Dinner theater
Dinner theater (sometimes called dinner and a show) is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. "Dinner and a show" can also refer to a restaurant meal in combination with live concert music, where patrons listen to a performance during a break in the meal. In the case of a theatrical performance, sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal. In the style of a night club, the play may be the main feature of the evening, with dinner less important or optional. Dinner theater requires the management of three distinct entities: a live theater, a restaurant and, usually, a bar.[1]
Variations[edit]
Tourist[edit]
Vacation American destinations such as Las Vegas, Destin, Florida, Branson, Missouri, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, California, saw the emergence of specialty dinner theaters, 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 in the United States, Orlando, Florida, had more than a dozen dinner theaters operating in 1999; through the 1990s, sixteen opened and closed there.[38]
Murder mystery[edit]
Murder mystery games are interactive dinner theater events that have become popular on their own. The productions may be public where anyone can attend for the price of admission, or private where a company, social group or organization sponsors an event for its members. While utilizing the "dinner and a show" concept, the murder mystery show generally targets a smaller audience than typical dinner theater. Public performances usually feature professional actors while private showings may offer "roles" to the guests who participate in the production as either characters or detectives.
Others[edit]
The Wedding Comedy is similar to Murder Mystery as the staging requirements are minimal and the audience has interaction with the actors while they perform. Joey and Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding was written by Darlyne Franklin in 1992 and the franchise rights were sold in 2001.[39] Other examples include Tony n' Tina's Wedding and a gay version, Joni and Gina's Wedding.
Riverboat Dinner Cruises combine a showboat with a meal. They are limited to locations on a navigable body of water, such as the Showboat Branson Belle or the Goldenrod Showboat.
Madrigal dinners 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, singing, poetry, humor, costumes, and a play from the Middle Ages, ranging from medieval to the Renaissance periods.[40]
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a chain of dinner theaters with shows featuring horses and jousting.[41]