Ambassador Theatre Group Acquires New Venue in Sugar Land

Ambassador Theatre Group announces a major addition to its North American portfolio: the greater Houston area's Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land (18111 Lexington Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX). Declared "Houston's Hottest Music Venue" by Houston Press, Smart Financial Centre is currently ranked 6th in the world in ticket sales for venues under 10,000 seats as reported by the concert industry's Pollstar Magazine. The venue is a state-of-the-art, indoor performance venue with flexible seating capacities.

"The acquisition of Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land expands ATG's footprint in North America to ten venues, extending our presence in a key region for live entertainment. We are grateful for the leadership of Gary Becker who has led the venue to date and will remain as part of the team, and look forward to working with the City of Sugar Land. Our goal is to lead the industry with commercial-driven initiatives, and to deliver our signature world class customer service," commented Stephen Lewin, Ambassador Theatre Group's CEO, North America.

Kristin Caskey, Ambassador Theatre Group's EVP of Content and Creative, North America, added, "ATG is committed to diverse programming that will further contribute to Sugar Land's positioning as a cultural destination for artists and audiences alike. We will also continue in expanding partnerships with local organizations, businesses and serving the needs of the local community."

"In just two years since its opening, Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land has changed the regional live entertainment landscape and defined its role in solidifying Sugar Land's position as an economic powerhouse and destination location - one of the many examples of the City's long history of partnering with industry leaders to strengthen our community for residents, businesses and visitors," said City Manager Allen Bogard. "Knowing that Ambassador Theatre Group's relationship to Sugar Land began even before our venue opened, we are looking forward to working with ATG to continue to grow and expand the success of this important venue."

Taking over the helm as General Manager is 35 year industry veteran David Skinner, who spent the last 10 years of his career managing the Mahalia Jackson and Saenger Theatre in New Orleans. "David Skinner brings decades of experience to Smart Financial Centre, having managed major venues throughout the country including the Louisiana Superdome, OMNI Arena and many more. We look forward to his leadership in propelling the venue to new heights and continuing to build Smart Financial Centre as one of the premier theaters in the United States," said Stephen Lewin.

Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land is a state-of-the-art, indoor performance venue that is strategically-located 22 miles from downtown Houston off of U.S. Highway 59 and University Boulevard. Ranked #1 in "Houston's Hottest Music Venues in 2017" by the Houston Press, Smart Financial Centre sets a new standard for live performance venues, hosting a diverse line up of programming including national music and comedy artists, family shows, theatrically-staged Broadway productions, as well as cultural and performing arts attractions. Designed for flexibility, the 200,000-square-foot, indoor climate-controlled venue incorporates innovative movable walls that can expand and contract to create four different seating capacities that range from an intimate setting of 1,900 seats to a maximum of 6,400, including: 14 luxury suites, corporate hospitality areas, and the latest sound, light and video technology. Other offerings include space to house up to 14 trucks and buses, as well as 2,500 guest parking spaces.

Founded in 1992, Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is the world's number one live theater company with the vision of helping great shows to find the largest audiences. ATG operates close to 50 venues in Britain, North America and Germany. It is an internationally recognized award-winning theater producer with productions in the West End and on Broadway and touring productions in the U.K., North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. ATG is also the market leader in theater ticketing services through ATG Tickets, LOVETheatre and Group Line.

ATG operates the newly refurbished Lyric Theatre, home to the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the oldest theater on Broadway, the recently restored Hudson Theatre. ATG owns and operates the Saenger and Mahalia Jackson theaters in New Orleans, the Majestic and Empire theaters in San Antonio, the magnificent Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, and the beautifully restored Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, which reopened in the summer of 2018 with the critically-acclaimed pre-Broadway World Premiere engagement of Moulin Rouge! The Musical. ATG recently secured a lease on the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, which will take effect in July 2019. The acclaimed Tony Award winner Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will commence performances later that year. ATG's most recent producing credits in the U.S. include Dear Evan Hansen, Pretty Woman: The Musical, A Doll's House Part 2, Sunday in the Park with George, and Lincoln Center Theater's The King and I.