People love dinner theater, the idea of enjoying a meal while seeing a show has been around since the first dinner theater opened in 1962. Minnesota's Chanhassen dinner theater opened its doors six years later, and today is celebrating it's 40th anniversary. The theater stages a variety of top notch plays throughout the year.
This theater is huge. There are many dining and show spaces throughout the 90,000 sq. ft. complex. Chanhassen's biggest show space is the Main Dinner Theater. It seats 541 people. That doesn't sound like a lot for a theater, but consider this includes tables and booths where meals are served along with the stage performance. There's the Playhouse Theater, a very small space, and the Fireside Theater where patrons see a show after eating in a different dining space. For people who want a little more luxury there is a Director's Room overlooking the Main Dinner Theater . People can enjoy private meals while watching the play. There are also banquet facilities, a pub and a lounge.
Speaking of the Playhouse Theater, this smaller room has a unique history of its own. ”I Do! I Do!” began showing there in 1971. It ran until 1993. A 22 year run is one thing, but the original cast was involved from the first to the last performances. Chanhassen built it's fame on that play with 700,000 total viewers, 125 watching at a time.
Over the years some of the most well known plays have had their run at Chanhassen. From May of 2003 to June of 2004 Sound of Music played a repeat performance there. My Fair Lady has played there, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, Camelot, Annie Get Your Gun and a host of others. These all played in the main theater. Other shows that have played in the facility are Dial M For Murder, The Sunshine Boys, On Golden Pond along with many, many more. As the titles show, everything from big productions to smaller pieces show at Chanhassen. Good food and excellent shows make it a landmark in the Twin Cities.
The Chanhassen Dinner Theater is a fun place to visit whether you happen to be in town, or even as a destination in itself. There are plenty of hotels for visitors. Find out more about this historic dinner theater at the web site http://www.chanhassentheatres.com.
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