LGT_60-65_Layout 1 - Leisure Group Travel

Prather Entertainment
Top Theatre Picks
By Lauren Reiniger
F
rom musicals to comedies to classic plays, theatres across America cater to
groups’ wishes to include stage entertainment in their travels, whether it’s a
matinee performance or a night on the town. Here are some choices for dinner
theatres, outdoor spectacles and everything in between.
American Shakespeare Center
ner, the show begins as the stage descends from the ceiling; the hy-
Staunton, Virginia
draulic stage has been in operation since the theatre opened. The Barn
American Shakespeare Center mimics
how a Shakespeare play would take place
in the Renaissance era, complete with au-
★
Dinner Theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and will
present the musicals Groovin’, Showtime in Harlem and Soul Sistas.
(800-668-1764, barndinner.com)
dience engagement, authentic costumes
and large wooden platforms for sets. This
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
season presents The Merry Wives of
Indianapolis, Indiana
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is a
Windsor, Othello and Henry IV. The playhouse offers snacks and drinks for purchase before the performance
year-round, professional dinner theatre
and during intermission. The playhouse is handicap-accessible and
that provides a complete experience: a
offers hearing assistive devices and large print copies of scripts.
freshly-prepared dinner buffet, full bar
(540-885-5588, ext. 24, americanshakespearecenter.com)
service at your table, gourmet desserts
The Barn Dinner Theatre
Greensboro, North Carolina
Since 1964, The Barn Dinner Theatre
has been producing Broadway-style per-
★
★
and the professional production that follows. Most shows are Broadway musicals, with the occasional comedy or play. Productions showing this
season include Disney musical Mary Poppins, Anything Goes, A
Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement, Oklahoma and Fiddler on the
formances, or “dinnertainment,” making it
Roof. Groups are offered discount tickets and are acknowledged
the oldest continually operating dinner the-
from the stage before shows. (317-876-0503, beefandboards.com)
atre in the United States. Dinner features a
buffet, salad bar and dessert bar. After din60 April 2014
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, set in Oregon in the 1850s, plays
through May 11 at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, Pa.
LeisureGroupTravel.com
★
Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre
Nashville, Tennessee
Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre has produced comedies, musicals and mysteries since 1967, making it the second oldest professional dinner theatre in the nation. It has been voted Music
City’s Best Dinner Theatre, received five stars in customer serv-
ice and has been rated one of Nashville’s Top 25 Tourist Attractions. This season’s productions include A Bad Year for Tomatoes, Grease, A Fox on the Fairway, Ain’t Misbehavin’,
Gone But Not Forgotten and A Christmas Carol. (615-646-9977, ext.11, dinnertheatre.com)
Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse
Rock Island, Illinois
Circa ’21, housed in a restored 1921 vaudeville-movie theatre,
★
is the only professional dinner theatre in the Quad Cities. Dinner
features a five-entrée buffet and a choice between soup or salad
served at your table. This season will present Fiddler on the
Roof, Love, Lies and the Lottery, Funny, You Don’t Look Like a
Grandmother and youth musicals. Groups are offered personalized service, complimentary
tickets for escorts and drivers, and fresh home-baked cookies for motorcoach groups to take
★
on their way home. (309-786-2667, circa21.com)
Cornwell’s Turkeyville
Marshall, Michigan
Cornwell’s Turkeyville features a hotel, various events, a gift
shop and, of course, the dinner theatre with a 250-seat restaurant
and 175-seat theatre. This season will show Boogie Woogie Swing
Time, Suds, Ring of Fire—The Johnny Cash Story and Cornwell’s
Christmas Carol. Group benefits include special pricing, personal greetings and a complimentary dinner and show for every 20 tickets bought. (269-781-4293, turkeyville.com)
Dallas Summer Musicals
Dallas, Texas
Celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer, Dallas Summer
★
Musicals is the largest producer of live theatrical entertainment
in the Southwest and the second oldest summer theatre organization in the nation. Productions are shown year-round and
always feature Broadway musicals. This season features Evita,
Mamma Mia! and Nice Work If You Can Get It. Private, post-show Q&A with cast members
is available to groups. Suites in the Music Hall can be used for group gatherings and
pre-show parties. (214-426-4768, dallassummermusicals.org)
Das Dutch Village
Columbiana, Ohio
★
Das Dutch Village is an all-inclusive destination, including the
Das Dutch Village Inn, Das Dutch Haus Restaurant & Bakery and
Das Dutch Village Shops, which are all located within walking distance of each other in the quaint village. All productions are original modern retellings of Bible stories. This season will show St.
John’s Revival with the Walking Roots Band, The Jesus Stories and Just Give ’Em the News.
Groups are offered overnight dinner theatre packages that include a night in the groupfriendly hotel, a buffet dinner and show tickets. (330-482-5050, dasdutchvillage.com)
62 April 2014
LeisureGroupTravel.com
Derby Dinner Playhouse
Clarksville, Indiana
Derby Dinner Playhouse will celebrate its 40th anniver-
★
sary this year with Mary Poppins, A Mighty Fortress is our
Basement, A Wonderful Life and Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers. The theatre provides an intimate environment
and is close to attractions in Louisville, Ky. A group packaging service includes pre-planned and customized itineraries with step-on guide service. Dinner features Derby Fried Chicken and a full salad
★
bar. (812-288-2632, derbydinner.com)
The Fireside Dinner Theatre
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
The Fireside is Wisconsin’s only Equity Dinner
Theatre and recognized as Wisconsin’s No. 1 year-round
motorcoach attraction. This season, the theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary and will present Mary Poppins, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the
Roof, Driving Miss Daisy and the new anniversary edition of A Fireside Christmas.
Except for Thursday buffets, Sunday brunches and Saturday five-course dinners,
shows include a full three-course dinner served at the table. (800-477-9505,
firesidetheatre.com)
The Great Passion Play
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
The Great Passion Play is
★
“America's #1 Attended Outdoor
Drama” according to the Institute of
Outdoor Theatre of East Carolina
University in Greenville, S.C. The
play is located on the hillside and features over 170 cast members and dozens of animals. The site also includes the Christ
of the Ozarks, Holy Land Tour, Bible Museum and Sacred Arts
Museum. Backstage tours and buffet dinners are available.
(800-882-7529, greatpassionplay.org).
Maine State Music Theatre
Brunswick, Maine
Maine State Music Theatre is a
professional summer theatre that
★
produces four Broadway-quality musicals, three special events and two
children’s shows at the Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin Campus in
Brunswick. This season will feature
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,
Chamberlain – A Civil War Romance, Seven Bridges from Seven
Brothers and Footloose. Each group gets a personal concierge
who provides assistance throughout the experience. Other group
benefits include discounts, preferred seating and post-show discussions. (207-725-8760, msmt.org)
LeisureGroupTravel.com
April 2014 63
Medieval Times
Dinner & Tournament
Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore/
★
three theatres across the country. Broadway Palm will show MidLife The Crisis Musical, The Music Man and Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The Palms will show Burt and
Washington, D.C.; Buena Park, Cali-
Me. Dutch Apple productions will include Shrek The Musical, Hair-
fornia; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas;
spray and A Wonderful Life. Each theatre is close to a tourism
Lyndhurst, New Jersey; Myrtle Beach,
area, so groups have exciting itineraries for the entire region.
South Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Toronto, Ontario
Groups enjoy dinner buffets or even an upscale linen service in
Set within the walls of an 11th century-style castle, Medieval Times
the Florida theatre. (Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, 800-933-3759;
is North America’s longest running and most popular dinner attraction,
The Palms Theatre, 480-924-6260; Broadway Palm Dinner
now celebrating 30 years and more than 50 million guests. This sea-
Theatre, 800-475-7256; pratherentertainmentgroup.com)
son features a new educational matinee where students see a curriculum-based production. For all groups, shows feature a story line
Rainbow Dinner Theatre
filled with medieval-style horsemanship, swordplay and other skills in
Paradise, Pennsylvania
a jousting tournament. Guests eat medieval-style meals with their
Rainbow, celebrating its 30th season,
hands and various group packages are available. (866-543-9637,
is the only all-comedy dinner theatre in
medievaltimes.com)
the U.S. Owned and operated by a hus-
Palace Theatre Myrtle Beach
★
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
★
band and wife, the theatre offers personalization and a sense of family. The
summer show is Always A Bridesmaid,
Palace Theatre hosts a touring pro-
followed by Drinking Habits, a new farce about nuns who secretly
duction company as well as events such
make and sell wine to save their convent. All food is cooked fresh
as competitions, festivals, concerts,
and on-site. (800-292-4301, rainbowdinnertheatre.com)
Easter Masses and religious conferences. This season’s productions
include the musical Hot Jersey Nights and Illusions of Magic, which will
Wagon Wheel Theatre
feature Ben Blaque and his crossbow from America’s Got Talent 2012,
Warsaw, Indiana
the first indoor human cannonball and five 200-pound Bengal tigers.
Wagon Wheel Theatre, dating from
Groups are offered meet-and-greets, personal greetings, discounts
1961, is one of Indiana’s oldest theatres,
and dinner options. (843-626-8927, palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com)
featuring concerts, shows and Wagon
Prather Entertainment Group
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Dutch Apple
★
★
Wheel Jr. for kids’ productions. This season’s production line-up includes Disney’s Mary Poppins, Catch Me If You
Dinner Theatre) Mesa, Arizona (The
Can, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, And Then There Were None,
Palms Theatre) Fort Myers, Florida
The Marvelous Wonderettes and Rent. Groups are able to book
(Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre)
lunch or dinner buffet reservations in a private banquet room.
Prather Entertainment Group has
(574-267-8041, wagonwheeltheatre.org)
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