Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Atlanta’s only local professional musical theatre company, was formed in 1980 as the Southeastern Savoyards, a repertory theatre company dedicated to presenting the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. Since then, the company has grown into a highly regarded regional musical theatre company, and the company changed its name to Atlanta Lyric Theatre. In August 2008, Atlanta Lyric Theatre announced its partnership with the Friends of the Strand, Inc. to relocate to the historic and newly renovated Strand Theatre located on the Square in Marietta, Georgia, as the new performance home of Atlanta Lyric Theatre. The award-winning organization has received critical acclaim for the consistent quality of its productions. The company currently performs at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre and the Lyric Studio Theatre in the Square, both reside in Marietta, GA.