The Croswell

What The Croswell does

The Croswell (legal name: The Croswell Opera House and Fine Arts Association) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization headquartered at 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian, Michigan. Founded in 1866 and revived as a live theater in 1968, it is the oldest continuously operating theater in Michigan. It operates three on-site venues: the 640-seat Julia Argyros Theater (main stage), the 120-seat James E. Van Doren Studio, and the 50-seat Farver's at the Croswell bar, supplemented by a ticket-office art gallery.

The Croswell produces a Broadway Season of six to eight full-scale musicals annually (spring through December) and a Special Event Season with concerts, plays, and an all-area high school musical. Programming is supplemented by youth theater camps and classes (held at Siena Heights University's Spencer Performing Arts Center), a paid 12-week summer internship program ($450/week stipend plus $250 travel and housing), and an extensive volunteer workforce across front-of-house, backstage, and administrative functions. Operations are supported by a board of trustees (20+ members) and a small professional staff of 11-50 led by Artistic Director Jere Righter (30-year tenure). Technology infrastructure consists of Salesforce Sites for ticketing/subscriptions/email capture, Square for merchandise and Paint and Pour event commerce, Coursestorm for class registration, and GiveSmart for fundraising events.

Revenue is generated across ticket sales (individual shows, group discounts of $4 off for 14+ parties, and season subscriptions of 3-7 shows with up to 30% savings), donations (annual fund, The Great Big Night gala, 1866 Society planned giving, IRA rollovers), on-site bar and gift shop sales, venue rentals, anniversary merchandise, summer camp tuition, and corporate sponsorships (notably Williams Insulation as the 2026 Broadway Season sponsor). Customer segments include regional theater patrons across southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, group tour operators, youth and families, and donors. Geographic reach is explicitly regional with no global footprint.

Name

The Croswell

Legal name

The Croswell Opera House and Fine Arts Association

Website

https://croswell.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Croswell is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit historic theater in Adrian, Michigan, founded in 1866 and revived in 1968, producing six to eight Broadway musicals annually plus youth theater camps, internships, and bar/merchandise operations for regional patrons across southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Broadway & Commercial Theatre Productions (MPAGABAA), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Adrian

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual show tickets, subscription packages, and season passes. Tiered pricing with Premium, Tier A, Tier B, and Youth pricing levels.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fund donations, The Great Big Night gala events, planned giving through the 1866 Society, and IRA rollovers for donors 73+. Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) contributions.
3. Farver's Bar Revenue: Full-service bar offering beer, wine, cocktails, mocktails, and light snacks. Open Wed-Thu 4-9pm, Fri-Sat 4-11pm, and 90 minutes before shows. Generates food/beverage revenue.
4. Gift Shop Sales: On-site gift shop selling Croswell merchandise, handmade ceramics, artisan chocolates, jewelry, journals, and other items.
5. Venue Rentals: Julia Argyros Theater, James E. Van Doren Studio, and Farver's available for private rentals including company events, wedding showers, and other functions.
6. Internship Stipends: Paid summer internships with $450/week stipend plus $250 travel allowance over 12 weeks. Interns pay is an expense rather than revenue source.
7. Merchandise Sales: 160th Anniversary Celebration merchandise including sterling silver charm necklaces at $120 plus optional $30 custom engraving.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Croswell (legally The Croswell Opera House and Fine Arts Association) operates a historic 640-seat theater in Adrian, Michigan, producing a seasonal lineup of six to eight full-scale Broadway musicals and special event performances each year. The organization supplements its mainstage programming with arts education offerings including youth summer theater camps, a paid internship program, volunteer-driven community theater operations, and supplementary revenue streams from venue rentals, a gift shop, and a full-service bar.

Product overview

The Croswell Opera House is a historic theater venue offering a portfolio of live performance and arts education products. The core offerings center on the Julia Argyros Theater (main stage seating 640) and supporting venues including the James E. Van Doren Studio (up to 120 seats) and Farver's at the Croswell bar venue. Programming includes the Broadway Season (6-8 full-scale musicals annually, spring through December) and Special Event Season (concerts, plays, and all-area high school musical in winter). Supplementary services include theater camps and classes for youth, a paid internship program, volunteer opportunities, a gift shop, subscription packages, gift certificates, group sales with discounts, and bar/catering services. The Croswell also hosts community events and special celebrations, including its 160th Anniversary Celebration throughout 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Broadway Season Annual season of six to eight full-scale Broadway musical productions running spring through December, performed in the 640-seat Julia Argyros Theater. Includes titles such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Gypsy, George M!, Matilda, Come from Away, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Disney's Frozen. Sold to individual ticket-buyers, subscribers, and groups.
• Special Event Season Winter programming including concerts, straight plays, and the all-area high school musical drawing students from southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.
• Theater Camps and Classes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Williams InsulationcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Williams Insulation is the 2026 Broadway Season sponsor, providing generous support that enables the season of productions including Jesus Christ Superstar, Gypsy, George M!, Matilda, Come from Away, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Disney's Frozen.
• Adrian Symphony OrchestraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpera!Lenawee productions with the Adrian Symphony Orchestra (La Boheme, Carmen, La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Tosca) create combined music/theater experiences. Longstanding partnership for opera productions.
• International DiamondminorOthersInternational Diamond in Adrian creates and engraves the 160th Anniversary Celebration sterling silver charm necklaces sold as commemorative merchandise.
• Siena Heights UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSummer theater camps like Honk! Jr. held at The Spencer Performing Arts Center on Siena Heights University campus. Partnership provides facility space for youth education programs.
• Visit LenaweeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Lenawee tourism website links to Croswell for group travel operators seeking information about Adrian-area attractions alongside theater visits.
• Adrian First FridaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership with Adrian First Fridays downtown event series. The 160th Anniversary Family Reunion scheduled as part of the monthly First Fridays celebration.
• Wingate by Wyndham Sylvania/ToledominorOthersToledo-area hotel serving as one of three audition locations for upcoming productions, providing convenient access for Ohio-based performers.
• Kensington Hotel at Briarwood (Ann Arbor)minorOthersAnn Arbor hotel serving as one of three audition locations, providing convenient access for Michigan-based performers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Meadow Brook Theatre: Professional regional theater in Rochester Hills, Michigan, on the Oakland University campus, producing a multi-show Broadway-style season. Comparable regional Michigan theater, though slightly larger and more academic-affiliated.
• The Barn Theatre: Professional summer-stock theater in Augusta, Michigan, producing Broadway musicals. Very similar mission, Michigan regional footprint, and Broadway-licensing-based programming model to the Croswell.
• Grand Rapids Civic Theatre: Community theater in Grand Rapids, Michigan, producing a full season of musicals and plays with community-cast performers. Similar nonprofit, community-cast, subscription-based model though at a larger scale in a larger market.
• Tibbits Opera House: Historic opera house in Coldwater, Michigan (also southern Michigan), founded 1882, offering a similar Broadway-style season, historic venue operations, and community-based arts programming at a comparable scale and regional footprint.
• The Dio - Dining and Entertainment: Michigan-based dinner theater in Pinckney combining theatrical performances with meal service. Comparable community-theater economics, subscription-based audience, and Michigan regional draw to the Croswell.
• Purple Rose Theatre Company: Professional regional theater in Chelsea, Michigan, producing a year-round season of plays and musicals. Similar Michigan-based regional theater operations, subscription model, and audience development approach as the Croswell.
• Farmers Alley Theatre: Professional regional theater in Kalamazoo, Michigan, presenting a Broadway season and contemporary works. Comparable in scale, professional production quality, and small-city regional theater operations.

Regional players

• Sauder Village Performing Arts: Historic destination in Archbold, Ohio that combines heritage programming with performing arts offerings. Operates in the adjacent Ohio portion of the Croswell's regional catchment with a different (heritage tourism) primary mission.

Broad incumbents

• Goodman Theatre: One of the oldest and largest nonprofit theaters in the U.S., based in Chicago. Operates in the same general performing-arts space with overlapping programming but at a vastly larger scale and metropolitan audience.
• Wharton Center for Performing Arts: Large-scale performing arts venue at Michigan State University hosting touring Broadway productions and major acts. Represents the higher-tier regional competition for ticket-buying dollars in Michigan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfb.com/thecroswell
• Instagraminstagram.com/thecroswell
• Xx.com/thecroswell
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/croswell-opera-house

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 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 The Croswell