A popular entertainment and tourist destination in the Twin Cities, Minnesota is the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Since 1968 there have been over 193 productions on its various stages, with over 8 million guests in attendance. That number is staggering, but not surprising given the quality shows appearing at Chanhassen.
The 90,000 sq. ft. Chanhassen complex was designed by Herbert and Carolyn Bloomberg on a corn field. The Old Log Theater had contracted them to build it's new facility. Their own complex soon followed, built about 30 minutes from downtown. A restaurant on site made the project even more of a gamble. 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 theatre opened. Fittingly, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was the inaugural production. That ran for a month and a half before "the Fantasticks" took the stage. So here's a pun. The stage was set for what is today the largest professional dinner theatre in America. It can also boast being the largest privately owned restaurant in Minnesota. Not bad for such a risky venture.
The Playhouse, a small theatre room in Chanhassen, started showing "I Do! I Do!" in February of 1971. It kept showing night after night for 21 years. The same cast performed each and every show. That's quite a performance, huh. That long running show made Chanhassen and the Playhouse famous throughout the United States. It drew its final applause in November of 1992, but after a brief hiatus of a few months, returned for almost a year in 1993. "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" took over for the next two years. But "I Do! I Do!" remains the king.
The Courtyard, now the Club, showed both "I Do! I Do!" and "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" in 1995. Today the Club is put to use for weddings and business gatherings. Chanhassen has been home to many other popular plays such as 42nd Street and Oklahoma. The list goes on and on. - 15359
The 90,000 sq. ft. Chanhassen complex was designed by Herbert and Carolyn Bloomberg on a corn field. The Old Log Theater had contracted them to build it's new facility. Their own complex soon followed, built about 30 minutes from downtown. A restaurant on site made the project even more of a gamble. 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 theatre opened. Fittingly, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" was the inaugural production. That ran for a month and a half before "the Fantasticks" took the stage. So here's a pun. The stage was set for what is today the largest professional dinner theatre in America. It can also boast being the largest privately owned restaurant in Minnesota. Not bad for such a risky venture.
The Playhouse, a small theatre room in Chanhassen, started showing "I Do! I Do!" in February of 1971. It kept showing night after night for 21 years. The same cast performed each and every show. That's quite a performance, huh. That long running show made Chanhassen and the Playhouse famous throughout the United States. It drew its final applause in November of 1992, but after a brief hiatus of a few months, returned for almost a year in 1993. "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" took over for the next two years. But "I Do! I Do!" remains the king.
The Courtyard, now the Club, showed both "I Do! I Do!" and "Stevie Ray's Comedy Troupe" in 1995. Today the Club is put to use for weddings and business gatherings. Chanhassen has been home to many other popular plays such as 42nd Street and Oklahoma. The list goes on and on. - 15359
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