Stage Entertainment


Stage Entertainment is a live entertainment company founded by Dutch media tycoon and theatrical producer, Joop van den Ende. It is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Stage Entertainment is in business with offices and theatres in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, France and Italy. The group produces musical shows in large theatres, consisting of licensed productions from international partners as well as original, in-company storyline.

History

Stage Entertainment was established in 1998 by the company's owner and supervisory board president Joop van den Ende after being split off from the Live Entertainment Division of independent television producer Endemol. Stage Entertainment is the largest theatre producer in Europe and owns and licenses productions worldwide. The company has approximately 3,000 employees and owns or operates theaters in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Russia.
In 2001 Stage Entertainment's German subsidiary took over part of the insolvent Stella AG, acquiring in the process many of Stella's productions and theatres, including two Hamburg theatres: the Theater im Hafen and the Neue Flora. Stage Entertainment currently owns and operates or has long-term leases for a portfolio of theatres, of which 11 are in Germany including four in Hamburg.
In December 2014 Stage Entertainment announced that it had acquired Albert Verlinde Entertainment and its subsequent merger with its Dutch subsidiary, Joop van den Ende Theaterproducties. Stage Entertainment International would purchase all of the shares of Albert Verlinde Entertainment and on 1 March 2015, Albert Verlinde would assume the position of managing director at the subsidiary, to be renamed Stage Entertainment Netherlands. Productions that were currently running would continue to run under the banner of their respective companies until the end of the theatre season they opened.
In August 2018 Advance Publications, Inc. and Joop van den Ende announced that Advance will acquire 100% of the shares of Stage Entertainment. The closing is anticipated in Q4 2018. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. No major layoffs or personnel changes are expected at Stage Entertainment, which employs 3,000 people worldwide. Steven Newhouse, Co-President of Advance, said: "We look forward to working with Arthur de Bok and the management team to expand the business while remaining the definitive partner of choice to creators of musical theatre." One of Advance Publications' other properties is Condé Nast, headquartered at 1 World Trade Center next to which a performing arts center is under construction. Several weeks before the August announcement, Condé Nast CEO announced his five-year strategy to generate $600 million in new revenue from new revenue streams while driving costs out of the business and Advance/Newhouse notified Charter Communications that it intends to establish a credit facility collateralized by a portion of Advance/Newhouse Common Units in Charter Communications Holdings, LLC.

Cooperations

With the creation of TopTicketLine in 1990, Stage Entertainment established its own call center for ticket sales. In June 2005, the company's German subsidiary took over Ticket Online, which operated a ticket booking system used by hundreds of ticket agencies in Germany. In 2007 Stage Ticketing International was created—an independent ticketing company comprising all of Stage Entertainment's ticketing activities. In the same year, this new subsidiary acquired See Tickets from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group. Subsequently, all of Stage Entertainment's ticketing activities and companies operated under the name See Tickets. In 2010, See Tickets UK and See Tickets Germany were sold to CTS Eventim. In March 2014, Stage Entertainment sold its ticketing companies in Spain, the Netherlands, and France to CTS Eventim. CTS Eventim also assumed all ticketing activities for Stage Entertainment in Russia, where the group operates two theatres.
In 2000 Stage Entertainment entered into a licensing agreement with Disney Theatrical Productions. This, together with Stage Entertainment's collaboration in Europe with Littlestar, Mamma Mia!’s production company, enabled the company to expand into Germany, Spain, Russia, France, Italy and the UK.
In 2004 Stage Entertainment entered into joint ownership of the Off-Broadway theatre complex known as Dodger Stages; on 16 March 2006 Stage Entertainment took over sole ownership of the theatre complex, which was then renamed New World Stages. Stage Entertainment sold New World Stages to The Shubert Organization in November 2014.
In 2005 Stage Entertainment along with Dutch dance event organiser ID&T founded the company ID&T Germany, to organise the Sensation White event in Germany. The joint venture was ended in 2006, and ID&T was later acquired by SFX Entertainment.
In 2011 Stage Entertainment Touring Productions was created as a new Stage Entertainment division, with Holiday on Ice arena ice shows as the division's main activity.

Subsidiaries

Stage Entertainment has subsidiaries in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, France and Italy.

Theatres

Stage Entertainment owns and/or operates 17 theaters in 5 countries.
CountryCityNameOpening by SE Note
*The HagueAFAS Circustheater1991
*UtrechtBeatrix Theater1999Longterm leased from Jaarbeurs.
BerlinStage Theater des Westens2003 Acquired in 2002, the building remains property of the city of Berlin.
BerlinStage Bluemax Theater2007Acquired in 2006
HamburgStage Theater Neue Flora2002
HamburgStage Operettenhaus2002 Leased in the period 2002-2011. Acquired in 2011.
HamburgStage Theater an der Elbe2014Built by Stage Entertainment.
HamburgStage Theater im Hafen2000
HamburgTheater Kehrwieder2005
StuttgartStage Palladium Theater2002
StuttgartStage Apollo Theater2002
OberhausenStage Metronom Theater2005 Vacant since 2020.
MunichWerk7 Theater2018Vacant since 2019. Leased until 2028.
MadridTeatro Coliseum2003Leased in the period 2003-2017. Acquired in 2017 in partnership with Rockspring.
MadridTeatro Lope de Wega2003Leased in the period 2003-2017. Acquired in 2017 in partnership with Rockspring.
ParisThéâtre Mogador2005
MilanTeatro Nazionale2009 Acquired in 2006, reopend in 2009.

Former theaters
CountryCityNameOpening by SE - ClosingNote
New York CityNew World Stages2006-2014Sold to the The Shubert Organization.
EssenStage Colosseum Theater2001-2020Sold to RAG-Stiftung and E.ON.
BerlinStage Theater am Potsdamer Platz2002-2016/2020Vacant since 2016. Lease was supposed to end in 2022, but was taken over by Live Nation in 2020.
AmsterdamTheater Fabriek Amsterdam2004-2014Closed
MoscowMDM Theatre2006-2018Lease ended
MoscowRossiya Theatre2012-2017Lease ended
RomeTeatro Brancaccio2009-2012Lease ended
MadridTeatro Alcalá2003-2016Lease ended

Original productions

Stage Entertainment has produced the following original productions:
*
Additionally, Stage Entertainment produces recurring formats such as Musicals in Concert, Holland Zingt Hazes, and Strictly Come Dancing.

Overview productions

Stage Entertainment's musical theater productions :
Productions marked with an asterisk were produced by Stella Entertainment AG which was acquired by Stage Entertainment in 2002. Those marked with two asterisks were Stella Entertainment AG productions that were continued by Stage Entertainment in 2002.