What The Rose Theater does

The Rose Theater, legally registered in Nebraska as a nonprofit organization, is a 100-year-old performing arts center in Omaha and home to the Omaha Theater Company — the only resident, touring, professional theater company in Omaha and one of the largest theaters for young audiences in the country. The organization operates three physical locations in Omaha: the main 863-seat mainstage theater at 2001 Farnam Street (headquarters and box office), Rose Studios for Youth Artists at 12202 W Center Road (education facility in Bel Air Plaza), and Rose Scene Shop at 2124 Saint Mary's Avenue (scenic construction facility). Its core product is professional live theatrical productions on the mainstage, supported by year-round performing arts education for ages 2-18 covering dance, voice, musical theater, creative drama, and theater techniques.

The business model combines multiple revenue streams: ticket sales for mainstage productions (member shows, premium shows, family performances, sensory-friendly performances), tuition from classes and camps (priced $65 per dance session up to $675 per mainstage youth production), an annual membership program with ticket and class discounts, concessions during premium show intermissions, and a Professional Apprentice Program with $125/week housing payroll deductions. Distribution occurs through a website e-commerce storefront, in-person and phone box office, the Jackrabbit class registration portal, school field trip programs running Tuesday-Friday during the school year, and touring productions.

Customer segments span families with children (primary consumer), young performers ages 2-18 (primary education), schools and educators (primary B2B via field trips and workshops), teen volunteers (earning credits toward free tickets and classes), and adult volunteers (receiving free show vouchers for ushering, concessions, and set-building). The organization emphasizes accessibility and inclusion — no child is turned away for economic reasons, pay-what-you-can options are offered, and thousands of tickets are donated annually to youth-serving nonprofits. The leadership team includes Artistic Director Matt Gutschick, Director of Production Sarah Buck, Marketing Director Erin Petersen, and Literary Manager Brian Guehring. Technology stack is intentionally minimal, consisting of website e-commerce, Jackrabbit class registration, and standard email marketing.

Name

The Rose Theater

Legal name

The Rose Theater

Website

https://rosetheater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rose Theater is a 100-year-old nonprofit performing arts organization in Omaha, Nebraska, operating an 863-seat mainstage and the Omaha Theater Company, delivering professional productions and year-round theater education for youth ages 2-18.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts & Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Youth performing arts education
• Theater classes and camps
• Family entertainment shows
• School arts outreach programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for main stage productions including member shows, premium shows, and family performances. The theater offers a 863-seat mainstage theater for performances.
2. Education Classes and Camps: Tuition revenue from yearlong classes, summer camps, and workshops for students ages 2-18. Classes include dance, voice, musical theater, creative drama, and theater techniques.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership fees providing discounts on tickets, special access, and other member benefits. Membership reflects at checkout after login.
4. Concessions: Sale of cookies and water during intermission of premium events.
5. Apprenticeship Program Fees: Housing provided via paycheck deduction of $125 per week for professional apprentices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Rose Theater produces professional live family theater on its 863-seat mainstage and delivers year-round performing arts education (dance, voice, creative drama, musical theater) for youth ages 2-18 through classes, camps, ensembles, and school outreach. It also operates an annual membership program with discounts and special access, supported by a commitment that no child is turned away for economic reasons.

Product overview

The Rose Theater, home to the Omaha Theater Company, operates as a performing arts center offering live theater productions and youth arts education. The organization features a 863-seat mainstage hosting professional productions including family shows, holiday performances, and youth theater. Education offerings include year-round classes and camps in dance, theater, voice, and musical theater for ages 2-18, with specialized programs like Rose Brigade (competitive performance ensemble) and Theater Ensembles. The organization also provides school outreach programs and teen-specific opportunities. Membership and community programs support accessibility and inclusion. The company celebrates its historic 100-year legacy while serving as one of the largest touring professional theater companies in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rose Brigade: Elite group of musical theater performers who perform pre-shows before select main stage productions and participate in local and regional competitions.
• Rose Theater Guild
• Lil Rosies
• Rose Studios for Youth Artists
• Rose Scene Shop

Products and services

• Mainstage Theater Productions

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of tickets given to local youth-serving nonprofits annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Deborah DenenbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeborah Denenberg is listed as a partner in the production of Just Ask!, a musical based on the book by Sonia Sotomayor. This partnership appears to be a co-production arrangement for a specific show celebrating disabled voices and inclusive storytelling.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nashville Children's Theatre: Long-running professional children's theater producing mainstage shows for young audiences with a parallel education program; directly comparable in mission, audience, and programming model to The Rose.
• First Stage (Milwaukee Children's Theatre): Professional children's theater in the Midwest combining mainstage productions with extensive acting classes and theater academies; comparable in scale, geographic context, and dual production/education model.
• Birmingham Children's Theatre: One of the oldest continuously operating professional children's theaters in the U.S., combining mainstage productions with touring shows and education; matches The Rose's historic, multi-channel model.
• Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based professional children's theater operating multiple performance venues plus a sizable education division; the closest scale analog in terms of production, classes, and tuition-based programming.
• The Coterie Theatre: Kansas City-based professional theater for young audiences with a season of children's productions and an in-house education program; closely mirrors The Rose's mid-size Midwest children's theater model.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Major regional children's theater producing a full season of TYA mainstage productions with accompanying acting classes; comparable on production programming and youth-arts-education breadth.
• Adventure Theatre MTC: Professional children's musical theater in the DC region producing mainstage family shows alongside year-round classes and camps; comparable in combining TYA productions with a strong education vertical.

Regional players

• Omaha Community Playhouse: The other major community theater in Omaha, producing across age groups; competes locally for audience, donors, and education dollars but is not exclusively a youth-focused organization.

Others

• TYA/USA (Theatre for Young Audiences/USA): National service organization representing professional theaters that produce for young audiences; relevant as an industry-body peer and ecosystem connector rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Paper Mill Playhouse: Larger, established regional theater in the Northeast producing Broadway-scale musicals including a children's series; shares the licensed-IP and education programming model at a different scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheRoseTheaterOmaha
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoseStudiosOmaha
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rosetheater
• Instagraminstagram.com/roseyouthartists
• Xx.com/RoseTheaterCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Rose Theater