Upstage Theatre Schools

What Upstage Theatre Schools does

Upstage Theatre Schools is a private, founder-owned performing arts education company founded in 1999 by Adrian Cohen in South Pasadena, California, and headquartered in El Segundo. The company delivers musical theatre education — including acting, singing, and dancing — to children ages 4 through grade 10 through three core program types: summer day camps (one-week specialty camps at $560 and two-week full productions up to $1,495), year-round community programs at dedicated venues in West LA, San Gabriel Valley, and Conejo Valley ($650-$1,190), and in-school enrichment programs delivered on partner elementary and middle school campuses ($690-$977, sponsored by PTAs and education foundations such as South Pasadena Education Foundation).

The business operates without proprietary technology: no mobile app, no public API, and no platform architecture. The core "product" is live, instructor-led theatre instruction and fully realized stage productions (with professional sets, lights, sound, and costumes) staffed by approximately 50 employees including program managers, directors, musical directors, choreographers, costume and set designers, and HR/finance administration. Talent quality is the primary operating asset, with staff holding Broadway credits, Ovation and NAACP Theatre Award nominations, and conservatory training from institutions including Juilliard-adjacent programs, PCPA, Berklee, UCLA, and Florida State.

Go-to-market is hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B-institutional, with parents registering through the website (upstageschools.com) and schools contracting Upstage directly via PTAs, foundations, or school budgets. Ancillary revenue includes performance ticket sales, costume/prop rentals, and payment-plan convenience fees. Marketing relies on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email, and word-of-mouth referrals, with families frequently enrolling children for multiple years and across multiple programs. The company is registered with the Los Angeles County and Ventura County Departments of Health.

Name

Upstage Theatre Schools

Legal name

Upstage Theatre Schools

Website

https://upstageschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upstage Theatre Schools is a private, founder-owned performing arts education company that delivers musical theatre instruction (acting, singing, dancing) to children ages 4-10 through summer camps, community programs, and in-school enrichment across West LA, San Gabriel Valley, and Conejo Valley in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts education
• Children's theatre programs
• Youth musical theatre
• After-school enrichment
• Summer theatre camps

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Summer Camp Fees: Families pay tuition for multi-week summer day-camp programs. Programs range from $560 for one-week specialty camps to $1,495 for full productions with professional sets, lights, sound, and costumes. Payment plans available with deposits and installments.
2. After-School Community Programs: Year-round after-school theatre programs at community locations. Fees range from $650 for younger ages showcases to $1,190 for full productions. Programs include acting, singing, dancing instruction with final performances.
3. In-School Programs: Schools pay for Upstage to provide enrichment programs on school premises. Programs are sponsored by schools or school foundations (e.g., Westwood Charter, South Pasadena Education Foundation).
4. Ancillary Fees: Additional revenue from ticket sales to performances (sold separately from tuition), costume/prop rental where applicable, and convenience fees for payment plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Upstage Theatre Schools provides performing arts education for children ages 4 through grade 10, teaching acting, singing, and dancing through year-round community classes, in-school enrichment programs at partner campuses, and multi-week summer day camps. Its core programs culminate in fully produced musical theatre shows (e.g., licensed junior musicals such as Singin' in the Rain Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., The Lion King Jr., Beetlejuice Jr.) with professional sets, lights, sound, and costumes led by professional directors, musical directors, and choreographers.

Product overview

Upstage Theatre Schools is a children's theatre education organization offering three core program types: Summer Camps (day camps in West LA, San Gabriel Valley, and Conejo Valley with full productions), School Programs (after-school enrichment delivered at partner schools including Westwood Charter, Kenter Canyon, Palisades Charter, Braddock Drive, and others), and Community Programs (year-round musical theatre open to all students). All programs teach acting, singing, and dancing with professional productions featuring sets, lights, sound, and costumes. The portfolio includes production programs (The Jungle Book, Willy Wonka Jr., Beetlejuice Jr., Singin' in the Rain, Into the Woods, Lion King Jr., Seussical Jr., Matilda Jr., High School Musical, On Broadway, K-Pop dance, and specialty camps like Stranger Summer), skill-building modules (Acting & Improvisation/Drama Club, Group Voice Classes, Voice Lessons), and workshop-format programs (Friday Musical Theatre Workshop). Programs serve ages 4-6 through grades K-10 across multiple locations in the Los Angeles area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Camps Multi-week and one-week day camps for kids in West LA, San Gabriel Valley, and Conejo Valley, focused on singing, dancing, and acting instruction culminating in either fully realized musical theatre productions with professional sets, lights, sound, and costumes, or informal showcase presentations. Camps range from one-week specialty camps (e.g., SING Your Heart Out, K-Pop Dance, On Broadway) to two-week-plus full-production camps (e.g., Singin' in the Rain Jr.) for Grades K through 10.
• School Programs (In-School Enrichment) After-school and in-school musical theatre enrichment programs delivered directly at partner elementary and middle schools — including Westwood Charter, Kenter Canyon, Palisades Charter, Braddock Drive, Lanai Road, Warner Avenue, Horace Mann, Red Oak, Granada Hills Charter, Medea Creek, High Point Academy, and South Pasadena Education Foundation schools. Programs are sponsored by school PTAs, education foundations, or school operating budgets and produce junior-musical productions such as Lion King Jr., Matilda Jr., Willy Wonka Jr., and Seussical Jr. on school campuses.
• Community Programs Year-round musical theatre programs open to all students regardless of school affiliation, offered in West LA (The Pico), San Gabriel Valley (Woman's Club of South Pasadena, San Marino Masonic Lodge), and Conejo Valley. Programs cover acting, singing, and dancing across age-appropriate showcases and full productions (e.g., The Jungle Book, Willy Wonka Jr., Beetlejuice Jr., Into The Woods Jr.) for Grades K through 10, including skill-building classes in acting/improvisation, group voice, individual voice lessons, and the Friday Musical Theatre Workshop.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop confidence, communication skills, and stage presence that transfer to academic and social settings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stagecoach Performing Arts: UK-origin franchise providing after-school and weekend performing arts classes for children ages 4–18 in acting, singing, and dancing. Directly comparable franchise model to Upstage's community and school programs, with overlapping curriculum and age ranges.
• Helen O'Grady Drama Academy: International children's drama academy with US franchises offering weekly after-school drama classes for children. Comparable mission of building confidence through performing arts education with a structured curriculum.
• Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts (YADA): Regional youth theatre organization producing full-scale musicals and offering drama classes for young performers. Comparable focus on inclusive casting philosophy and professionally-mounted productions for children.
• Broadway Workshop: NYC-based children's musical theatre studio offering private coaching, masterclasses, and performance programs for kids and teens. Comparable focus on producing professional-quality musical theatre productions for young performers.
• TADA! Youth Theater: NYC-based youth theater producing original musicals and performing arts classes for children and teens. Comparable combination of in-house productions plus enrichment programming with an ensemble-first philosophy.
• StarStruck Academy: California-based performing arts school offering acting, singing, and dance classes for children with full-scale productions. Closest regional competitor in the LA/SoCal market with comparable programming mix.
• Acting Academy for Kids: Children's acting school offering on-camera and stage classes for youth with showcase performances. Comparable LA-region children's performing arts school with similar pricing tiers and parent-targeted marketing.

Broad incumbents

• School of Rock: Large franchise network offering music education (primarily instrumental) for children and adults with performance-based curriculum. Comparable performance-driven children's enrichment model, but focused on music rather than theatre.
• Bach to Rock: National music education franchise offering individual and group instruction plus performance ensembles for kids. Comparable franchise-based children's enrichment model targeting similar parent demographic.

Regional players

• La Jolla Playhouse Young Performers Workshop: San Diego-based youth theatre program affiliated with a Tony-winning regional theatre, offering training and performance opportunities for kids. Comparable performing arts education mission anchored to a professional theatre company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UpstageSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/UpstageSchools
• Instagraminstagram.com/UpstageSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upstage-theatre-schools-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Upstage Theatre Schools