Lied Center Of Kansas

What Lied Center Of Kansas does

The Lied Center of Kansas is a performing arts center owned and operated as a department of the University of Kansas, a public state university, located at 1600 Stewart Drive on the KU campus in Lawrence, Kansas. Founded in 1993, the center operates a 1,979-seat Main Auditorium outfitted with installed sound and lighting systems, wireless microphones, dressing rooms, and a Lawrence Otolaryngology Hearing Loop for accessibility, supplemented by five additional rental venues (Pavilion, On Stage, Green Room, Kemper Lobby, Seymour Gallery). Its core products are the Lied Series of live performances (Broadway productions, concerts, family, folk, jazz, and chamber series), school-only performances and education programs (3rd Grade Theatre Arts Day, Lied Across Kansas, Study Guides), venue rental, and outreach tickets for non-profit organizations.

The center serves four primary customer segments: K-12 students and educators (via USD 497 schools and Sabetha USD 113), Lawrence and Kansas community members, University of Kansas students, and corporate/event clients renting space. It monetizes through subscription ticket packages (Full Season $875-$1,144; Broadway Series $172-$267; Family Series $87; KU Student Pass $125), individual tickets ($25-$85), venue rental fees, and a tiered Friends of the Lied donor membership starting at $50. Ticket sales provide less than 40% of the funds required to bring world-class artists to Lawrence, with the balance underwritten by donations, ~25 corporate sponsors (including Black Hills Energy, Emprise Bank, Express Employment, LMH Health, McDonald's, Midco, and Hy-Vee), the Lied Foundation, KU institutional support, and program-specific foundations (Sam Mazola Foundation, Kent and Donna Saylor). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via owned website, TicketWeb-powered online portal, phone, and in-person box office, with volunteer ushers (85+ as of June 2025) supporting front-of-house operations.

Name

Lied Center Of Kansas

Legal name

Lied Center of Kansas

Website

https://lied.ku.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Lied Center of Kansas is a 1,979-seat performing arts center on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, founded in 1993. It presents Broadway touring productions, concerts, and family programming, serves K-12 students and the broader Kansas community, and operates venue rental and donor-funded arts education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Performing arts venue
• Live entertainment
• Broadway touring productions
• Arts education programs
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Ticket sales for performances and events. Note: Ticket sales provide less than 40% of the funds necessary to bring world-class artists to Lawrence.
2. Donations and Memberships: Friends of the Lied donation program with levels starting at $50. Individual, business, and VIP sponsor opportunities with various benefits.
3. Venue Rental: Rental of spaces including Main Auditorium, Pavilion, On Stage, Green Room, Kemper Lobby, and Seymour Gallery for events, conferences, receptions, and performances.
4. Ticket Packages and Series: Season ticket packages including Full Season, Broadway Series, Family Series, Concert Series, Jayhawk Live, Folk Series, Pavilion Chamber Series, and Just Friends Jazz Series.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lied Center of Kansas is a performing arts center on the University of Kansas campus in Lawrence that presents world-class live entertainment — Broadway touring productions, concerts, comedy, family shows, folk, and jazz — in a 1,979-seat Main Auditorium. It also sells season ticket packages, rents six event spaces, runs education and outreach programs for K-12 students and underserved Kansas communities, and operates the Friends of the Lied donor/membership program.

Product overview

The Lied Center of Kansas is a performing arts center at the University of Kansas offering a diverse portfolio of live entertainment and arts education programs. Its core offerings include the Main Auditorium venue (1,979 capacity) hosting the Lied Series with multiple ticket packages (Broadway, Family, Concert, Folk, Jazz series), venue rental services across six distinct spaces (Main Auditorium, Pavilion, On Stage, Green Room, Kemper Lobby, Seymour Gallery), and extensive education programs including School-Only Performances, 3rd Grade Theatre Arts Day, and Lied Across Kansas outreach. The center provides accessibility services featuring the Lawrence Otolaryngology Hearing Loop system, livestream events, and print-at-home ticketing. Membership support comes through the Friends of the Lied program with tiered benefits, while outreach initiatives provide free access to not-for-profit organizations. The venue partners with Student Union Activities (SUA) for student programming and operates a volunteer usher corps for community involvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lied Series Performances Season-long schedule of Broadway touring productions, concerts, comedy, family shows, folk, jazz, and other live performances presented in the 1,979-seat Main Auditorium for Lawrence and regional audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 10,000+ students annually through school-only programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Student Union Activities (SUA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2014Established in Fall 2014, the partnership enhances programming appeal among KU students. SUA promotes Lied Center performances to KU community and has facilitated events including Nick Offerman, Colin Jost appearances, Tunes @ Night concerts, and Dinner and A Show events. SUA is a 75-year-old student organization planning events for entire KU community.
• USD 497 (Lawrence Public Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly 25-year partnership bringing free performing arts experiences to all students in Lawrence school district. Programs include school-only performances, 3rd Grade Theatre Arts Day, and Preschool Performing Arts initiative at Kennedy Early Childhood Education Center.
• Sam Mazola FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary sponsor of Lied Across Kansas program that brings performing artists to four arts-underserved Kansas communities annually, free of charge.
• H. Neil Mecaskey, Jr. FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMade the first gift to the Lied Across Kansas Forever endowed fund.
• Kent and Donna SaylorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors the Kent and Donna Saylor Performing Arts Access Fund supporting Sabetha (USD 113) students and teachers with free tickets and bus transportation to Lied Center performances.
• Lawrence OtolaryngologycoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered to install hearing loop system for 25th Anniversary, providing accessibility for patrons with hearing loss. System delivers sound directly into telecoil-enabled hearing aids, cochlear implants, or loop receivers.
• VIP Sponsors (Black Hills Energy, Bridge Haven, Cherry Hill Properties, Club Robear, Construction Specialties, Dole Institute, Emprise Bank, Express Employment, Footprints, Hertzog, Hy-Vee, ENT, Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, LMH Health, MarLan, McDonald's, Midco, Natural Breeze, Otten, Perspective Group, RCBBank, SSC, Student Senate, Triad Leasing, Truity, Official Family Foundation)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 25 corporate sponsors providing marketing support and funding in exchange for recognition at performances, in programs, and on signage. Benefits include logo placement, ticket discounts, and event recognition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center: University of Maryland's multi-venue performing arts center hosting concerts, Broadway, dance, and educational programming with comparable university-affiliated presenting operations, multiple venue spaces, and educational mission.
• McCain Auditorium: Kansas State University's ~1,177-seat presenting venue operating with virtually identical university-presenting model, Broadway/concert programming, and educational outreach within the same state of Kansas - the closest in-state peer.
• Wharton Center for Performing Arts: Michigan State University's ~2,400-seat presenting venue operating with a nearly identical university-affiliated presenting model, broad Broadway/concert/family programming, and educational outreach mission - the closest structural analogue to the Lied Center.
• Lied Center for Performing Arts: University of Nebraska-Lincoln's 2,248-seat presenting venue that shares the Lied name and endowment family, the same university-presenting model, Broadway/concert programming, and analogous educational outreach programs in another Midwestern college town.
• Touhill Performing Arts Center: University of Missouri-St. Louis's multi-venue presenting center offering Broadway touring shows, concerts, and educational programs with a comparable university-department structure and community-presenting focus.
• Newmark Theatre (Portland'5 Centers for the Arts): Portland's presenting venue operated as part of the Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, hosting Broadway tours, concerts, and educational programming with a comparable multi-venue presenting structure and subscription-based model.

Broad incumbents

• Ryman Auditorium: Nashville's historic 2,400-seat presenting venue ('Mother Church of Country Music') offering concerts, Broadway programming, and educational programs with a much larger national brand but comparable presenting, venue-rental, and outreach operations.
• Overture Center for the Arts: Madison, Wisconsin's ~2,100-seat multi-venue presenting center offering Broadway, concerts, comedy, and educational programs in a similar Midwestern college-town market with a comparable presenting and education model, though operating as a larger nonprofit.

Regional players

• Starlight Theatre: Kansas City's historic outdoor Broadway presenting venue serving the same Midwestern regional market that includes the Lied Center's audience catchment, with comparable Broadway touring and educational programming focus.
• Midland Theatre: Kansas City-region presenting venue hosting Broadway tours, concerts, and educational programming serving the same regional Kansas/Missouri market that overlaps the Lied Center's audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/liedcenterks
• Facebookfacebook.com/liedcenter
• Xx.com/liedcenterks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lied-center-of-kansas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Lied Center Of Kansas