Josh LaBelle Named VenuesNow 2026 All-Star for Leadership at Seattle Theatre Group

Josh LaBelle Chief Executive Officer Seattle Theatre Group

EXCELLENT TASTE Best show you saw this year? “LCD Soundsystem at Remlinger Farms and David Byrne at The Paramount Theatre.”

Josh LaBelle leads the Seattle Theatre Group, a nonprofit that operates four historic theaters in the Emerald City: the Paramount, Moore, Neptune and, starting this year, the 5th Avenue.

“Getting through STG’s first full season at The 5th Avenue Theatre with our kind partners, the Fifth Avenue Theatre Association, presenting a musical theatre series with combined touring and locally produced performances (was our greatest success),” he says. “While at the same time, getting our new community arts space Kerry Hall active in numerous directions [such as] summer camps, education programs, and rehearsal spaces for young artists.”

LaBelle says the political environment and the broader economy present challenges on both ends for a nonprofit. STG aims to keep shows affordable for families, but still has to cover costs; at the same time, it relies on donors who may be wary or cash-strapped themselves.

“We weigh every decision with an eye on risk and an eye on fiscal diligence,” he says. “On the one hand, the market is showing that people still really value coming out to live performances of all kinds. On the other hand, rising costs have put pressure on ticket prices, which makes delivering accessible pricing challenging. It’s fair to say that it is more challenging than ever before for families to come out to a show more than once or twice a year.”

STG wants to be “the people’s theater,” and that means reaching new audiences.

“We are constantly working toward booking shows that are relevant to the broad community we serve, and part of that includes creating entry points for younger people. We achieve this by being mindful of ticket prices for younger demo shows and creating meaningful experiences with the arts through our many low-cost education programs,” he says. “Younger generations are more tuned in online, so a lot of the new programming comes in the form of YouTube personalities, TikTok stars, podcasters, and the like.”

VenuesNow 2026 All-Star Hub

_Originally reported by [Pollstar](https://news.pollstar.com/2026/09/21/venuesnow-2026-all-star-honoree-josh-labelle/)._