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STG To Assume Management of 5th Avenue Theatre Space

The alliance is not an acquisition or merger

Rob Smith By Rob Smith March 28, 2025

Marquee of The 5th Avenue Theatre with a red and white vertical sign on the side. The words "Fall in Love" are displayed on the lower part of the marquee.
Photo by John Curry

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) will assume management of the iconic 5th Avenue Theatre venue in downtown Seattle. 

STG already manages and presents performances at several of the city’s most iconic venues, including the Paramount, Moore and Neptune theatres. 

The 5th Avenue Theatre Co. will remain a separate, nonprofit organization. STG becomes the new leaseholder of the venue and will assume overall management, a move that “protects The 5th Avenue Theatre Company’s independent use of the historic facility,” according to a news release. 

STG is now responsible for bookings at the theatre outside of The 5th Avenue Theatre season, ensuring that “it remains a vital and active part of downtown, continuing to host events that make Seattle unique.”

Two men stand outdoors in front of a building, with a large "5th" sign partially visible in the background.
Josh LaBelle, executive director of Seattle Theatre Group, and Bill Berry, executive director of The 5th Avenue Theatre Company.
Photo by Eric Tra

“It enables The 5th to focus on what we do best in curating and producing first-rate musical theater specific to audiences of the Pacific Northwest,” said Bill Berry, executive director of The Fifth Avenue Theatre Co. “Together, we are transforming The 5th Avenue Theatre venue into a year-round cultural hub.”

“This alliance preserves jobs and the nonprofit operation of historic theatres, the creation of local musical theater, and will have an immense impact on the greater financial sustainability of the entire downtown neighborhood,” said STG Executive Director Josh LaBelle.

The University of Washington remains the building’s owner.

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