Toby's Dinner Theatre

Toby's Dinner Theatre
Formation 1979
Type Theatre group
Purpose Musical Theatre, Plays
Location
Artistic director(s)
 Toby Orenstein
Notable members
 Johnny Holliday, Edward Norton, Caroline Bowman, Robin Baxter, Steve Blanchard, Mary Page Keller, Ric Ryder
Website http://tobysdinnertheatre.com

Toby's Dinner Theatre is a Baltimore-Washington area professional dinner theater based in Columbia, Maryland.

History

Soon after the establishment of the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts (CCTA), Toby Orenstein decided to open a theater in her name. In 1979, she approached businessman James Rouse, the catalyst for the CCTA, and he agreed to helped start this endeavor.[1] Shortly thereafter, a Virginia-based restaurant group operated by Steve Lewis approached Orenstein with a partnership offer on a dinner theater.[1][2] On December 4th, 1979, Toby's Dinner Theater opened with a performance of Godspell. In a 2008 interview with the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, Orenstein reflected on her apprehensiveness:[1]

On March 10, 2006, Toby's Dinner Theatre opened a second location in Baltimore, Maryland with a run of Beauty and the Beast.[1] This location is now closed.[3]

Facilities

In 1979, Toby's Dinner Theatre opened at its current location in downtown Columbia, Maryland, adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lake Kittamaquindi. It has an indoor seating capacity of 300 individuals.[2][4][5] The theatre has parking, buffet-style dinner, full bar, full menu, and live music and entertainment.[4] Dinner is a mix of American cuisine. The facility is ADA compliant.[6] Each year, Toby's Dinner Theatre is estimated to draw 4,000 subscribers and 80,000-102,000 patrons a year.[2][6]

Recent Productions

Recent productions include Dreamgirls,[7] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, starring Caroline Bowman and Cathy Mundy, Beauty and the Beast, Show Boat, A Christmas Carol, Sister Act, Hairspray, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, and South Pacific.

Awards

Helen Hayes Awards and Nominations

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shird, Shannon (2008). "Maryland State Women's Hall of Fame: Toby Orenstein". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  2. 1 2 3 Pressley, Nelson (2013-04-19). "Dinner theater, taken seriously". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  3. ↑ "Toby's Dinner Theatre Baltimore - CLOSED - Medford - Baltimore, MD". Yelp. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  4. 1 2 "Toby's Dinner Theatre". Washington.org. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  5. ↑ "Toby's Dinner Theatre". www.visithowardcounty.com. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  6. 1 2 "Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia". Visit Baltimore. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  7. ↑ Harding, John (2017-09-10). "Review: 'Dreamgirls' at Toby's Dinner Theatre - DCMetroTheaterArts". DC Metro - Theater Arts. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  8. ↑ Giuliano, Mike. "Toby's Dinner Theatre has a sporting chance with 'The Color Purple'". Columbia Flier. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  9. ↑ Pho, Patrick (2013-01-23). "29th Helen Hayes Awards Nominees Announced". We Love DC. Retrieved 2017-10-13.
  10. 1 2 Purcell, Carey (2015-04-07). "Side Show and Sunday in the Park With George Win Big at Helen Hayes Awards". Playbill. Retrieved 2017-10-13.

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