California Regional Theater

What California Regional Theater does

California Regional Theater (CRT) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit performing arts organization headquartered in Chico, California, that produces Broadway-caliber theatrical productions and operates a youth theater education program. Founded in January 2012 by Bob Maness, the company runs two venues — the Center For The Arts (475-577 seats) and the First Street Theater (130-139 seats) — totaling approximately 605-716 seats and presents a seasonal lineup of musicals and family productions, with the 2026-27 season including titles such as Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen. Its sub-brand CRT KIDS serves more than 200 children and teens ages 5-16 per session through theatre classes and performance opportunities, launched concurrently with the company.

The company generates revenue through four streams: ticket and season-membership sales (Season Plus+ at ~20% savings, Flex Pass at 15% savings, individual pay-as-you-go) processed via OvationTix; tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and organizations; concessions (food, beverage, and a full bar at the First Street venue); and CRT KIDS program fees. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online platform, phone box office, and walk-in at the Chico offices. Marketing runs through the company website, organic social (Facebook, X), Constant Contact email newsletter, and community outreach including open auditions and the volunteer usher program.

CRT has no proprietary technology platforms — its technical footprint consists of third-party integrations with OvationTix (commerce/ticketing), Constant Contact (email), and JotForm (audition forms). Patrons cite quality casting, professional production values, and the venue experience. The organization is founder-led (Bob Maness, Executive Director; Mindy Maness, Director of Guest Relations) with 11-50 employees, serves Northern California, and recently eliminated hidden ticket fees in July 2023 as a pricing transparency and accessibility initiative.

Name

California Regional Theater

Legal name

California Regional Theatre LLC

Website

https://crtshows.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

California Regional Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit regional theater in Chico, California, producing Broadway-caliber musicals and running the CRT KIDS youth education program across two local performance venues serving Northern California audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• Youth theater education
• Performing arts venue
• Season ticket memberships
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Chico

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from individual and season ticket sales for theatrical productions at multiple venues. Ticket fees are charged based on percentage of ticket price through ticketing vendor.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and organizations. Critical to operations as ticket sales cover only a portion of production costs. Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with Tax ID 85-4217256.
3. Concessions: Food and beverage sales during intermission including cookies, muffins, candy, water, coffee. First Street venue also offers full bar service.
4. CRT KIDS Program Fees: Revenue from youth theater education programs serving over 200 children and teens per session for ages 5-16, including theatre classes and performance opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

California Regional Theater is a non-profit performing arts organization that produces and presents Broadway-caliber theatrical productions at two venues in Chico, California (Center For The Arts seating 475-577 patrons and First Street Theater seating 130-139 patrons). It sells individual and season tickets to musicals, classics, and family favorites, runs the CRT KIDS youth theater education program serving over 200 children ages 5-16 per session, and operates concessions, volunteer usher programs, and tax-deductible donation channels.

Product overview

California Regional Theatre (CRT) is a premier non-profit theater company offering a unified portfolio of live theatrical productions and arts education services. The core offering consists of regional theatre productions at two venues (Center For The Arts and First Street Theater), supported by CRT KIDS youth programs, season membership packages, community auditions, volunteer ushering opportunities, and donation-based fundraising. All ticketing and donations are processed through the OvationTix third-party platform, while marketing uses Constant Contact. The company was founded in 2012 in Chico, CA, by Bob Maness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CRT KIDS: Youth theater program offering theatre classes and performance opportunities for children and teens ages 5-16.

Products and services

• Regional Theatre Productions Professional-quality live theatrical productions including Broadway musicals, classic musicals, family favorites, and Broadway-caliber performances presented at Center For The Arts and First Street Theater venues for general audiences and families in Northern California.
• CRT KIDS Youth Theater Program Paid youth theater education program offering theatre classes and performance opportunities for children and teens ages 5-16, serving over 200 participants per session through skill development in acting, singing, and dancing.
• Season Memberships Annual subscription-style ticket packages offering premium seating, cost savings of 15-20% versus individual ticket purchases, ticket exchange flexibility, and concession discounts across multiple shows in the season.
• Individual Performance Tickets Per-show ticket purchases for individual performances sold via the OvationTix online platform, phone box office, and in-person box office with consistent fee structure across channels.
• Center For The Arts Venue Large-scale ADA-compliant performance venue seating 475-577 patrons with full orchestra pit, Broadway-size stage, and over 200 parking stalls for major theatrical productions and special events.
• First Street Theater Venue Intimate downtown Chico performance venue seating 130-139 patrons on the second floor of a historic 1894 building with 15-foot windows, full bar service, and a state-of-the-art Broadway stage.
• Concessions Food and beverage sales during intermissions including cookies, muffins, candy, water, coffee, and full bar service at the First Street Theater venue.

Quantifiable outcome

• CRT KIDS program serves over 200 children and teens per session, providing theatre education and performance opportunities.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sacramento Theatre Company: Long-running non-profit regional theater in Sacramento producing plays, musicals, and educational programming. Comparable in mission, community focus, subscription model, and Northern California regional footprint.
• B Street Theatre: Professional regional theater company in Sacramento, CA producing a mix of new works, musicals, and family programming. Directly comparable as a Northern California non-profit regional theater with multiple venues, season subscriptions, and youth programming.
• Broadway Sacramento: Regional presenter of Broadway touring productions in the Sacramento area. Comparable to CRT in delivering Broadway-caliber productions to Northern California audiences, though focused on touring shows rather than locally produced musicals.
• Goodspeed Musicals: Connecticut-based regional musical theater known for developing new and revived musicals. Comparable in focusing specifically on musical theater at regional scale, though East Coast based and with longer development reputation.
• Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA): California-based professional regional theater and training program producing a season at multiple venues in Santa Maria and Solvang. Comparable in combining production, education, and community engagement functions at regional scale.
• South Coast Repertory: Tony Award-winning professional regional theater in Costa Mesa, CA producing a season of plays and musicals with strong education programs. Comparable as a California-based non-profit regional theater with multiple stages, subscriptions, and youth programs.
• La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts: Southern California regional theater presenting Broadway musicals and productions in a 1,250-seat venue. Comparable as a California regional theater producing Broadway-caliber musicals with season subscriptions.
• Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis): Indianapolis-based non-profit regional theater producing Broadway musicals and developing new works. Comparable in mission, subscription model, youth programming, and mid-size regional market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Center Theatre Group: Major Los Angeles-based non-profit theater operator (Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, Kirk Douglas Theatre). Comparable in producing Broadway-scale musicals and plays in Southern California but at substantially larger scale and broader portfolio.
• American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.): San Francisco-based LORT professional theater with MFA training program. Comparable as a California non-profit presenting Broadway-scale productions, but operating at metropolitan scale with a full conservatory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 California Regional Theater