What Sunset Playhouse does

Sunset Playhouse is a community theater and professional performance venue based in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Founded in 1954, with its School for the Arts educational division operating continuously since 1960, the organization runs a multi-series production slate that includes Furlan Auditorium mainstage plays and musicals, Musical MainStage Concerts, SideNotes Cabaret Series, After Sunset Studio Series, the bug in a rug Children's Theater, and Special Events. It also operates performing arts education programs for children ages 2-15 across fall, winter, and summer sessions, including Junior Musical Sessions and Summer Stars Camp.

The business is structured around a small core staff (51-100 employees) supplemented by a large volunteer base — 36,850 volunteers have contributed 1,402,050 hours of service since the first production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW. Technology infrastructure is limited to a Salesforce-based online ticketing platform supporting 24/7 ticket sales, alongside standard marketing channels (website, e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Yelp). There is no disclosed proprietary technology, mobile app, or API surface.

Revenue is generated through six streams: ticket sales (individual, season, flex, and group — the primary stream, which the organization states supports it almost entirely), individual tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships and production underwriting, education class registrations, theater and costume/prop rentals, and gift certificates. Corporate partnerships include a producing collaboration with Bombshell Theatre Co. and sponsorship relationships with organizations such as RBC and the Elm Grove Woman's Club. Customer segments span individual theater enthusiasts, families with children in arts education, local corporate sponsors, and community volunteers — with no disclosed customer concentration or enterprise anchor accounts.

Name

Sunset Playhouse

Legal name

Sunset Playhouse

Website

https://sunsetplayhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sunset Playhouse is a community theater and performing arts education venue in Elm Grove, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee metro area with mainstage productions, cabaret and concert series, children's theater, and School for the Arts classes for children ages 2-15. It operates via a Salesforce ticketing platform, ticket sales, donations, and corporate sponsorships, supported by 36,850+ volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Community theater productions
• Performing arts education
• Live theater performances
• Arts education programs
• Theatrical venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Elm Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from individual show tickets, season tickets, flex tickets, and group tickets. The theater notes it supports itself almost entirely on ticket sales.
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individual patrons made online, in person, or via mail.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Production sponsorships and in-kind support from businesses and civic organizations to underwrite production costs.
4. Education Programs: Revenue from class registrations for the School for the Arts, including fall, winter, and summer sessions for children ages 2-15, as well as summer camps.
5. Theater Rental: Rental of theater facility and costume/prop rental services to outside groups.
6. Gift Certificates: Gift certificate sales for tickets and education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sunset Playhouse is a community theater organization that produces and presents live theatrical performances—plays, musicals, concerts, and cabarets—across multiple year-round series in its Elm Grove, Wisconsin facility. Beyond mainstage and studio productions, it operates the School for the Arts performing arts education program for children ages 2-15, and rents its theater facilities and costume/prop inventory to outside groups. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales, with secondary support from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, education program fees, and facility rentals.

Product overview

Sunset Playhouse is a community theater organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of live theatrical experiences and performing arts education. The core offerings include mainstage plays and musicals in the Furlan Auditorium, studio productions through the After Sunset Series, and concert-style performances via the Musical MainStage and SideNotes Cabaret Series. The education division provides structured performing arts classes and summer camps for children through the School for the Arts program. Supporting services include theater and costume/prop rentals, gift certificates, and group/season ticket packages. The organization serves the Milwaukee, Wisconsin metropolitan area from its Elm Grove facility and relies heavily on volunteer participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School for the Arts: Educational arts program for children ages 2-15 offering performing arts classes in fall, winter, and summer sessions
• Furlan Auditorium Productions
• Musical MainStage Concert Series
• SideNotes Cabaret Series
• After Sunset Studio Series
• bug in a rug

Products and services

• Furlan Auditorium Productions Main stage theatrical productions presented in the Furlan Auditorium, including full-scale plays and musicals featuring both classic and contemporary works. Targeted at Sunset Playhouse's general community audience seeking mainstage theater experiences.
• Musical MainStage Concert Series Concert-style performances featuring musical tributes and Broadway-style showmanship, designed for audiences seeking live musical theater and concert experiences.
• SideNotes Cabaret Series Intimate cabaret-style performances featuring musical tributes and specialty acts for audiences seeking smaller-scale, themed musical experiences.
• After Sunset Studio Series Smaller-scale productions presented in the studio venue, offering experimental and alternative theatrical works to audiences seeking intimate or unconventional theater.
• School for the Arts Performing arts education program for children ages 2-15, offering structured classes in fall, winter, and summer sessions, including Junior Musical Sessions and School for the Arts Play productions. Targeted at families with children seeking performing arts education.
• bug in a rug Children's Theater Series Interactive theater experience for families with children ages 2-8, produced as part of the children's theater programming and integrated with the Education programming area.
• Summer Stars Camp Summer performing arts camp program for children, providing immersive theater arts instruction during summer months. Targeted at families seeking summer enrichment for children.
• Special Events Special themed performances and events including murder mysteries, illusion shows, and holiday productions, designed for general audiences seeking themed entertainment experiences.
• Theater Rental Rental of theater facilities for external events and productions, offered to outside groups and organizations needing a performance venue.
• Costume/Prop Rental Rental of theatrical costumes and props to other theater organizations and individuals for use in their own productions.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available for purchase and redemption for theatrical productions and School for the Arts classes.
• Season Tickets Subscription packages offering discounted access to multiple productions throughout the theatrical season, presented as a Season Brochure.
• Group Tickets Discounted group ticket sales for organizations, schools, and parties attending theatrical productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,402,050 hours of volunteer service contributed by 36,850 volunteers since founding
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Corporate SponsorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsorship program where businesses and civic organizations partner with Sunset Playhouse to enhance the full experience. Opportunities include production sponsorships and in-kind support to help underwrite production costs. The Playhouse exists because of the active participation of an ever-growing group of community partners.
• RBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo appears on corporate sponsorship page indicating a sponsoring relationship with RBC.
• Bombshell Theatre Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative producing partner for various theatrical productions including FUNNY GIRL, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, and SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE. The partnership produces additional mainstage and special event productions at Sunset Playhouse.
• Elm Grove Woman's ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner benefiting from Sunset Playhouse facilities for special events and fundraisers, including cabaret performances like 'A Night at the Cabaret: Legends of American Rock' benefit event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• First Stage: Milwaukee children's theater company offering both productions and an academy for young performers. Directly comparable to Sunset's School for the Arts and children's theater (bug in a rug) programming for the same demographic of Milwaukee-area families.
• Milwaukee Repertory Theater: Regional repertory theater company operating multiple stages in downtown Milwaukee. Directly comparable as a professional/community regional theater serving the same Milwaukee metropolitan audience with live theatrical productions.
• Renaissance Theaterworks: Milwaukee-based theater company producing contemporary plays and musicals. Comparable as a regional theater targeting similar adult theater-goers in the greater Milwaukee area.
• Milwaukee Chamber Theatre: Regional chamber theater serving the Milwaukee community with a season of plays and musicals. Comparable as a professional regional theater competing for the same local audience and sponsorship dollars.
• Skylight Music Theatre: Milwaukee-based music theater company producing operas and musicals. Directly comparable as it presents ticketed musical theater productions to the same Milwaukee-area market with overlapping repertoire (Broadway-style musicals).
• Waukesha Civic Theatre: Community theater serving Waukesha, a nearby Milwaukee suburb. Closely comparable community volunteer-driven theater model serving an overlapping suburban catchment area.

Regional players

• Kettle Moraine Playhouse: Community theater in Jackson, Wisconsin, roughly 30 miles from Elm Grove. Comparable community-based theater with similar volunteer-driven production model in the broader Milwaukee region.
• Children's Theater of Wauwatosa: Community-based children's theater serving the immediate Milwaukee western suburbs. Comparable to Sunset's bug in a rug Children's Theater Series given adjacent geography and overlapping youth theater programming.

Emerging players

• Optimist Theatre: Milwaukee-based theater producing free Shakespeare-in-the-park style outdoor productions. Comparable in targeting Milwaukee-area theater audiences with ticketed/free live performance offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Florentine Opera Company: Established professional opera company serving Milwaukee with multiple full-scale productions annually. Comparable in operating a professional producing theater model within the same metropolitan market, though at a higher scale and price point.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SunsetPlayhouse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SunsetPlayhouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/SunsetPlayhouse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Sunset Playhouse