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Alhambra Dinner Theatre

www.alhambradinnertheatre.com/

The Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida is the oldest continually operating Dinner theater in the United States, and the only professional resident theatre in the area south of Atlanta, east of New Orleans and north of Orlando.

Contents

1 History

2 Notable appearances

3 Expansion

4 Brief closure

5 References

6 External links

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History

The Alhambra was built by Jacksonville businessman Leon Simon in 1967 and purchased by Tod Booth, Sr. in 1984. Booth moved to Jacksonville from Chicago, where he worked as artistic director for the Drury Lane Theaters. His family has frequently been involved, with daughter Jessica Booth and wife Lisa Valdini appearing in a number of shows and son Tod Jr. contributing in various aspects, including acting, directing and stage managing of the dinner theatre before becoming general manager and director of the Alhambra’s Children’s Theatre.

As with other dinner theaters of the 1970s, Alhambra initially relied on the appeal of former stars of film, television and music to attract customers. Alhambra’s first such headliner was in Barefoot in the Park in 1969, which featured former Gilligan’s Island costar Dawn Wells. Stars earned weekly pay between ,500 and ,000 for six to eight weeks as well as being able to enjoy the weather and amenities in Florida. According to Booth, “When their careers cooled, a star could learn a show and take it on the dinner theater circuit. That one show could be a meal ticket for a year or two.” Other celebreties, including soap opera cast members, hosts from TV game shows, and Playboy Centerfold gals appeared in productions. In the early 1980s, however, it became difficult to hire former big names to act in dinner theatre. Booth explained: “They could make more in a day doing a commercial than they could make during the entire run of dinner theater show, and they didn’t have to travel. Plus, a lot of the stars just started dying off.” As a result, few of the performers had familiar names, but all were professionals, most with extensive experience on stage, in movies and TV. The show itself was promoted, rather than the headliner.

Notable appearances

During the 1970s, over 70 stars graced the Alhambra stage:

Celebrity

Production

Year

Ann B. Davis

Lullaby; 3 on a Honeymoon

1972

Artie Johnson

Seven Year Itch

1973

Bernie Kopell

The Sunshine Boys

2005

Betty Grable

Born Yesterday

1973

Bob Crane

Beginner’s Luck

1973

Bob Denver

Paisley Convertible

1973

Broderick Crawford

The Second Time Around

1976

Cesar Romero

Never Get Smart with an Angel

1978

Claude Akins

I Ought to Be in Pictures

1984

Cyd Charisse

Kindling

1978

Cyd Charisse

Bell, Book & Candle

1981

Dana Andrews

Best of Friends

1974

Dawn Wells

Barefoot in the Park

1969

Dennis Cole

And All the Girls Came Out to Play

1970

Dennis James

The Impossible Years

1979

Don Ameche

Girl in the Freudian Slip

1971

Dorothy Lamour

Fallen Angels

1973

Dorothy Lamour

Personal Appearance

1976

Dwayne Hickman

Natalie Needs a Nightie

1974

Fannie Flagg

Once More, with Feeling

1972

Forrest Tucker

Plaza Suite

1977

Forrest Tucker

Captain Outrageous

1981

Frank Gorshin

Breaking Legs

1995

Frank Sutton

The Last of the Red Hot Lovers

1972

Gail Bliss

A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline

2000,01,02,04

Gale Gordon

Never Too late

1977

Gale Gordon

Love & Kisses

1979

Gary Burghoff

Boney Kern

1982

Gene Barry

Hot Shot

1977

Gene Rayburn

Lovers Leap

1980

George Hamilton

6 Rms Riv Vu

1974

Georgia Simmons

Tobacco Road

1970

Gig Young

Harvey

1974

Gordon Jump

Norman, Is That You?

1983

Hugh O’Brian

Cactus Flower

1974

Imogene Coca

A Girl Can Get Lucky

1970

Imogene Coca

Plaza Suite

1971

Jack Cassidy

Murder Among Friends

1976

Jack Kelley

Under the Yum Yum Tree

1975

James Drury

Catch Me If You Can

1972

James Drury

The Prisoner of Second Avenue

1976

James Drury

California Suite

1979

Jay Thomas

Chapter 2

1980

Jay Thomas

See How They Run

1982

Jay Thomas

A Gentleman and a Scoundrel

1982

Joey Bishop

The Seven Year Itch

1981

John Carradine

Tobacco Road

1970

Judy Carne

Mary, Mary

1977

June Wilkinson

Pajama Tops

1970

June Wilkinson

Pajama Tops

1975

June Wilkinson

Pajama Tops

1976

June Wilkinson

90 Day Mistress

1978

Keith Carradine

Tobacco Road

1970

King Donovan

A Girl Can Get Lucky

1970

King Donovan

Plaza Suite

1971

Lauren Tewes

Born Yesterday

1981

Leanza Cornett

Barefoot in the Park

1997

Lee Meredith

The Marriage-Go-Round

1980

Liv Lindeland

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

1972

Lyle Waggoner

Boeing-Boeing

1970

Mamie Van Doren

In One Bed, Out The Other

1971

Mamie Van Doren

A Dash of Spirits

1977

Marjorie Lord

How the Other Half Lives

1974

Martha Raye

Everybody Loves Opal

1979

Martha Raye

Everybody Loves Opal

1983

Martin Milner

The Tender Trap

1980

Meredith MacRae

Sunday in New York

1971

Mickey Rooney

See How they Run

1973

Mickey Rooney

See How they Run

1974

Morey Amsterdam

Who Wants Fat Hair

1978

Morgan Fairchild

Paisley Convertible; The Seven Year Itch

1973

Nancy Kulp

Busybody

1976

Paige O’Hara

The Sound of Music

1979

Paige O’Hara

The Sound of Music

1982

Pam Blair

Cactus Flower

1974

Pernell Roberts

Any Wednesday

1974

Pat O’Brien

Paris is Out

1974

Pia Zadora

The Drunkard

1971

Ray Walston

You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running

1976

Richard Egan

Hanky Panky

1978

Richard Egan

Broken Up

1979

Robert Morse

Play It Again, Sam

1978

Robert Morse

Murder at the Howard Johnson’s

1980

Robert Morse

Wally’s Cafe

1984

Robert Q. Lewis

Norman, Is That You?

1971

Robert Reed

Wake Up, Darling

1974

Ruta Lee

Goodbye Charlie

1972

Sal Mineo

How The Other Half Lives

1974

Sandra Dee

90 Day Mistress

1975

Sandy Dennis

Same Time, Next Year

1979

Sid Caesar

The Last of the Red Hot Lovers

1982

Stephen Douglas

I Do! I Do!

1970

Tab Hunter

The Tender Trap

1973

Tab Hunter

Here Lies Jeremy Troy

1975

Vera Miles

Painting Churches

1986

Veronica Hamel

Cactus Flower

1974

Vivian Vance

Arsenic and Old Lace

1974

The Alhambra’s performers are members of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the union that represents professional stage and film actors. The theatre features buffet dinners and a full bar service. The bar itself seats 75 for patrons who arrive early for happy hour. The facility uses a Thrust stage to give all 408 seats an excellent view. Several staff members have been at the venue for over 25 years.

Expansion

During 1997, plans were drawn up to reconfigure the Alhambra into separate theatre and dining sections. A 24,800 ft2 new building would be constructed for a restaurant seating 600 and a banquet facility for another 100. The present structure would be converted into auditorium seating for 600 and triple the size of the stage. Construction was projected to start in the fall of 1998, pending financing approval, which never materialized.

In 2000, plans for a million, 50,000 ft2 project were submitted to the city for approval. Three buildings would be constructed surrounding the existing structure, which would eventually be razed. However, Jacksonville’s Concurrency Management Office determined that there was insufficient traffic capacity, and denied the permit.

Brief closure

On August 31, 2009 the Alhambra Dinner Theatre suspended operations, citing the effect of the Late-2000s recession on attendance and expenses. The sale of the theatre to Theatre Partners, a group of local investors, was announced on October 28, 2009.

The group stated that operations would resume December 1, 2009 with A Christmas Carol, which has been a fixture in Jacksonville for more than 20 years. Former owner Tod Booth has agreed to produce the shows, which were the primary attraction. The food will now be under the direction of Matthew Medure, a popular local restauranteur. Medure states that the food will be cooked at one of his restaurants and transported to the theatre. He plans to retain the existing presentation, but improve food quality. The building’s decor is being spruced up with new flooring, fixtures, paint and table place settings, and the investors plan a multi-million dollar renovation if ticket and subscription sales are strong.

The new ownership group hosted a free outdoor dinner show on November 7, 2009 to celebrate the revival of the local theatre landmark. Chef Medure cooked on a grill and performers entertained with classic show tunes. It was announced that the first show for the 2010 Season would be High School Musical beginning December 30, 2009

References

^ a b Capitano, Laura: Florida Times-Union, May 2, 2008, “For dinner and a show, why not head to the Alhambra?”

^ a b Brune-Mathis, Karen: Florida Times-Union, July 16, 1997, “Alhambra plans major expansion”

^ a b c d e Noles, Randy (2003-08-17). “Guess who came to dinner”. Florida Times-Union. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081703/dss_13287890.html. Retrieved 2009-03-10. 

^ Brandenburg, Susan D.: Florida Times-Union, December 7, 2004, “Alhambra director gets kids started early on love for stage”

^ Yahoo! Travel: Alhambra Dinner Theatre

^ Brune-Mathis, Karen: Florida times-Union, May 26, 2000, “Alhambra expansion awaits concurrency approval, financing”

^ a b c Coleman, Matt: “A revived Alhambra Dinner Theatre ends short-lived hiatus” Florida Times-Union, November 8, 2009

^ Bull, Roger: Florida Times-Union, October 28, 2009, “Alhambra Dinner Theatre set to reopen Dec. 1″

External links

Alhambra Dinner Theatre website

National Dinner Theater Association website

Coordinates: 301713 813003 / 30.287004N 81.500938W / 30.287004; -81.500938

Categories: Dinner Theatre | Theatres in Jacksonville, Florida