Aurora Fox Theatre

What Aurora Fox Theatre does

Aurora Fox Theatre, legally operated as the Aurora Fox Arts Center, is a municipal performing-arts venue owned and administered by the City of Aurora's Library & Cultural Services Division. The organization operates a 217-seat Mainstage proscenium theater and a 72-seat black-box Studio Theater at 9900 E. Colfax Avenue in Aurora, Colorado, producing a five-show annual mainstage season plus a summer children's theater program (Foxlight Theatre Lab), classic-film screenings (Fox Flix), student matinees, and venue rentals.

The theater has been a community cultural anchor since the original Fox Theater was built in 1946, was destroyed by fire in 1981, and reopened on March 8, 1985 as the Aurora Fox Arts Center; it is currently preparing its 40th anniversary season with a multi-year renovation program that has included neon-sign restoration and full replacement of Mainstage seating and carpeting. The company holds Actors' Equity Association Small Professional Theater Tier 1 status and engages roughly 200 local theater artists annually on top of a small core staff.

Revenue is generated through ticket sales (priced $15-$38 with Pay-What-You-Can preview nights and student/senior discounts), venue rentals to outside organizations ($600-$4,000 per booking depending on space and duration), tuition-based summer youth programming, corporate sponsorships, and charitable donations processed through the Friends of the Fox 501(c)(3) support organization and supplemented by city appropriations and Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) funding. Tickets are sold through an in-house box office and the Thundertix online platform, with marketing distributed across the company's website, email newsletter, Facebook/Instagram, local press coverage (CBS Colorado, Westword, Denver Gazette, OnStage Colorado, 9News), and partner cross-promotion.

Name

Aurora Fox Theatre

Legal name

Aurora Fox Arts Center

Website

https://aurorafox.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aurora Fox Theatre (Aurora Fox Arts Center) is a municipally owned, Actors' Equity Tier 1 professional theater in Aurora, Colorado, operating a 217-seat Mainstage and 72-seat Studio, producing a five-show season plus youth and film programming for Denver-metro audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater and Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Performing arts venue
• Venue rentals
• Youth theater education
• Community performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Aurora

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to mainstage productions, matinees, and special performances. The theater offers preview tickets (Pay What You Can) and standard priced tickets.
2. Space Rentals: The venue rents its Mainstage (220 seats) and Studio Theater (70 seats) to outside organizations for performances, rehearsals, and events. Base rental fees range from $600-$4000 depending on space and duration.
3. Summer Children's Theater Program: Annual summer program for young performers providing theater education and performance opportunities.
4. Theatrical Licensing: Fees paid to license theatrical productions including arrangements with Concord Theatricals, Samuel French, Music Theatre Internationals, and Broadway Licensing Global.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for the 41st season and beyond, with various sponsorship levels available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Aurora Fox Arts Center operates a season of five fully produced mainstage theatrical productions across two performance spaces — a 217-seat proscenium Mainstage Theater and a 72-seat black box Studio Theater. Beyond producing plays and musicals, the venue rents its spaces to outside performing arts organizations and offers a summer children's theater program, student matinees, youth theater camps, film screenings, and community engagement programs.

Product overview

Aurora Fox Arts Center is a city-operated performing arts organization offering a dual-venue theater experience with its Mainstage Theater (217-seat proscenium) and Studio Theater (72-seat black box), presenting a season of five fully produced mainstage shows including plays and musicals. The organization supplements its core theatrical programming with Fox Flix film screenings, Foxlight Theatre Lab youth camps, Emerging Creatives Showcase dance performances, student matinee field trip programs, venue rentals, technical theater internships, volunteer usher opportunities, and a sponsorship/donation program through its Friends of the Fox 501(c)(3) entity. The venue also hosts auditions for local Colorado actors and partners with other theater companies for co-produced works.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foxlight Theatre Lab: A summer theater program for young performers offering educational theater opportunities.
• Fox Flix
• Aurora Creates

Products and services

• Mainstage Theater Productions Fully produced seasonal theatrical productions including plays and musicals such as 'Feeding Beatrice,' 'Hank Williams: Lost Highway,' 'Fat Ham,' 'Violet,' and 'Waiting for Godot,' performed in the 217-seat Mainstage Theater for general audiences in the Aurora/Denver metro area.
• Fox Flix Film Series Monthly matinee screenings of classic films returning to the historic theater venue, serving movie lovers with curated film programming.
• Foxlight Theatre Lab Summer theater camp program for young performers (ages 11-16) offering Shakespeare-focused camps including 'Romeo and Juliet: Werewolves Versus Vampires' and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream for Youth,' with final day performances.
• Student Matinee Program Educational field trip program offering reduced-cost student matinee performances with interest forms for school groups to attend designated productions.
• Venue Rentals Rental of Mainstage (220-seat) and Studio Theater (70-seat) spaces for outside productions, rehearsals, performances, and events. Base rental fees range from $600 to $4,000 depending on space and duration.
• Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship opportunities supporting the mainstage shows and community/educational programs, helping ensure accessibility and community focus, with multiple sponsorship levels available.
• Friends of the Fox Donations 501(c)(3) charitable giving program accepting donations with donor recognition tiers (Rising Stars) including Elite ($2,500+), Diamond ($1,000–$2,500), Platinum ($500–$999), Gold ($100–$499), and Silver ($50–$99).

Quantifiable outcome

• Employs approximately 200 local theatre artists each year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Phamaly Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhamaly Theatre Company co-produced 'Violet' musical with Aurora Fox in June 2026. Phamaly is a theater company serving performers with disabilities. The partnership includes accessibility services such as captions, ASL interpretation, audio description, and assisted listening devices.
• Aurora Dance ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAurora Dance Arts presented its first annual 'Emerging Creatives Showcase' at the Aurora Fox, featuring debut choreography from students in their advanced level choreography class and select works by artistic director Maggie Chapman and instructor Lex Pruisner.
• Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (CJRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCJRO presented 'The Beatles Songbook' featuring pianist Annie Booth and vocalist Marion Powers at the Aurora Fox Mainstage in March 2026.
• Broadway Licensing GlobalminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHank Williams: Lost Highway is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global.
• Concord Theatricals / Samuel FrenchminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFeeding Beatrice is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. Fat Ham is also presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
• Music Theatre Internationals (MTI)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerVIOLET is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre Internationals (MTI). All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI.
• Concord Theatricals / Samuel FrenchminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWaiting for Godot is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.
• City of Aurora Library and Cultural ServicescoreOthersThe Aurora Fox Arts Center is a division of the Library and Cultural Services department of the city of Aurora. The theater is city-owned and operated as part of municipal cultural services.
• SCFD (Scientific and Cultural Facilities District)coreOthersSCFD logo appears on the Aurora Fox website indicating participation in the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which provides funding for arts and cultural facilities in the Denver metro area.
• Friends of the Aurora FoxcoreOthersFriends of the Aurora Fox is the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the theater through donations. Donations can be made through Stripe and Colorado Gives Day.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Creede Repertory Theatre: Equity-tier repertory theater company in rural southern Colorado producing a summer season of plays, musicals, and original works. Comparable to Aurora Fox in Equity status and producing-theater model, though distinct in seasonal (summer-only) operating rhythm and rural-vs-suburban geographic base.
• Phamaly Theatre Company: Denver-based disability-affirming professional theater company that co-produced 'Violet' with Aurora Fox in June 2026. Comparable as a Denver-metro Equity-tier theater producer and direct programming partner; smaller standalone scale but adjacent niche audience (performers with disabilities) makes it a strong overlap peer.

Direct peers

• Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities: Suburban Denver-metro multidisciplinary arts center producing theater, music, and visual arts on a multi-venue campus. Highly comparable to Aurora Fox as a community-anchored performing arts presenter with a season of fully produced theatrical productions, similar mid-sized venue footprint, and similar dependence on municipal/community funding and rental income.
• Curious Theatre Company: Denver-based professional Equity theater producing a season of contemporary plays in a single ~250-seat venue. Closely comparable to Aurora Fox in scale, Equity status, single-venue producing model, and focus on contemporary/diverse play selection within the Denver metro market.
• Lone Tree Arts Center: South-Denver-metro municipal arts venue operated by the City of Lone Tree, presenting touring productions, family programming, and rentals in a 500-seat theater. Directly comparable to Aurora Fox as a city-owned suburban Denver theater presenting professional productions and operating rental space with similar suburban municipal structure.
• Town Hall Arts Center: Small suburban Denver-metro community theater in Littleton, CO producing a season of musicals and plays with both Mainstage and smaller black-box style spaces. Comparable to Aurora Fox as a suburban community Equity-tier theater producing its own season and operating rental space for the Denver metro audience.
• Miners Alley Performing Arts Center: Small professional Equity-tier theater in Golden, CO producing a season of plays and musicals in an intimate ~130-seat venue. Closely comparable to Aurora Fox in mission, scale, Equity status, and Denver-metro professional regional-theater positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Denver Center for the Performing Arts: Colorado's flagship performing arts complex with multiple theaters (Buell Theatre, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Garner Galleria Stage), operating a Broadway season and producing resident shows. Directly comparable to Aurora Fox as a Denver-area presenting/producing theater organization, but operates at substantially larger scale and serves a broader subscriber base.
• Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College: Regional multidisciplinary performing arts center in Colorado Springs producing theater, visual arts, and museum programming on a multi-venue campus. Comparable to Aurora Fox as a Colorado-based presenting/producing theater institution with municipal/nonprofit hybrid funding and similar community-arts mission.

Regional players

• Parker Arts, Culture & Events (PACE) Center: Municipal arts center in Parker, CO (south Denver metro) operated by the Town of Parker, presenting touring productions, family programming, and rentals in a ~500-seat theater. Comparable to Aurora Fox as a Denver-metro city-owned presenting venue with rental programming, though Parker serves a different immediate geography than Aurora.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aurora-fox-theatre

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 Aurora Fox Theatre