LightwireTheater
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What LightwireTheater does
Lightwire Theater, LLC is a privately held live theatrical performance company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and founded in 2012 by Ian Carney and Corbin Popp, former Broadway dancers from Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out. The company produces and tours glow-in-the-dark theatrical shows built around electroluminescent (EL) wire puppetry performed in complete darkness, with puppets constructed from recyclable materials (aluminum rods, skateboard wheels, dryer ducting, PVC, fishing poles) lined with EL wire and controlled via RC4 Wireless Dimming technology. Its content library of six productions — including Dino-Light (Jim Henson Foundation Grant recipient), Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey, A Very Electric Christmas, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, and The Hero's Tail — is licensed to theaters, performing arts centers, science centers, museums, zoos, festivals, and corporate-event clients.
Lightwire's revenue is generated through ticket sales (priced $12–$105 per seat depending on venue), venue booking fees for multi-day and multi-week residencies, corporate and special-event engagements (e.g., Neiman Marcus holiday windows, EDC Las Vegas), merchandise and educational materials, and international touring — most notably eight consecutive years of sell-out tours across 31+ cities in mainland China. Distribution is managed through a two-tier booking-agent model (Tara Bailey / Bailiwick for North America, Barry Mendelson / MegArts Media for international), supported by direct ticketing through venue box offices, online platforms, and the company's own website. The company is founder-owned and operates with a small creative team of approximately 8 employees, with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and no public revenue disclosure.
LightwireTheater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LightwireTheater
- Legal name
- Lightwire Theater, LLC
- Website
- https://lightwiretheater.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LightwireTheater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Theater and Live Family Entertainment
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Dance Companies (71112)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)
Keywords
Where LightwireTheater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Orleans
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
LightwireTheater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Performance Tickets: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live theatrical performances at various venues. Prices vary by venue, ranging from $17 to $105 per ticket. Family-friendly pricing with free admission for children 3 and under at some venues.
- Venue Booking Fees: Fees paid by theaters, performing arts centers, science centers, and event venues to book Lightwire performances for their audiences.
- Special Event Performances: Custom performances for corporate events, holiday celebrations, and special occasions such as Neiman Marcus window displays and private events.
- International Touring: Revenue from international touring engagements, particularly in China where they have performed eight consecutive years of sell-out shows across multiple cities.
- Merchandise and Educational Materials: Sale of study guides, workshop materials, and promotional items associated with their theatrical productions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Performance Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Family/Children's Show Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
LightwireTheater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lightwire Theater produces and tours live theatrical performances featuring glow-in-the-dark puppetry using electroluminescent (EL) wire technology combined with dance, storytelling, and music. The company delivers six distinct productions including Dino-Light, Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey, A Very Electric Christmas, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, and The Hero's Tail, performed in complete darkness at theaters, performing arts centers, science centers, zoos, festivals, and corporate events across North America and internationally.
Product overview
Lightwire Theater is a live theatrical performance company specializing in glow-in-the-dark puppetry shows using electroluminescent (EL) wire technology. Founded in 2012 and based in New Orleans, the company produces multiple theatrical productions including Dino-Light (their first feature-length show and recipient of the Jim Henson Foundation Grant), Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey, A Very Electric Christmas, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, and The Hero's Tail. Their signature approach combines puppetry, cutting-edge lighting technology, dance, and storytelling, with all characters constructed from recyclable materials lined with EL wire. The company tours internationally, having performed extensively in China, and has been featured on America's Got Talent (semi-finalists) and won Tru TV's Fake Off competition.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dino-Light Lightwire Theater's inaugural feature-length theatrical production about a scientist who brings a friendly dinosaur to life; the dinosaur wanders away and discovers a world of glowing creatures in complete darkness. Recipient of the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant.
- Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey Cosmic adventure show about Marvin the Mouse, a bullied rodent who retreats into science books, builds a homemade rocket, and travels to the moon where he meets misfit creatures and learns perseverance and self-acceptance.
- A Very Electric Christmas Holiday theatrical production following young bird Max who gets blown off course during migration and ends up at the North Pole, featuring dancing toy soldiers, caroling worms, and performing poinsettias set to holiday music.
- The Ugly Duckling A classic Hans Christian Andersen tale brought to life through puppetry, electroluminescent technology, and dance, featuring dazzling visuals and choreography set to classical and pop music.
- The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen A modern continuation of Aesop's classic fable set 10 years later, with the original Tortoise and Hare now having children who face modern distractions like smartphones and video games in a new kind of race.
- The Hero's Tail An epic sci-fi adventure featuring 60 electroluminescent creatures where birds grow 16 feet tall and cats fight with light sabers; follows an outcast young bird who befriends a warrior cat to save their world from alien destruction.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,300+ visitors during single venue residency
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use LightwireTheater
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
LightwireTheater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
LightwireTheater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RC4 Wireless DimmingcoreTechnology partnership providing wireless dimming systems for controlling electroluminescent wire brightness and effects during performances, enabling dynamic lighting changes.
- Mendelson Entertainment GroupcoreBooking and entertainment representation partnership for coordinating performance bookings, particularly for Dallas and Texas region performances at AT&T Performing Arts Center.
- Tara Bailey (Bailiwick)coreNorth American booking agent representing Lightwire Theater for domestic inquiries, marketing materials, and press. Contact: 416.540.4152, [email protected]
- Barry Mendelson (MegArts Media)coreInternational booking agent representing Lightwire Theater for international inquiries. Contact: [email protected]
- The Cure Starts Now North TexasminorPhilanthropic partnership supporting pediatric cancer research. Lightwire performs at annual galas and donates $2 per ticket to the organization. Michelle Bjornberg founded the North Texas chapter in honor of her daughter Sydney.
- Insomniac / Electric Daisy CarnivalminorFestival partnership for performing at EDC Las Vegas, one of the largest dance music festivals outside Europe with over 400,000 attendees.
- NC State University Performing ArtsminorUniversity partnership presenting Lightwire performances through the Family Series/Kidstuff series at Stewart Theatre, with educational outreach components.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LightwireTheater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LightwireTheater social profiles
Digital presenceLightwireTheater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LightwireTheater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
LightwireTheater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LightwireTheater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LightwireTheater
What does LightwireTheater do?
Lightwire Theater produces and tours live theatrical performances featuring glow-in-the-dark puppetry using electroluminescent (EL) wire technology combined with dance, storytelling, and music. The company delivers six distinct productions including Dino-Light, Moon Mouse: A Space Odyssey, A Very Electric Christmas, The Ugly Duckling, The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen, and The Hero's Tail, performed in complete darkness at theaters, performing arts centers, science centers, zoos, festivals, and corporate events across North America and internationally.
Is LightwireTheater a public or private company?
LightwireTheater is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was LightwireTheater founded?
LightwireTheater was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is LightwireTheater based?
LightwireTheater is headquartered in New Orleans, United States, in the North America region.
How does LightwireTheater make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Performance Tickets are the primary driver. The others are venue Booking Fees, special Event Performances, international Touring and merchandise and Educational Materials.
Does LightwireTheater have an API?
No public API is recorded for LightwireTheater.
What industry is LightwireTheater in?
LightwireTheater's product category is Children's Theater and Live Family Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAK, Puppetry & Marionette Theatre. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7900.