Atlanta Lyric Theatre

What Atlanta Lyric Theatre does

Atlanta Lyric Theatre is a 501(c)-style nonprofit professional musical theater company founded in 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia (originally as the Southeastern Savoyards). The organization produces 6-8 full-scale Broadway-caliber musical productions per season, performing 100+ days annually at the historic Earl Smith Strand Theatre, a 540-seat Art Deco venue on Marietta Square where it holds sole residency under a partnership with Friends of the Strand, Inc. Its repertoire has evolved from Gilbert & Sullivan to contemporary Tony Award-winning musicals (e.g., Catch Me If You Can, Barnum, Damn Yankees!), supplemented by an intimate cabaret series at the smaller Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square and a youth education program (Jr. Lyric). The company is a member of Actor's Equity Association and the American Federation of Musicians, indicating use of professional unionized performers.

The company operates a hybrid revenue model anchored by ticket sales and annual season subscriptions, layered with tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships, and ancillary set/prop rentals to other theatre organizations. Subscription packages ($150 for 5 adult shows) and individual tickets ($30-$35 for mainstage, $20 for cabaret) drive top-line revenue, while donations flow via a Constant Contact-supported email funnel and a dedicated Tix.com donation portal. Distribution is exclusively direct: website ticketing, on-site box office, and venue-based sales — with no third-party reseller or app-based channel.

Atlanta Lyric serves two principal customer segments: metro Atlanta general theatregoers (subscription holders and walk-up ticket buyers) and families with children (Jr. Lyric and cabaret family programming). Brandt Blocker, appointed Artistic Director and General Manager in May 2007, led the professionalization of the company, the venue relocation, and the expansion of the season subscriber base. The organization has no parent company, no disclosed institutional funding, and no M&A activity, functioning as an independent community-rooted nonprofit reliant on earned revenue and contributed support.

Name

Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Legal name

Atlanta Lyric Theatre

Website

https://atlantalyrictheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Atlanta Lyric Theatre is a nonprofit professional musical theater company producing 6-8 Broadway-caliber productions per season at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta, GA, serving metro Atlanta audiences through season subscriptions, individual tickets, donations, and a youth education program (Jr. Lyric).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Musical Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Professional musical theatre
• Live theatrical performances
• Season subscriptions
• Youth theatre programs
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Marietta

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual tickets and season subscriptions for musical theatre productions. Season packages provide guaranteed revenue and audience base.
2. Donations: Charitable contributions from supporters through website donation portal.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for productions and seasons.
4. Set and Prop Rentals: Rental of theatrical sets and props to other organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Atlanta Lyric Theatre produces and presents professional musical theater performances, including full-scale Broadway-caliber productions and intimate cabaret shows, primarily at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta, Georgia. The company sells individual tickets and season subscriptions, operates the Jr. Lyric youth education program, and supports productions through donations, sponsorships, and ancillary services such as set and prop rentals.

Product overview

Atlanta Lyric Theatre is a professional musical theater company operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is professional musical theatre productions featuring local professional talent, presented primarily at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta and the Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square. Supporting products include season subscription packages offering preferential seating and savings, individual ticket sales, a youth program (Jr. Lyric), and ancillary services such as set/prop rentals, sponsorships, and donations. The company has evolved from its origins as the Savoyards (dedicated to Gilbert & Sullivan) to producing full-scale Broadway-caliber musical productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jr. Lyric: Youth program for children featuring musical theatre productions

Products and services

• Professional Musical Theatre Productions Full-scale professional musical theater productions featuring local professional talent affiliated with Actors' Equity Association, including Broadway-caliber shows performed at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre and Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square, targeting metro Atlanta audiences.
• Season Subscriptions Subscription packages offering first choice of seats, ticket savings, and free date exchanges for regular season performances, priced at $150 for 5 adult shows, serving as the primary acquisition model for the season.
• Individual Tickets Single tickets for individual show performances, priced $30-$35 per ticket for mainstage productions, available through the website and at the box office.
• Jr. Lyric (Youth Program) Youth theatre program featuring young performers in educational productions and performances by Atlanta Junior Lyric, including family-friendly shows at the Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square.
• Cabaret Performances Intimate cabaret-style shows featuring various themes, performers, and musical styles at the Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square, including Valentine's cabaret events and original themed performances.
• Set and Prop Rentals Rental services for theatrical sets and props to other theatre companies and organizations, leveraging the company's production inventory.
• Corporate Sponsorships Corporate sponsorship packages for businesses to support Atlanta Lyric Theatre productions and seasons and gain marketing visibility and community association.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of the Strand, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2008Five-year partnership making Atlanta Lyric Theatre the sole musical theatre producer at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre. The Lyric committed to 6-8 productions per year, bringing 100+ days of performances. Atlanta Lyric contributed $175,000-$200,000 for orchestra pit and fly system additions.
• Cobb Chamber of CommerceminorOthersMembership organization supporting local businesses. Atlanta Lyric is listed as a Proud Member.
• Actor's Equity AssociationcoreOthersActors' union representing professional performers. The Lyric showcases professional talent and is a member of this association.
• American Federation of MusicianscoreOthersMusicians' union affiliation for professional orchestra musicians.
• Metro Atlanta Arts FundminorOthersArts funding organization providing support to metro Atlanta arts organizations.
• Atlanta Coalition of Performing ArtsminorOthersCoalition of performing arts organizations in Atlanta for advocacy and collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alliance Theatre: Atlanta's largest regional theatre producing a mix of musicals and plays, including premieres that later transfer to Broadway. Competes with Atlanta Lyric for the same metro Atlanta discretionary ticket and subscriber base, though at a significantly larger institutional scale.
• Aurora Theatre: Professional theatre company based in Lawrenceville, GA producing a season of plays and musicals serving the Atlanta metro. Directly comparable regional professional theatre model with similar subscription/ticket revenue mix and nonprofit structure.
• Goodspeed Musicals: Connecticut-based nonprofit musical theatre producer renowned for developing new and revived musicals. Comparable as a regional professional musical theatre company operating its own venue with a season subscription model and educational programming.
• Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré: Historic New Orleans community/professional theater where Atlanta Lyric's Artistic Director Brandt Blocker previously served as Director of Development and Marketing. Comparable nonprofit theatrical producing model with subscription programming and educational outreach.
• Georgia Ensemble Theatre: Roswell, GA-based professional theatre producing a season of plays and smaller-scale musicals for the Atlanta metro. Comparable nonprofit regional theatre competing for overlapping subscriber and donor audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Paper Mill Playhouse: New Jersey-based regional theatre producing Broadway-scale musicals and plays with a long operating history. Larger and more established than Atlanta Lyric but highly comparable as a subscription-driven, resident nonprofit musical theatre company.
• Walnut Street Theatre: One of the oldest and largest nonprofit professional theatres in the U.S., operating a subscription season including musicals. Comparable business model (nonprofit, subscription-driven, multi-venue) though at substantially greater scale.

Regional players

• Theater of the Stars: Atlanta-based producer of Broadway touring musicals, directly competing with Atlanta Lyric's commercial musical theatre offering at the same metro level but delivering touring product rather than locally produced productions.
• Cobb Playhouse: Community theatre located in the same Cobb County, Marietta market as Atlanta Lyric's Strand Theatre. Smaller-scale but directly competes for local audience participation and family theatre demand in Atlanta Lyric's home geography.

Others

• Fox Theatre (Atlanta): Historic Atlanta performing arts venue hosting Broadway touring shows and concerts. Functions as both an indirect competitor for ticket buyers and a venue ecosystem peer; Atlanta Lyric's Strand partnership is structurally analogous.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/149937460083
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlanta-lyric-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 Atlanta Lyric Theatre