Rainbow Puppet Productions

What Rainbow Puppet Productions does

Rainbow Puppet Productions is a Hampton, Virginia-based non-profit children's theatrical company founded in 1977 by David Messick that creates and tours original musical puppet productions for young audiences. The company's product is live puppet theater combining original musical compositions (written by founder Messick in styles ranging from 1960s pop to big band), dance, and storytelling, delivered through a repertoire of approximately 30+ shows organized into Classic, STEM, History, and Character/Faith program lines, plus a grant-sponsored early reading program. Its technical core is physical puppetry using multiple techniques — bunraku (visible puppeteers manipulating large puppets up to five feet), blacklight, marionettes, rod puppets — and giant-scale puppets (an eight-foot T-Rex and a 16-foot-plus dinosaur) along with celebrity voice talent including Mickey Rooney, Carol Channing, Geoffrey Holder, and Bruce Hornsby.

The company serves a diversified customer base of K-12 schools, public libraries, museums, churches, festivals, and families primarily across the U.S. East Coast, with national touring including the Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History, Virginia Living Museum, National Theater DC, and Wolftrap. Its distribution channels are direct touring to venues, virtual performances via Zoom and Facebook Live, and an e-commerce store selling books, CDs, and downloadable materials. Revenue is generated through per-show performance fees (quote-based), merchandise sales, and significant grant funding from arts commissions (Newport News, Virginia, York County), the National Endowment for the Arts, and corporate sponsors such as Sentara Health Plans. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and is governed as a privately held Virginia non-profit with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or institutional ownership.

Name

Rainbow Puppet Productions

Legal name

Rainbow Puppet Productions

Website

https://rainbowpuppets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rainbow Puppet Productions is a Hampton, Virginia-based nonprofit founded in 1977 that creates and tours original musical puppet theater productions for schools, libraries, museums, churches, and festivals across the U.S. East Coast. It generates revenue through performance fees, merchandise sales, and arts grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Educational Theater and Puppetry

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)

akta.pro primary industry

Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

Keywords

• Children's puppet shows
• Educational theater performances
• Kids musical productions
• STEM puppet programs
• School assembly entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Fees: The company earns revenue by performing puppet shows at schools, libraries, museums, churches, and festivals across the East Coast. Some performances are provided free through grant funding.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of CDs, books, and other merchandise through their online store (square.site). Shipping is free with 20% off for orders of two or more items using coupon code MULTI.
3. Grants and Sponsorships: Funding received from organizations including Newport News Arts Commission, Virginia Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, York County Arts Commission, Sentara Health Plans, Wingstop Charities, and others to support specific productions and school programs.
4. Virtual Program Hosting: Online performances hosted for organizations, including Zoom performances and Facebook Live events for shows like Amazon Adventures, Jonah, and The Marvelous Land of Oz.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rainbow Puppet Productions is a touring children's theater company that creates and performs original musical puppet shows that entertain, enlighten, and educate. The company delivers live in-person performances at schools, libraries, museums, churches, and festivals across the East Coast (with select national dates), plus virtual performances via Zoom and Facebook Live. Core offerings are organized into Classic, STEM, History, and Character/Faith programs, supplemented by a small merchandise store and grant-funded early-reading school programs.

Product overview

Rainbow Puppet Productions is a touring children's theater company (founded 1977) that creates educational puppet shows through original music, puppets, and dance. The company operates as a single unified service offering live in-person puppet performances across multiple program categories: Classic Programs (fairy tales and stories), STEM Programs (science education), History Programs (American history), and Character/Faith Programs (anti-bullying and Bible stories). These core programs are supplemented by Virtual Programs (online performances via Zoom/Facebook Live), downloadable Activities and Crafts, a Music and Video store, Books and CDs, and marketing materials. The company also offers the grant-funded Open a Book / Getting There! early reading program for schools. Performances range from 20-minute museum shows to 45-minute school programs, featuring giant puppets (some over 8 feet tall), celebrity voice talent, and audience participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Classic Programs Live puppet theater productions featuring classic stories and children's entertainment, including Toyland!, Peter and the Wolf, Mother Goose shows, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Pirates and Mermaids, Around the World, Beautiful Tales, Oceans of Fun!, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Terrific Tales, Creatures Great and Small, A Pirate Party, A Costume Party!, The Night Before Christmas, and Mother Goose Celebrations. Targeted at schools, libraries, museums, festivals, and family audiences.
• STEM Programs Educational puppet shows teaching science, technology, engineering, and math topics through entertaining performances including The Really Big Dinosaur Show, Amazon Adventures, See Us Fly! The Wright Brothers, Take a Giant Leap!, The Wondrous Wetland Revue, The Amazing Adventures of Chessie the Manatee, and Really Radical Reptile Revue. Targeted at schools and museums.
• History Programs Interactive historical puppet shows teaching American history through live performances including Follow Me (Tuskegee Airmen), Footsteps in History (400 years of American history), and Make a Big Splash! (Douglas World Cruise aviation history). Targeted at schools and museums.
• Character and Faith Programs Character-building and religious puppet programs including Speak Out / The Search for Gold (anti-bullying, commissioned by the National Holocaust Commission), All Together!, Noah's Floating Zoo, That's the Truth!, Jonah (uses blacklight puppetry), and other Bible stories for children. Targeted at schools, youth centers, and churches.
• Virtual Programs and Workshops Online puppet performances and virtual storytimes conducted via Zoom, Facebook Live, or custom hosting pages, featuring shows including Amazon Adventures, Follow Me, Jonah!, The Marvelous Land of Oz, The Mother Goose Show, The Night Before Christmas, Noah's Floating Zoo, Pirate Party, Take a Giant Leap!, and Terrific Tales. Targeted at schools, libraries, families, and remote audiences.
• Open a Book / Getting There! Early Reading Program Grant-sponsored early reading program featuring live performances combined with children's books (The Little Engine That Could and Getting There) for toddlers through fifth graders. 150 free shows are made available to Virginia schools and youth centers through Sentara Health Plans funding.
• Books and CDs Store Online merchandise store at rainbowpuppets.square.site selling children's books and CDs, including The Little Engine That Could and Getting There. Free shipping is offered, with a 20% discount on orders of two or more items via coupon code MULTI. Targeted at families and educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 103-performance run of The Really Big Dinosaur Show at Virginia Living Museum
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Virginia AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with the Virginia Aquarium (one of the top ten attended marine science facilities in the country) and Young Audiences of Virginia to create 'The Amazing Adventures of Chessie the Manatee.' The aquarium provided scientific expertise and conservation messaging while Rainbow provided theatrical production. This was their most successful tour.
• Sentara Health PlanscoreOthersProvided a grant funding 150 free performances of 'Open a Book/Getting There' program for schools and youth centers in Virginia. The program includes books for students and covers performance costs.
• Smithsonian National Air and Space MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned 'Follow Me' (Tuskegee Airmen program) which premiered at the museum on February 6, 2014. Also commissioned 'Take a Giant Leap!' working with the Department of Education's 'Let's Read! Let's Move!' event.
• Newport News Arts CommissionmajorOthersGrant provider supporting productions including The Really Big Dinosaur Show revitalization and various character/anti-bullying programs. Multiple grants received over the years.
• Virginia Arts CommissionmajorOthersState arts commission providing grants for productions including The Wondrous Wetland Revue, Beautiful Tales, and Around the World programs.
• National Endowment for the ArtsmajorOthersFederal arts funding supporting productions including Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wondrous Wetland Revue.
• York County Arts CommissionminorOthersLocal arts commission providing grants supporting The Wondrous Wetland Revue and That's the Truth character program.
• National Holocaust CommissionmajorOthersCommissioned the anti-bullying program 'Speak Out / The Search for Gold' designed to teach respect and trust, with production underwritten by Leah and Richard Waitzer.
• Wingstop CharitiesminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing special gifts to attendees of the 'Around the World' program while supplies last.
• Young Audiences of VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner50-year organization educating children in Virginia through performing arts. Partnered with Rainbow and Virginia Aquarium for Chessie the Manatee production, blending art and science for multidisciplinary learning.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Children's Theatre Company: Minneapolis-based professional children's theater company producing original and adapted theatrical productions for young audiences, with strong school and family programming. Comparable as a touring children's theater serving schools, museums, and family audiences, though not exclusively puppetry-based.
• Jim Henson Company: Iconic global puppet entertainment company behind the Muppets and Sesame Street characters. Comparable as a creator of original puppet-based entertainment with educational content, though at vastly larger scale and with proprietary IP including the Muppets franchise.
• Sesame Workshop: Non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, combining puppet characters with curriculum-aligned early childhood education content. Comparable as a non-profit producing educational content for young children combining entertainment with explicit learning outcomes.

Direct peers

• Paperhand Puppet Intervention: North Carolina-based puppet theater company producing original large-scale puppet performances that combine music, dance, and storytelling. Comparable to Rainbow in producing original musical puppet productions with educational themes and touring to festivals and family audiences.
• Center for Puppetry Arts: Atlanta-based puppetry center operating a museum, performance series, and educational programming for children and families. Most directly comparable to Rainbow as a non-profit touring puppetry company with school, museum, and family programming; both emphasize curriculum-aligned content and use diverse puppetry techniques.
• Puppet Showplace Theater: Brookline, Massachusetts puppet theater presenting touring puppet shows for children and families, including school and library residencies. Comparable as a regional non-profit puppetry company serving schools, libraries, and family audiences with original and classic productions.
• Lightwire Theater: New Orleans-based touring puppet theater that uses electroluminescent wire art combined with puppetry and dance to tell original stories. Comparable as a touring children's puppetry company producing original musical productions for family and educational audiences.
• National Marionette Theatre: Touring puppet theater company producing marionette and puppet shows for schools, libraries, and family events. Comparable as a touring children's puppetry company focused on classic stories and educational programming delivered to institutional audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Rainbow Puppet Productions