Dinner theater (sometimes called
dinner and a show) is a form of
entertainmentAn entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time.Entertainment is typically passive - as in watching opera or a movie. Activities which involve participating in games or sports are more often considered to be recreation...
that combines a
restaurantA restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
mealA meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
with a staged play. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some cases, optional. Within the hierarchy of theatre, dinner theatre is below
Fringe theatreFringe theatre is a term used to describe alternative theatre, or entertainment not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International...
and
Summer stock theatreA summer stock theatre is a theatre that generally presents stage productions only in the summer time in the United States. The name combines the seasonal aspect with a tradition of putting on shows with a resident company and reusing stock company scenery and costumes...
but above
Community TheatreCommunity Theatre or Community Theater may refer to:*Community theatre, the putting on of generally amateur theatre productionsIn the United States:...
and Educational Productions. Dinner theatre requires the management of three distinct entities: a live theatre, a restaurant, and usually, a bar.
History
The
Madrigal dinnerA Madrigal Dinner or Madrigal Feast is an American form of dinner theater often held by schools and church groups during the Christmas season. It is set in the Middle Ages and is generally comedic in nature. The meal is divided into courses, each of which is heralded with a traditional song...
in the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
might be considered the earliest Dinner Theater. The earliest dinner theatres served dinner in one room, and staged the play in another. Those are now known as
theatre restaurants, a dinner theatre subclassification.
Barksdale Theatre
The
Barksdale TheatreBarksdale Theatre in Richmond, Virginia, United States is Central Virginia’s first nonprofit professional performing arts organization, founded in 1953 at the historic Hanover Tavern by Tom Carlin, Stewart Falconer, David 'Pete' Kilgore, Priscilla Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and Pat Sharp...
in
Richmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, founded in 1953 by David & Nancy Kilgore at the historic
Hanover TavernThe Hanover Tavern in Hanover Courthouse, Virginia and Hanover County, Virginia, is one of the oldest taverns in the United States. The first tavern was licensed at the site beginning in 1733. The present tavern building, restored by the Hanover Tavern Foundation, dates from 1791...
was the first formal dinner theater in the United States.
After the theatre was established, an adjoining room in the theatre was changed to accommodate a buffet dinner for groups attending the performance, eventually becoming available to all patrons. However, "Barksdale prefers to be known as a theatre that happens to have a restaurant, and dinner is optional," their brochure states. They are a professional, non-profit theatre.
Meadowbrook
Cedar Grove, New JerseyCedar Grove Township is a Township in north central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 12,300. In 2006, the population went up to 12,848....
, located half an hour from Manhattan, was the location of the second dinner theatre, the
Meadowbrook Theatre Restaurant, which opened in 1960. It lasted only 13 years, in part due to 700+ seats of table service, nearby competition from
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
, and
Actors' Equity AssociationThe Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union embracing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
requirements that the facility follow the rules that applied to Broadway Theatres, including pay scales and other restrictions.
Drury Lane Theatres
Tony DeSantisAnthony DeSantis, KStJ was an American entrepreneur and theater owner in Chicago, Illinois and its suburbs. He is most well-known for the foundation of the area's Drury Lane theaters...
opened the
Martinique Restaurant in
Evergreen ParkEvergreen Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,821 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Evergreen Park is located at . The suburb is surrounded by the city of Chicago on three of its sides, while Oak Lawn and Hometown border it on the west...
and began producing plays in 1949 in a tent adjacent to the restaurant to attract customers. The enterprise was successful, prompting him to build his first theatre,
Drury Lane Evergreen Park in 1958. It was the first of six dinner theatres he started and a local entertainment landmark for 45 years before closing in 2003.
Drury Lane North began operations in 1976, but was soon sold to the
Marriott Lincolnshire Resort and became the
Marriott TheatreThe Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA is a respected Chicago area regional theatre.-History:Founded in December 1975, The Marriott Theatre has presented more than 170 musicals and is currently led by Executive Producer Terry James, Artistic Director Aaron Thielen, and Artistic...
.
Drury Lane Oak Brook Terrace opened in 1984, and benefited from what DeSantis had learned over the years. The facility uses local performers to keep costs down; the theatre is surrounded by bars, restaurants and banquet rooms; shows are limited to musicals; and there is no charge for parking.
Candlelight
The first facility where dinner and the show were together in one room was the
Candlelight Theatre Restaurant in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
. Bill Pullinsi was a theatre student in 1959 who conceived and implemented the entertainment concept at the Presidential Arms Hotel during summer breaks at
Catholic UniversityCatholic University may mean any university founded and operated by the Catholic Church. By a census of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education, the total number of Catholic universities and university-level institutes around the world is 1,358....
. The venture was successful, but Pullinsi was unable to convert to a year-round operation, due to the hotel's convention business. Pullinsi returned to his Chicago home and opened the
Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, first in a building owned by his grandfather, then in a new facility with seating for 550, constructed with the help of his family. The Candlelight introduced several innovations, including the hydraulic stage, lighting equipment located in the mezzanine, and stage wagons on wheels.
Barn Dinner Theatre
Howard Douglass Wolfe was an entrepreneur from
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
who created the
Barn Dinner Theatre franchiseFranchise generally means a right or privilege. It may refer to:......*Suffrage, the civil right to vote*Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business, such as:...
. Beginning in 1961, the chain included 27 theaters in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Virginia,
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
,
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
, Texas,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, and
GeorgiaGeorgia is a state in the United States. One of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution, it had been the last of the Thirteen Colonies to be established, in 1733. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January...
. Each franchise featured his architectural barn designs, farm-themed decorations that included a plow and other tools, and Wolfe's elevator, which he patented as the
"Magic Stage". At the end of an act or scene, the stage would disappear into the ceiling, then reappear ready for the next scene. The whole process took less than a minute. During the franchise phase of The Barn, all the productions were staged at a studio in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, then sent out to the individual theaters. At the break-up of the franchise, the production facilities were moved to their present location in Nashville. Back in its early days, the performance's cast not only acted on stage, they were the waiters and waitresses. Actors were selected and cast in New York and resided in living quarters above the theatre for the duration of the productions.
Robert De NiroRobert Mario De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer.De Niro is well-known for his method acting and portrayals of conflicted, troubled characters and for his enduring collaboration with director Martin Scorsese...
reportedly acted at The Barn in Greensboro until he was fired in the middle of a show.
Mickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. During his career he has won multiple awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
and many other well-known performers have also acted in roles at The Barn.
The Barn in
Greensboro, North CarolinaGreensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city, by population, in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. As of the 2000 census, Greensboro was home to 223,891 residents...
, was founded in 1964 and is the oldest continuously running dinner theater in America and the last of the original Barn Dinner Theatres, though a Barn franchise opened in Nashville in 1967 (now called Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre) is also still in operation.
A memorial at Roselawn Cemetery in Marion, Virginia cites "Father of Dinner Theater" among Wolfe's accomplishments.
Alhambra
The
Alhambra Dinner TheatreThe Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida is the oldest continually operating Dinner theater in the United States.-History:The Alhambra was built by Jacksonville businessman Leon Simon in 1967 and purchased by Tod Booth, Sr. in 1984. Booth's family has frequently been involved, with...
in
Jacksonville, FloridaJacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida, and is the county seat of Duval County. Since 1968, as a result of the consolidation of the city and county government, and a corresponding expansion of the city limits to include almost the entire county, Jacksonville became the...
was opened in 1967 by Leon Simon. It was purchased in 1985 by Tod Booth, who left Chicago's Drury Lane Theatres. The Alhambra is the second oldest dinner theatre still open in the United States and the oldest in Florida. The facility uses a
thrust stageit is also known as open stageIn theater, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility...
to provide all 400 seats with an unobstructed view.
Chanhassen
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota were founded in 1968. Herb Bloomberg, who designed and built the expanded
Old Log TheaterThe Old Log Theater is the oldest professional theater in the state of Minnesota. It is sometimes cited as the oldest continuously operating professional theater in the United States, although other much older theaters such as the 200-year-old Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia would seem to...
near
Lake MinnetonkaLake Minnetonka is a lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Throughout its recorded history, the lake has been a resort destination. It is located west-southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul...
subsequently constructed and operated Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Interestingly, the Old Log Theater has an attached dining room and revenue from food sales is necessary for financial success, but they are not a dinner theatre. The Chanhassen claims to be the largest professional dinner theatre in the U.S.; the main theater seats 577, the Fireside Theater contains 230 seats for non-dining patrons, and the Playhouse Theater has tables for 126.
Carousel Dinner Theatre
The
Carousel Dinner Theatre, with 800 seats, was the largest dinner theatre in the United States until it closed on January 4, 2009. It was first opened in 1973, then moved to downtown
Akron, OhioAkron is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. In 2008, its population was estimated to be 207,510. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland to the north and Canton to the south, approximately 60 miles west of...
in 1988 to what had been a nightclub with the style and glitz of Las Vegas. The theatre was a victim of the late 2000s economic crisis that tightened credit after years of bad investments by major financial institutions.
Popularity
The 1970s were the heyday of dinner theaters, which provided popular regional entertainment for local audiences. Alhambra Dinner Theatre owner Tod Booth noted that in 1976, there were 147 professional dinner theaters in operation.
Particularly popular were the dinner theaters who used former movie names to star in the productions.
Van JohnsonVan Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
,
Lana TurnerLana Turner was an American actress.Discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen, Turner first attracted attention in They Won't Forget . She played featured roles, often as the ingenue, in such films as Love Finds Andy Hardy...
,
Roddy McDowallRoderick Andrew Anthony Jude "Roddy" McDowall was an English-born actor and photographer. He is known for beginning his long career as a child actor. His best known role is in the "Planet of the Apes" films and TV series from 1968-1974.-Early life and career:McDowall was born in Herne Hill,...
,
Jane RussellJane Russell is an American film actress.-Early life:Born Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell in Bemidji, Minnesota, she was the only daughter of Roy William Russell and Geraldine Jacobi...
,
Dorothy CollinsDorothy Collins was a popular U.S. singer, actress, and recording artist. She was born Marjorie Chandler in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and adopted her stage name in her mid-teens.-Radio and TV:...
, JoAnne Worley,
Shelley BermanSheldon Leonard "Shelley" Berman is an American comedian, writer, teacher, and actor.-Biography:Berman was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Irene and Nathan Berman. His early years were filled with dreams of the stage...
and
Ann MillerJohnnie Lucille Ann Collier, better known as Ann Miller was an American singer, dancer and actress.-Early life:...
are just of few of the stars of the golden era of Hollywood who found success in the field. Also popular were stars and character actors from well remembered television series from earlier years such as
Ann B. DavisAnn Bradford Davis is an American television actress.Davis achieved prominence for her role in The Bob Cummings Show for which she twice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series...
,
Nancy KulpNancy Jane Kulp was an American actress best known as "Miss Jane Hathaway" on the popular television series The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
, and
Frank SuttonFrank Spencer Sutton was an American actor best remembered for his role of Gunnery Sergeant Vincent Carter on the CBS television series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...
.
Burt ReynoldsBurton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Paul "Wrecking" Crewe in The Longest Yard, Coach Nate Scarborough in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard, Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, J.J...
owned a dinner theater in
Jupiter, FloridaJupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research. Jupiter is well known for its beauty and...
from 1979 to 1997, as did actor
Earl HollimanEarl Holliman is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Earl Holliman was born at Delhi in Richland Parish of northeastern Louisiana, Holliman’s biological father died before he was born, and his biological mother, living in poverty with several other children, gave him up for adoption...
, who owned the
Fiesta Dinner Playhouse in
San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the second-largest city in the state of Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. The city is characteristic of other Southwest urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing...
.
The
Derby Dinner PlayhouseDerby Dinner Playhouse is a dinner theatre located in Clarksville, Indiana that opened in 1974. The Derby is the only dinner theatre in the Louisville, Kentucky area and in southern Indiana.-History:...
in
Clarksville, IndianaClarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,400 at the 2000 United States Census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
opened in 1974 and was still open in 2009, operating continuously for 35 years. They utilized a "magic stage" similar to those used by the Barn Dinner Theatre. An orchestra, if utilized, plays in the "attic", out of sight.
Shrinkage
The boom seemed to end in the mid-1980s, with many of them closing and most no longer able to afford or attract celebrities, even faded ones, to star in their productions. Aging stars started receiving offers for television and commercial work and they stopped doing dinner theatre.
Alhambra Dinner TheatreThe Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida is the oldest continually operating Dinner theater in the United States.-History:The Alhambra was built by Jacksonville businessman Leon Simon in 1967 and purchased by Tod Booth, Sr. in 1984. Booth's family has frequently been involved, with...
owner Tod Booth commented, "They could make more in a day doing a commercial than they could make during the entire run of dinner theater show, and they didn't have to travel. Plus, a lot of the stars just started dying off. It was a fine gig for a while."
Booth went on to say that in 1999, you could count the number of surviving professional dinner theatres on two hands. There was a stigma attached to dinner theatre and audiences got tired of fluff shows such as
The Last of the Red Hot LoversThe Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a play by Neil Simon.At the comedy's core is Barney Cashman, a middle-aged, married nebbish who wants to join the sexual revolution before it's too late...
and
Arsenic and Old LaceArsenic and Old Lace may refer to:*Arsenic and Old Lace , by Joseph Kesselring*Arsenic and Old Lace , a 1944 film adaptation directed by Frank Capra...
. According to Booth, "A lot of that was crap".
In response to criticism and the change in available talent, many theatres started using up and coming but relatively unknown actors and began to offer new Broadway shows. They promoted the shows, rather than the stars.
Resurgence
After 2000, there seemed to be a resurgence, with a number of new dinner theatres opening. Chicago's original
Drury Lane Water Tower PlaceDrury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place is a live theater in Chicago associated with the Drury Lane Theatre of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.The original Drury Lane Water Tower Place, which opened in 1976, was closed in 1983....
was founded in 1976, but closed in 1983. A new, $7 million version opened on May 18, 2004.
The
Desert Star TheaterDesert Star Theater is a dinner theater establishment in Murray, Utah. It started out as a small theater called the Gem, which showed silent movies with a piano for music. It was later closed down and demolished, but rebuilt and expanded into the Iris Theater by owner Tony Duvall...
in
Murray, UtahMurray is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 34,024 at the 2000 census.-Settling the Frontier:The Mormon pioneers came to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847...
opened a dinner theatre in 2004, and the
Gathering Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville opened in early 2009. Still, it's a tough business that requires at least half a million residents within 50 miles to provide the customers needed to turn a profit. At the end of 2006, the National Dinner Theatre Association only 32 members, up from 9 in 1999.
Professional vs. Amateur
There is a basic distinction between professional and non-union theatres. The former are known as
Equity theatres, where performers are members of the
Actors' Equity AssociationThe Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union embracing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
(AEA), the union that represents professional stage actors and stage managers. Professional shows generally have a higher overhead because Actor’s Equity contracts typically require the theatre to pay for lodging, a minimum salary, insurance and pension payments as well as other work rules regarding auditions and hiring.
The reduction in professional dinner theaters from 147 in 1976 to 9 in 1999 was not because the facilities went out of business; those theatres changed to non-union to reduce expenses. However, professional actors have distinct advantages over amateurs. Pros can generally be counted on to know their lines, learn their moves quickly and incorporate changes from the director immediately. There is no learning curve.
Also, professional actors don't rely on another job that can conflict with rehearsals and weekday matinees. It is usually easier to locate and cast older character actors from the Actors Equity pool of talent.
Commercial vs. Non-profit
Tony DeSantis had a lifetime of experience with restaurants and dinner theater. He claimed that you could make money with a restaurant, but it was the alcohol sales that were profitable; if you broke even when operating a theatre, you were successful.
While many theatres operate as not-for-profit organizations in order to take advantage of grants and funding from government agencies or private foundations, most dinner theatres are commercial businesses due to the management and capital requirements of both theatre and restaurant operations. Commercial dinner theatres will have shows six or seven nights a week, as well as matinees. They will also have short breaks between shows, usually less than a week.
A typical non-profit is the
Starlight Dinner Theatre in
Lansing, MichiganLansing is the capital city of the U.S. state of Michigan, and the state's sixth largest city. It is located about 80 miles west-northwest of Detroit and is mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County...
, where the dinner is catered, the shows are staged at a school
cafetoriumA cafetorium, sometimes known as an auditeria, is a room, usually in a school, that is used as both a cafeteria and auditorium. The word is formed from a portmanteau of "cafeteria" and "auditorium" and has been used prior to 1961 at John Muir Elementary School in Glendale, California....
and the season includes only four productions with four performances per production (on Friday and Saturday nights). Most non-profits also use amateur actors or the leading role may be a professional with the rest of the cast composed of amateurs.
Tourist
Vacation destinations such as
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
,
Branson, MissouriBranson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named for Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. Branson is a popular destination for vacationers from Missouri and the surrounding states. The population was 6,050 at the 2000 census...
and
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
have seen the emergence of specialty dinner theatres, where the show stays the same for an extended run because the vast majority of their customers are tourists, not local residents. The most popular vacation destination on the planet,
Orlando, FloridaOrlando is a major city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan region...
, had more than a dozen competing for a share of the $17.3 Billion that tourists spent in 1999. Through the 1990s, sixteen Dinner Theaters opened and closed there.
This genre includes
Medieval TimesMedieval Times Dinner & Tournament is a chain of dinner theaters which host "royal" feasts and tournaments featuring medieval games, sword-fighting and jousting. Each of the nine North American locations is housed in an 11th-century-style castle...
,
Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show,
Dolly Parton's Dixie StampedeDixie Stampede is a dinner theater with three locations in the Southern United States. Dixie Stampede is owned by Dolly Parton and The Dollywood Company, a branch of the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.-Locations:...
,
Capone's Dinner & Show or
Tommy Gun's Garage Pirates Dinner Adventure,
Sea WorldSea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.-Park History:Sea World was founded by...
's
Makahiki LuauA luau is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula...
or Disney World's
Spirit of Aloha Show, and
Arabian Nights Dinner Show.
Whodunit
Murder MysteryMurder mystery games are generally party games wherein one of the partygoers is secretly playing a murderer, and the other attendees must determine who among them is the criminal...
(MM) is interactive dinner theatre that has become a popular segment of its’ own. The production may be public, where anyone can attend for the price of admission, or private, where a company, social group or organization sponsors the event for its members.
Murder Mystery Players, Inc., established in 1987, has franchises in 36 major cities that offer both public and private shows, many staged at Dave and Busters. Their professionals utilize period costumes and props based on the production's theme and claim over 35,000 performances nationwide. Many of these type MM's are organized by acting troupes that evolve to run a business. One good example of non-theater people producing a dinner show is Hulett and Wilson Productions Inc. The company that produces The Gourmet Detective in Southern California. This company opened in 1990 and performs in both Riverside and Orange Counties. Most interesting is that it is run by two producers with non-theater backgrounds, which for the murder mystery dinner show business creates an opportunity for writers, directors, musicians and actors of a more egalitarian nature; meaning, the best performers and creative people have their chance based on talent, rather than simply getting on stage because they're part of the troupe that founded the group in the first place.
While utilizing the “dinner and a show” concept, MM generally targets a smaller audience than typical dinner theatre, with public performances featuring professional actors while private showings may offer "roles" to the guests, who participate in the production as either characters or detectives. Some companies, such as
Murder Ink Productions, offer the production at the customer's choice of location, such as a private residence, the banquet room at a restaurant, a hotel or a corporate facility.
Others
Wedding Comedy is similar to Murder Mystery because the staging requirements are minimal and the audience has interaction with the actors while they perform.
Joey and Maria's Comedy Italian WeddingJoey and Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding is an interactive dinner theater presentation and the longest-running presentation of its kind in the United States...
was written by Darlyne Franklin in 1992 and the franchise rights were sold in 2001. Other examples include
Tony n' Tina's WeddingTony n’ Tina’s Wedding is one of the longest-running comedies in American theatrical history. Credited as the originator of the “environmental theatre” craze, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding stages a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception with the warm and intrusive stereotypes pushed to the...
,
Frankie & Gina's Comedy Wedding and a gay version,
Joni and Gina's WeddingJoni and Gina's Wedding is a lesbian version Tony n' Tina's Wedding. The format is an audience interactive comedy where patrons are wedding guests who mingle with Hollywood actors posing as members of an eclectic wedding party. The show is the creation of Marianne Basford and Ann Lippert. Joni And...
.
Riverboat Dinner Cruises combine
ShowboatA showboat, or show boat, was a form of theater that traveled along the waterways of the United States, especially along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. A showboat was basically a barge that resembled a long, flat-roofed house, and in order to move down the river, it was pushed by a small tugboat ...
with a meal. Obviously, they are limited to locations on a navigable body of water, such as the
Showboat Branson BelleThe Showboat Branson Belle is a riverboat - more specifically, a showboat on the Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. The lake is landlocked by the Table Rock Dam on one side and the Beaver Lake Dam on the other side. Being a showboat it hosts Lunch and Dinner shows throughout the year. One of...
or the
Goldenrod ShowboatOn December 24, 1967, the Goldenrod Showboat was designated a is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. This designation did not prohibit its demolition. She was placed on the ‘Threatened Historical Landmarks’ list in 2001....
. There are numerous Murder Mystery Dinner Cruises.
Holiday
Madrigal dinnerA Madrigal Dinner or Madrigal Feast is an American form of dinner theater often held by schools and church groups during the Christmas season. It is set in the Middle Ages and is generally comedic in nature. The meal is divided into courses, each of which is heralded with a traditional song...
s aka
Madrigal Feasts are seasonal, typically held during the Christmas season. They are often staged by educational or religious entities for fundraising and include food, music & singing, poetry & humor, costumes and a play from the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, ranging from medieval to the
renaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
periods.
Other Dinner Theatres
- Amesbury Playhouse - New England's oldest continuously-running dinner theatre
- Arizona Broadway Theatre - major musical theater productions
- The Black Bear Jamboree - musical revue in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Brick Lane Music Hall - music hall style theatre with dinner in London
- Candlelight Music Dinner Theatre - first dinner theatre in Delaware
- Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater - "casually elegant" dinner theater for two decades
- Carey Dinner Theatre - a summer professional dinner theatre housed and operated out of William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS.
- Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre - professional theatre and gourmet buffet in Nashville, Tennessee since 1967
- Chesapeake Music Hall - musical revue in Annapolis, Maryland
- Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre - professional Broadway style shows in Wichita, Kansas
- Early Bird Dinner Theatre - entertainment for seniors in Clearwater, Florida
- Elizabeth Howard's Curtain Call Theater - Broadway-style dinner theater in Tustin, California
- Entertainment Function Centre Brisbane - versatile venue for any occasion featuring dinner-theatre
- Finnegan's Wake - seasonal Irish comedy dinner theater in Boston
- Fireside Dinner Theatre - professional theatre featuring New York talent and fine dining
- Gourmet Detective - Professionals in the food and murder business since 1990, performing in Orange County and Riverside, Ca
- Golden Apple - buffet dinner theatre with Broadway-style shows
- Greg Frewin Dinner Theatre - Las Vegas Illusion shows in a dinner theatre seating 700
- Halifax Feast Dinner Theatre - three course meal followed by musical comedy with audience participation
- Haunted Dinner Theater - Summer family buffet dinner theater with audience interaction, mystery, magic & special effects in Williamsburg, Virginia.
- JM Productions & Children's Corner - dinner and cabaret at The Fox and Hound Restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts.
- Kelowna Actors Studio - Community-based amateur family theatre
- The Mill at Sonning - dinner theatre staged in a restored 18th century flour mill on the Thames River
- Mixed Nuts Interactive Cabaret - dinner and comedy show plus music, celebrities and prizes
- Murry's Dinner Playhouse - great dinner and theatre in Little Rock, Arkansas
- New Theatre Restaurant - Broadway comedies and musicals featuring TV, film, and stage stars in Kansas City
- The Newport Playhouse & Cabaret Restaurant - An ample buffet, a great play and a fun cabaret
- Olde Towne Dinner Theatre - fine dining for 20 years in Worthing, South Dakota
- Opus Nostrum Dinner Theatre - productions staged in an old sewing factory in Headland, Alabama
- Rainbow Dinner Theatre - all comedy shows in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater - featuring the Good Company Players for over thirty years
- Role Players Ensemble Theatre - non-profit offering classic and contemporary dramas, comedies and musicals
- Rosie Rumpe's Regal Dumpe - guests revel and sing with wenches, minstrels and fools
- Saskatoon's Off Broadway Dinner Theatre - eat, drink and be merry
- The Starline Room Dinner Theatre at the Paris Cabaret - musical revues in Stoughton, Massachusetts
- Stars Theatre Restaurant - Broadway-style musicals in Bakersfield, California
- The Station Dinner Theatre - seating in an actual train car featuring Medieval feasts, Wild west, and Roaring 20’s musical comedies where the performers are also the servers
- Student Dinner Theater - entertainment for student groups featuring murder mysteries, game shows and interactive events
- Titanic Entertainments - dinner theatre aboard the RMS Titanic
The RMS Titanic was an Olympic-class passenger liner owned by British shipping company White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, United Kingdom...
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