A local entertainment company that brought Broadway shows like Chicago, Hamilton and The Lion King to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center has been sold to a London-based company.
For decades, thanks to Celebrity Attractions, shows like Wicked, Disney’s The Lion King and more have all graced the stage of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. Company officials said that while there will be new owners, the commitment to the community will continue.
Since December 2024, the local company has come under new international ownership.
“As we move from this acquisition to Ambassador Theater Group, we are just very excited,” said Kristin Dotson, CEO of Celebrity Attractions, who has been with the company for 30 years. “The industry has changed a lot and obviously post-Covid there have been challenges, and we just think for the business we’ll have strength and support and resources that we didn’t have before.”
Larry Payton started Celebrity Attractions in 1983. He died suddenly in 2013. Since then, his family operated the business for over a decade, but after the official sale, Celebrity Attractions became part of Ambassador Theater Group (ATG). which is based in London.
“It gives our market a bigger voice at the table when it comes to Broadway tours, and coming out of the pandemic the landscape has been so unstable, I think it will help secure Tulsa’s place as a “a major player in touring Broadway,” said Mark Frie, CEO of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
With additional support from ATG, the Tulsa Performing Arts Center and Celebrity Attractions would look forward to the future of Broadway in Tulsa.
“We’re going to make sure that what we do here in Tulsa really stays focused on what’s important to us, which is always giving our customers the best experience possible,” Frie said.
Dotson said even though there will be a new owner, Celebrity Attractions will continue to operate as before.
The Payton family, who previously owned the business, did not feel comfortable with an interview.