Toby's Dinner Theatre | |
Artisticdirector: | Toby Orenstein |
Formed: | 1979 |
Location: | Columbia, Maryland |
Notable: | Johnny Holliday, Edward Norton, Caroline Bowman, Robin Baxter, Steve Blanchard, Tracie Thoms, Mary Page Keller, Ric Ryder |
Genre: | Musical theatre, plays |
Toby's Dinner Theatre is a dinner theater based in Columbia, Maryland.
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 for the Garland Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland.[2] [3] On December 4, 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: On March 10, 2006, Toby's Dinner Theatre opened a second location in Baltimore with a run of Beauty and the Beast. This location is now closed.[4]
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.[5] [6] The theatre has parking, buffet-style dinner, full bar, full menu, and live music and entertainment. Dinner is a mix of American cuisine. The facility is ADA compliant.[7] Toby's is estimated to draw 4,000 subscribers and 80,000–102,000 patrons a year.
Recent productions include Dreamgirls,[8] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Caroline Bowman and Cathy Mundy, Beauty and the Beast, Show Boat, A Christmas Carol, Sister Act, Hairspray, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, South Pacific, and Newsies.