Chanhassen Dinner Theatre – A Quick Glance
Chanhassen Dinner Theatre is one of the sights to see in Minnesota's Twin Cities. More than 8 million patrons have seen over 193 shows there since 1968. That number is staggering, but not surprising given the quality shows appearing at Chanhassen.
The 90,000 square foot facility was constructed and designed by Herbert and Carolyn Bloomberg on what was once a corn field. It all started when they built a new facility for the Old Log Theatre in Excelsior. They decided to follow that project by building their own theatre complex 30 minutes from downtown. To add to the risk their vision included a restaurant. People laughed at the silly notion of a theatre complex too far from the city built on top of a restaurant, a hard enough endeavor in itself.
But on October 11, 1968 the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre Minnesota opened. Fittingly, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was the inaugural production. Then "the Fantasticks" came to town. So here's a pun. America's largest professional dinner theater had finally taken center stage. It can also boast being the largest privately owned restaurant in Minnesota. Not bad for such a risky venture.
On February 18, 1971 a production of "I Do! I Do!" opened in the Playhouse, a smaller theatre space in the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre facility. It ran a staggering 21 years. Even more amazing was that the same cast stayed with the show the whole time. That's quite a performance, huh? Chanhassen became known all over America for that show. It ended in November of 1992, but after "I Do Love the Holidays" took over for a few months, "I Do! I Do!" returned for a short run from late January to early December of 1993. For two years following that "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" entertained audiences. But nothing compared to the amazing run enjoyed by "I Do! I Do!".
Both "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" and "I Do! I Do!" later returned to Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, but in a different room. The Courtyard, now called the Club, hosted each of the plays in 1995. Today the Club is a popular spot for wedding receptions, private parties and even business meetings. Other well known plays that have appeared at Chanhassen are Camelot, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, 42nd Street, Oklahoma, and Dial M for Murder. This is by no means the complete list. That can be found on the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre website chanhassentheatres.com.
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