Good Shows For Dinner Theatre??

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:16pm

Hey, guys! What are some good musicals for a dinner theatre with a small budget and older clientele? We're still relatively new and trying to find our footing. Classic shows with big, well-known titles are what sell, but our budget doesn't allow for the "big" musicals. Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

Thanks and Happy Easter to All!
Joshua

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:17pm

The best dinner thater production I saw was of Miss Saigon. It was done with a very minimalist set and worked very well.

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:22pm

We've toyed with the idea of "Miss Saigon"; however, our space is a little small and our audiences consist of 99.9% retirees who've never heard of most shows written after 1970.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:24pm

We did "Greater Tuna" one year to GREAT success.

I've also seen good stagings of "Sound of Music" and "Wizard of Oz" both can be done on small-ish budgets...and RnH are more likely to work with you if you are fledgling group.

[MerMaggieGalinda]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 8:24pm

Maybe a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein one, like Cinderella or the Sound of Music? For a small stage though, The Fantasticks is a good one. A very minimalist production.
Updated On: 4/9/07 at 08:24 PM

[Lizzya9]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:10pm

I would say A Chorus Line, and Pirates of Penzance. I agree with the Cinderella idea.

[balletandbroadway]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:22pm

A dinner theatre by us just did Fiddler on the Roof.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:23pm

In 8th grade our choir trip was to see The Goodbye Girl at a dinner theater near here.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:38pm

The most impresive dinner theatre production that I have seen is "Blood Brothers", I don't know if it sold well, but it was absolutely amazing. If you are looking for an easy sell, choose any of the well-known Andrew Lloyd Webber shows. (Evita, Joseph, Jesus...Dreamcoat....etc)

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:39pm

What about Oklahoma!

[morosco]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 9:42pm

Nunsense...they LOVE the Nunsense!

[Piercemn]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:01pm

If you visit the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre website, you'll see some of the titles they've done over the years. I saw Easter Parade there recently, and it was cute. Not great, but it was okay. They are following with (groan) Les Mis.

On the other hand, they've done all of the Nunsense musicals, and three of them premiered at Chanhassen. I have also seen their Good News and a production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Their production of I Do! I Do! ran 22 years!

I think 70, Girls, 70 would be a good show for the blue hairs. If your theatre is small, that would work, because it's a small ensemble show.

I once directed a dinner theatre production of Born Yesterday. It did fairly well.
If you Google the topic, you'll get pages of websites and can see what's going on. Check, especially, the one in Ft. Atkinson, WI. They have been producing for many years and are very successful. I think the name is the Fireside, but I don't remember.

I also think that dinner theatre implies musical comedy, thrillers and popular comedies like Barefoot in the Park. Have fun searching. Good luck.

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:06pm

I shouldhave given a list of what we've already done and what's on the schedule for the remainder of the season.

In Chronological Order:

Hello, Dolly! (First production, slow sales.)
Gypsy (Low Sales)
42nd Street (Sold Out)
Forever Plaid (Low Sales)
Oliver! (Fair Sales)
Grease (Sold Out)
Nunsense: A-Men! (Sold Out)
Pirates of Penzance (Low Sales ... Cancelled Final Week)
Singin' In The Rain (Sold Out)
Cabaret (Medium Sales)
Babes In Arms (Low Sales)
Guys and Dolls (Low Sales)
Bye Bye, Birdie
The Sound of Music
Nunsense II
South Pacific
Fiddler on the Roof

and our yearly Holiday Revue show.

The company who owned the space before us tried their fair share of small shows, all of which tanked at the Box Office. (Charlie Brown, Fantasticks, Forum, etc.)

I have suggested "Wizard of OZ" on numerous occasions, but the owners are afraid of the production being mistaken for glorified children's theatre. If I could find "black and white proof" that the show makes money, then they might consider it. I've done the show six times now and it always sells out ... but they want numbers and figures. And I don't blame them, I suppose.

Thanks so much for the great responses so far, guys! Lots of great ideas!

~Joshua

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:10pm

FOREVER PLAID, NUNSENSE, and TONY and TINA'S WEDDING are classic Dinner Show favorites around here.

We could do the same three shows every year and they would still fill the house!

All fun shows and well received by a wide age group!

GOOD LUCK!

[goldenboy]

Posted: 4/8/07 at 10:23pm

I Do I Do ( Schmidt and Jones tuner about marriage)
Romance Romance ( patern here of titles that repeat themselves)
Jacques Brel is a live....
Flora the Red Menace ( new version with cast of
Ruthless
The Fantasticks
A My Name is Alice
Taking My Turn
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:30am

From the shows you mention have sold out, it seems they like the ones with big ensembles and dancing numbers, instead of more character-driven shows - you should look into that - try Chicago, Cats, Joseph, Crazy For You, Beauty and the Beast...and A Christmas Carol will be popular forever.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 3:48am

Sweeney Todd (while serving meatpies )

[Joelbeans]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 9:57am

I worked at a dinner theatre that was on a showboat here in St. Louis and it was a very small stage, and not a lot of money, but they did some great shows. Among them were:
-I Do! I Do!
-42nd Street (crowded stage but doable)
-Sound of music (Same crowded Stage but do-able)
-Will Rogers Follies
-Any of the Nunsense
-Romance, Romance
-Joseph
-Hello Dolly
-Oklahoma
-Guys & Dolls
-1940s Radio Hour
-Swingtime Canteen (Great show for the older crowd....they loved the old songs)
-Fantasticks

Some straight plays:
-Love, Sex and the IRS
-Run for Your Wife

[Horton]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 10:04am

No No Nanette!

Posted: 4/9/07 at 10:38am

70 girls 70!

I worked for a dinner theatre and we eventually went to all revues- The audience was about 90% old women and they would bore easily and COULD NOT sit through a normal length show. So we'd do a 40 minute first act, intermission (HUGE line at the ladies room) and then a 20 or 30 minute second act.

We'd also do a commercial for the NEXT show after the curtain call and the whole cast had to come mingle with the audience.

They loved Nunsense and ANYTHING where old people came out and sang old songs.

[JoshuaEads]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 10:46am

Oh, Cooool Kid, how many times I've mentioned that one, LoL! With "Mrs. Mooney's Pussy Pie" for dessert.

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 12:13pm

Something's Afoot
They're Playing Our Song
Dracula

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:17pm

I've seen Chess and The Sound of Music at dinner theatre.

[BDrischBDemented]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:45pm

"Eating Raoul"

[G_Schlozinski2]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 3:57pm

Crimes of the Heart
Cactus Flower
Forty Carats
Pippin
Nine
Applause
L'il Abner
Seesaw
The Boyfriend
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom