a presenting house, a venue manager for resident companies, and a community-facing arts incubator. Its core customers are split across general arts audiences, families and school groups, resident performing arts companies (Arizona Opera, Childsplay, iTheatre Collaborative, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Dance Ensemble), corporate sponsors, and individual donors.

Revenue is generated through a diversified non-profit stack: ticket sales and season subscriptions, individual donations and planned giving (including the Leadership Circle, Center Stage Society, Rising Stars Circle, and the 1000 Friends in 1000 Days campaign), corporate sponsorship, venue rentals, food and beverage at the Spotlight Bar, art gallery sales (with 30% of proceeds funding outreach), and government/foundation grants from the Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, Arizona Commission on the Arts, and private foundations such as the Piper Foundation. Pricing is event-driven, with tickets typically ranging from roughly $11 (Lunch Time Theater) to $85 (Festival VIP), season subscriptions billed annually, and add-on VIP experiences priced individually.

The technical footprint is intentionally thin: ticketing runs through the third-party etix.com platform, with no proprietary technology, app, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed. Distribution combines a physical box office, online ticketing, season subscriptions, group sales, and venue-rental channels. The Herberger serves as home venue for multiple resident companies and runs recurring signature programming (Spotlight Series, Lunch Time Theater, First Friday Live, Performance Pop-Ups, Arizona Young Artists' Competition, and the Plated & Staged fundraiser), while increasingly acting as a co-presenter of world and Arizona premieres such as Mad Hatter The Musical, Islander, and The Woman in Black.

Name

Herberger Theater Center

Legal name

Herberger Theater Center

Website

https://herbergertheater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Herberger Theater Center is a non-profit performing arts center in downtown Phoenix that operates three venues, presents shows, hosts resident companies including Arizona Opera and Childsplay, and serves arts audiences, families, and community partners through ticketing, sponsorships, and youth education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue & Live Entertainment

NAICS

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

SIC

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), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Live theater productions
• Venue rental services
• Youth arts education
• Community arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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: Revenue from single tickets and subscriptions for performances across Center Stage, Kax Stage, and Stage West venues
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations through various programs including Leadership Circle, Center Stage Society, Rising Stars Circle, Planned Giving, and the 1000 Friends in 1000 Days campaign. The Plated & Staged annual fundraiser has raised over $1 million since 2016.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship programs including title sponsors, event sponsors, and community partners
4. Membership Programs: Annual membership programs offering benefits to supporters
5. Venue Rentals: Rental of theater spaces and lounges for events
6. Food and Beverage: Spotlight Bar food and beverage service during events
7. Art Gallery Sales: Art gallery sales with 30% of proceeds supporting outreach and education programs
8. Government and Foundation Grants: Support from Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, Arizona Commission on the Arts, and private foundations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Herberger Theater Center is a nonprofit performing arts center that operates multiple performance venues (Center Stage, Kax Stage, and Stage West) in downtown Phoenix, presenting and hosting live theater, music, dance, and cultural productions. It also runs community programs such as Lunch Time Theater, First Friday Live, Performance Pop-Ups, the Arizona Young Artists' Competition, and SPARK youth arts education, alongside venue rentals, art gallery exhibitions, and food and beverage service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPARK (Strengthening Potential Through Arts, Resilience & Knowledge): A youth arts education and outreach program providing arts experiences to children from low-income and diverse communities.

Products and services

• Spotlight Series Season Subscriptions
• Lunch Time Theater
• First Friday Live
• Performance Pop-Ups
• Festival of the Arts
• Arizona Young Artists' Competition
• Art Gallery Exhibits and Sales
• Plated & Staged Annual Fundraiser
• Venue Rentals
• Spotlight Bar Food & Beverage
• SPARK Youth Arts Education Program
• Mariachi & Folklorico Festival
• Mad Hatter The Musical
• Islander (Arizona Premiere)
• The Woman in Black (Arizona Premiere)

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 5 million+ patrons including 350,000+ school-aged children since 1989
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arizona MusicfestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2027Co-producing Broadway musical concert experiences including South Pacific, Man of La Mancha, and Ragtime with Musicfest Pops Ensemble and Broadway talent
• Valley Youth TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Youth theater company producing Shrek the Musical and other family-friendly productions at the Herberger Theater Center, providing performance opportunities for young actors
• Kids in FocusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 July 2024Partnership for photography exhibit showcasing artwork of 20 talented young photographers ages 10-14 from the Kids in Focus After School Program, with proceeds supporting youth arts education
• The Rose GardenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2024VIP partnership for Mad Tea Party experience offering themed cocktails and delectable treats for Mad Hatter The Musical patrons, enhancing the audience experience
• C.A.L.L.E. de ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2024Co-presenting annual Mariachi & Folklórico Festival celebrating Mexican culture through vibrant music and dance performances featuring world-renowned Mariachi bands and folklorico dancers from Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ
• Arizona OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident performing arts company utilizing Herberger Theater Center as home venue for opera productions
• Childsplay TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident performing arts company utilizing Herberger Theater Center as home venue for children's theater productions
• iTheatre CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident performing arts company utilizing Herberger Theater Center as home venue for collaborative theater productions
• Arizona Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor resident theater company and partner on initiatives like Hang & Focus Live podcast, representing a significant component of the theater's programming
• Order Chaos Theater CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResident theater company providing experimental and alternative performances at the Herberger
• Center Dance EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding resident company (founded by Frances Smith Cohen) and partner in Arizona Young Artists' Competition, distributing over $80,000 in scholarships to rising artists
• Arizona Broadway TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Arizona Young Artists' Competition and co-productions such as Sweeney Todd, supporting musical theater talent development
• Gila River Indian CommunityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor for Islander musical production, supporting the Arizona premiere of the Edinburgh Fringe Award-winning show

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mesa Arts Center: Mesa Arts Center is a four-venue performing arts campus in Mesa, Arizona that directly competes with Herberger for Phoenix-metro audiences, resident companies, touring productions, and corporate sponsorships in the same regional market.
• ASU Gammage: ASU Gammage is a major Frank Lloyd Wright-designed performing arts venue in Tempe, Arizona that competes for Broadway tours, large-scale productions, and the same downtown-Arizona audience pool as Herberger Theater Center.
• Chandler Center for the Arts: Chandler Center for the Arts is a single-venue performing arts center serving the Southeast Phoenix-metro suburb of Chandler, competing for family and youth programming, touring productions, and resident-company placements.
• Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is a multi-stage presenting venue in Scottsdale, Arizona that competes for touring productions, corporate event rentals, and affluent Phoenix-metro arts patrons overlapping with Herberger's audience.
• Phoenix Theatre Company: Phoenix Theatre Company is one of the oldest continuously operating community theaters in the U.S., producing mainstage seasons in the Phoenix metro and competing for the same subscribers, donors, and resident-company slots as Herberger.
• Orpheum Theatre Phoenix: The historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix is a competing performing arts venue hosting touring concerts, comedy, and theatrical productions within walking distance of Herberger, drawing from the same downtown foot traffic.
• Tempe Center for the Arts: Tempe Center for the Arts is a municipally operated two-venue performing arts facility in Tempe competing for Phoenix-metro audiences and presenting-series programming similar to Herberger's Spotlight Series.
• Celebrity Theatre: Celebrity Theatre is a round, in-the-round dinner theater venue in Phoenix hosting touring concerts, Broadway-style productions, and comedy acts, competing with Herberger for ticketed entertainment audiences in the same metro.

Broad incumbents

• Arizona Theatre Company: Arizona Theatre Company is the state's only resident professional theater company, operating statewide with Herberger as a home venue. As both a programming partner and broader statewide brand, it competes for donor dollars and subscription audiences across Arizona.

Regional players

• Fox Tucson Theatre: Fox Tucson Theatre is a restored historic performing arts venue in Tucson, Arizona offering comparable presenting, rental, and ticketed programming to Herberger but serving the Southern Arizona market rather than direct Phoenix overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/herbergertheatr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2bNA44pDMHnGObQl_2ydTg
• Facebookfacebook.com/HerbergerTheaterCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herberger-theater-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/herbergertheater/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Herberger Theater Center