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Dinner Theater combines a meal with a stage or cabaret-style show, likely developed from supper clubs. Productions are chosen for general appeal and low costs, featuring both professional and amateur talent. It can be a good first step towards a professional career and tickets are relatively cheap.
Dinner Theater is a form of live entertainment that includes a meal along with a stage show or cabaret-style show. Most often, the menu is pre-selected by the venue owners or a catering buffet is provided prior to the show. This form of entertainment most likely developed out of the popular supper clubs of the 1940s and 1950s, where nightclubs combined world-class dining with a stand-up comedy act, variety show, or big band entertainment. As the popularity of these clubs waned, the new owners renovated the buildings to house plays.
Most of the works are chosen for their general appeal and relatively low production costs. Customers are more likely to see a Neil Simon romantic comedy than a Shakespearean tragedy or Wagnerian opera. Other typical fare may include a one-man show by a recognized star, an intimate stand-up comedy performance, or an interactive murder mystery. Some theaters have limited stage space, but others may have state-of-the-art facilities with 50,000 square feet (15,240 square meters) of performance area.
Because many productions combine professional and amateur talent, they sometimes get a bad rap from others in the professional entertainment industry. Few A-list celebrities actively participate in performances while their careers are ongoing. Viewers are more likely to see actors from older television series or films headline the productions, and the rest of the cast may be local college theater majors or regional amateur actors. The level of the acting can be varied, but it’s usually not painfully unwatchable. Many recognizable performers prefer the stability of the dinner theater circuit to the uncertainties of Hollywood.
Many behind-the-scenes insiders and beginning performers see this type of theater as a good first step towards a professional career. Unlike community theater productions or college-sponsored shows, dinner theater is almost always a paid concert. Amateurs have the opportunity to work alongside seasoned professionals who understand the world of entertainment. Just like working in soap opera productions, this type of performance can lead to auditions for traveling Broadway shows or movies.
Tickets to these shows are relatively cheap, considering the equivalent cost of a separate meal and show in a place like New York City. Some of the larger outlets may feature popular musicals just off the Broadway stage. Actors are encouraged to interact with the audience, so viewers may have the opportunity to meet a favorite actor or mingle with cast members after the show.
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