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| Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| In a Deadline.com interview, Daniel Fish was asked about why chili was served at ''Oklahoma!'' and his answer was: ''I had this idea about dinner theater, this sort of great American thing, this sort of strange thing, where people go to the theater and eat food. And I just started to wonder, well, what’s that really about? Then I started to think, is there some correlation between people sitting down to a meal and people going to a play?'' Is dinner theater a ''great American thing''? Is it that common? I've gone to only one theater where I've eaten: the Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, N.Y. (They served you a meal; not just a piece of cornbread and vegan chili.) (P.S. I can see why the Off-Broadway ''Sweeney Todd'' served meat pies, but I've never associated ''Oklahoma!'' with chili,) |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: jbronsto 02:15 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| I worked in a few shows over the last ten years at Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins CO and although they just closed this season there is a second full time dinner theatre (Candlelight) in that town. And I heard there are one or two other dinner theatres in Colorado so plainly it is still pretty popular there. | |
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| Theo-Ubique Cabaret Theatre (Chicago area) | |
| Last Edit: BroadwayTonyJ 10:28 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 10:26 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| Theo-Ubique is a relatively new (since '97), very unique Chicago area theater. They do 3 to 5 shows per season (mostly musicals). Their work has been highly acclaimed in recent years and has been the recipient of numerous Jeff awards. They use the term European-style cabaret (rather than dinner theatre) to describe themselves. The actors double as waiters. My partner and I have attended recent productions of The Bridges of Madison County, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Full Monty and others and have not been disappointed. The upcoming season features Hello Again, Godspell, Grey Gardens, and one additional show. Past favorites include Flora, the Red Menace and Blood Brothers. |
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| Chanhassen Dinner Theatre | |
| Posted by: dbg 09:28 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Minnesota is still going strong and has a production of Mamma Mia! that's been extended to February 2020. I don't remember the exact year, but I saw Lady Be Good there around 40 years ago. In a smaller theatre in the complex they had I Do! I Do!, which ran for something like 25 years, and the stars eventually married. | |
| Link | Chanhassen |
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| UTEP Dinner Theatre | |
| Posted by: Ropera77 09:04 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| The University of Texas at El Paso has a unique one called The UTEP Dinner Theatre which has been in operation for 37 years. It is a full time year round dinner theatre that produces 5 musicals a year. This season they are doing Tommy, Dogfight, Saturday Night Fever, Titanic and Annie Get Your Gun. | |
| Link | UTEP Dinner Theatre |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: Ballerina56 12:36 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| Actually, dinner theaters were big in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. In addition to performing in several dinner theaters as a teen in my hometown, I also did a few musicals at Club Bene in Morgan, NJ. By the time I got there in the early 80s, a young John Travolta had already made his debut. It was a fun place to get your feet wet. The rehearsal periods were brief and the runs were short. They'd pick the cast up in a van at Port Authority and truck us out to rehearse and perform. The owner, Joe Beninato, was a sweet, cigar-chomping Italian man who we all thought had ties to the mafia. We used to line up in the lobby on pay day and get our "checks" from his thick wad of cash. The venue also hosted comedians (Regis Phiibin, The Smothers Brothers, George Carlin), singers (Jon Bon Jovi, Meatloaf), and small local bands. It was demolished in 1984. I've been to the Westchester Broadway Theater in Elmsford, and I know that Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, MD still exists. They're doing "Kinky Boots" next season. |
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| Other notable names that started in dinner theater? | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 07:49 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - Ballerina56 12:36 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| That's neat about Travolta. I also read that Andy Karl, at 16, played Aladdin at the White Marsh Dinner Theatre in Baltimore, Md. | |
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| re: Other notable names that started in dinner theater? | |
| Posted by: JohnPopa 10:46 am EDT 09/04/19 | |
| In reply to: Other notable names that started in dinner theater? - WaymanWong 07:49 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| Before my time (well, I was 5), but Scott Bakula played Jesus in "Godspell" at the Carousel Dinner Theater in Akron, Ohio in 1978. | |
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| Candlelight Playhouse -- Chicago | |
| Posted by: BroadwayTonyJ 11:29 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: Other notable names that started in dinner theater? - WaymanWong 07:49 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| Going through my playbills for Candlelight Playhouse, dated '91 -- '96, I am finding names of future Broadway performers like Will Chase, Stephen Buntrock, Dennis Kelly, Blake Hammond, and Kathy Voytko. | |
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| Oops, a typo! | |
| Posted by: Ballerina56 12:56 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - Ballerina56 12:36 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| It was demolished in 2014. | |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: jconnors 10:21 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
| In reply to: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - WaymanWong 06:46 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| When I lived in Indianapolis years ago, there was a very popular one that had been around for decades, Beef and Boards. Full-service bar and buffet dinner before the show. True in other Midwestern cities as well I think. | |
| Link | Beef and Boards Dinner Theater |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: Circlevet 11:43 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - jconnors 10:21 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| My first Equity show was Man of La Mancha at Beef & Boards. At that time there were two locations, the one in Indianapolis and one in Simpsonville. KY which was half way between Louisville and Lexington. La Mancha is usually done in one act. However, our production was done in 3 acts in order to accommodate more drink orders and check distribution. The brief second act was basically the muleteers having their way Aldonza and curtain. | |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: tandelor 08:45 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - jconnors 10:21 pm EDT 09/01/19 | |
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| I worked at the Indianapolis Beef and Boards on a couple of shows in the early 80's. I moved to St. Petersburg in '85 and this are was Crowned Capitol of dinner theaters for many years. In fact many tours would start here. There were wonderful productions I saw through the 90's in many venues, but most were gone by the turn of the century. A very few have survived, but most of my friends in "th business" who perform in them are struggling. Think of all those great lines from The Golden Girls: Miss Ruth Buzzie in Evita! Mr. Jamie Farr in Death of a Salesman! | |
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| re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? | |
| Posted by: dbdbdb 01:38 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - tandelor 08:45 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| Some of the dinner theatres of my long-ago youth presented some riotously miscast star packages. One night in Columbus, Ohio, in 1978, I saw Sandy Dennis as the WASPiest of Gittel Moscas in Two for the Seesaw. It was a thrill to see her, but what were they thinking? I'm surprised no one has mentioned Food of Love Productions, currently operating in New York. The current production, A Midsummer Night's Dream, paired with a several -course tasting menu, is a great deal of fun. |
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| Link | Food of Love Productions |
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| A statistic on dinner theaters. | |
| Posted by: tmdonahue (tmdonahue@yahoo.com) 09:00 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: re: Food for thought: Are there many dinner theaters left? - tandelor 08:45 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| The National Dinner Theatre Association had 16 members as of 2019. In 2007, membership totaled 24 theaters. Of course, there are probably dinner theaters which are not members of the DTA. | |
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| U.S. dinner theaters: And this is the state of the art | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 03:48 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: A statistic on dinner theaters. - tmdonahue 09:00 am EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| Thanks. The National Dinner Theatre Association lists its members, state by state. (N.Y.'s Westchester isn't in NDTA.) The restaurant business is tough enough; can't imagine how hard it is to keep a theater running as well. |
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| Link | Members of National Dinner Theatre Association: From Arkansas to Wyoming |
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| re: U.S. dinner theaters: And this is the state of the art | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 07:23 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
| In reply to: U.S. dinner theaters: And this is the state of the art - WaymanWong 03:48 pm EDT 09/02/19 | |
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| It certainly seems like dinner theatre would be a combination of two really tough businesses, but I think one way that some of these places worked was that he cast of the show was also expected to staff the restaurant prior to the performance. The cast would be your wait staff and bussers and would serve and clear dinner before heading backstage to do Act I. Then, at intermission, would reappear to serve and clear dessert, before heading backstage again to finish the show. So the ownership were getting a cast and restaurant staff for one price and the cast earns extra money from tips. It's an exhausting evening for the performers, but I can see how it could make the business end of the dinner theatre business work. |
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