Village Theatre Reaches Historic 20,000 Season Subscribers

Village Theatre is thrilled to announce that it has reached an important milestone: 20,000 Season Subscribers - the highest in the history of the organization. This achievement marks a continued trend of steady growth in audience participation and budget size over the past decade, and is a testament to the thriving, dedicated network of arts enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest.

The jump in Subscribers also highlights the theatre's internal focus on continuing to increase the quality of productions and solidifies Village Theatre's place as one of the top theatre companies in the nation. Village Theatre now joins the ranks of only 10 companies in the National Alliance for Musical Theatre who report over 20,000 Subscribers. This list includes Walnut Street Theatre (PA), Paper Mill Playhouse (NJ), The Muny (MO), and The 5th Avenue Theatre (WA).

In addition to approximately 3,200 first-time Season Ticket holders, Village Theatre is honored by an incredibly devoted group of Subscribers, many of whom have been attending the organization's productions for decades. Nearly 2,000 Season Ticket holders have been Subscribing for 20 years or more without missing a single season! This dedicated Subscriber base ensures a strong level of financial security, allowing creative teams to dream big as they plan for future seasons and take on increasingly ambitious productions. "It seems like with each Season announcement, we sign ourselves up for new challenges," noted Artistic Director, Steve Tomkins. "Whether it's getting Mary Poppins to soar over the audience, embarking on a year of recruitment and training for our incredible Billy Elliots, or bringing Seattle's winter weather inside for Singin' in the Rain, we are proud to keep raising the bar and bringing our audiences new memories and moments to share."

Subscriptions also support Village Theatre's mission to produce new musicals that achieve national exposure, such as Million Dollar Quartet, Next to Normal, and It Shoulda Been You. Subscribers give the theatre a guaranteed audience base which empowers them to take the risk of a world premiere production. By selling Subscriptions in the traditional model (not allowing audiences to pick and choose their shows), Village Theatre is able to ensure that new musicals have an educated and enthusiastic audience base built on the foundation of Season Ticket holders. In buying a Subscription, audiences are directly supporting the new musical process, while gaining access to shows they might not normally choose to attend.

Another distinctive aspect of Village Theatre's business model is the ability to host shows in multiple locations. Founded in Issaquah, Wash. in 1979, the second location at the Everett Performing Arts Center came under Village Theatre's management in 1999. This two-city model allows patrons to enjoy shows at whichever venue is most convenient for them. With considerable geographical area covered, the theatre can welcome a more diverse group of people. Currently Subscribers come primarily from King County (62 percent) and Snohomish County (31 percent). While the local populations of Issaquah and Everett are certainly connected to the success of the theatre, they comprise of only 14 percent of the audience base combined. The rest of the organization's Subscribers are spread across the Puget Sound, with just over seven percent residing in the city of Seattle.

Thanks to its strong Subscriber base, Village Theatre looks forward to continuing to break the mold in supporting new musical development, while also providing the blockbuster musicals their audiences crave. Subscribers come first in every decision the organization makes - an ideal that has clearly contributed greatly to Village Theatre's success. "Our Subscribers are the life-blood of the organization and we work hard to honor them for that," says Executive Producer, Robb Hunt. "This comes through in every aspect of what we do - beginning with the selection of our season, all the way to ensuring our Subscribers get the best prices, first-choice seating options, and more."

The 2017-2018 season announcement drops on March 1st, giving Subscribers and the rest of the theatre-going community a new collection of fantastic shows worthy of a Subscription. Subscriptions to the final three shows of the 2016-2017 Season are still available for purchase and include: The 39 Steps, A Proper Place, and Dreamgirls. These packages will be available in Issaquah until February 26 and in Everett until March 26, when The 39 Steps is scheduled to close. Purchases may be made directly through the Box Office, by phone, or online at VillageTheatre.org.

About Village Theatre

Based in Issaquah, Wash., with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best attended Equity theatres, with over 20,000 Subscribers and 200,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 150 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 60,000 young people, families, and schools annually.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!