on theater ❖
Let the Show Begin! A kaleidoscope of theatrical options awaits group travel planners
Cirque du Soleil’s OvO, a big-top show with dazzling acrobatics, explores the secret world of insects.
Soleil has become a household word in the global entertainMusicals and comedies light up the stage at ment industry. CeleCirca ’21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, Illinois. brated for its high quality and artistic innovation, the company has 1,200 artists o matter the ages or interests of from 50 countries. In 2010, Cirque du your travelers, there’s a rousing Soleil will present 21 unique shows in show in any city that will breathe life tents, arenas and theaters throughout into a group itinerary and keep folks the world. It stages seven resident talking long after the final act. shows in Las Vegas and one in Orlando. Dinner theaters, long a staple of traFrench for “circus of the sun,” Cirque ditional motorcoach trips, regale older du Soleil is constantly reinventing the audiences with familiar songs and stoidea of the circus, mixing circus arts and rylines from favorite musicals. Religious street theater with original music, elecspectacles inspire as well as entertain. trifying choreography, special effects, Cutting-edge fare from Cirque du elaborate sets and lavish costumes. Soleil and Blue Man Group have put a There are no animal acts. Many of the whole new spin on what theater is all touring shows are performed in Cirque’s about, stimulating the imagination trademark blue and yellow Grand while engaging all the senses. Chapiteau (Big Top). OVO, its latest big-top production CIRQUE DU SOLEIL (now in New York and then moving to From a group of 20 street performers Hartford, Boston and Washington, in 1984, Montreal-based Cirque du
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D.C.), features stunning acrobatic acts. The life cycle and birth of insects represent the underlying thread of the show, which portrays a colorful ecosystem where insects work, play, fight and look for love in a world of noisy action and moments of quiet emotion. Banana Shpeel, a new show playing New York’s Beacon Theatre from April 29 to Aug. 29, takes vaudeville as its starting point but transcends that traditional form for 21st century audiences. Blending choreography, slapstick comedy and acrobatic acts, Banana Shpeel is a roller coaster mix of styles. The holiday family show Wintuk, an adventure about a boy’s quest for snow, returns to the Theater at Madison Square Garden for its final season from mid-November to early January. (cirquedusoleil.com/groups) SIGHT & SOUND As a past Reader’s Choice Platinum Award recipient chosen by the readers LeisureGroupTravel.com
THE WONDER OF BROADWAY. THE MAGIC OF .
T L M E NEW YORK CITY • LAS VEGAS ON TOUR ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
SPECIAL GROUP ADD-ONS! Make your New York Broadway experience even more magical with Disney On Broadway workshops and historic New Amsterdam Theatre tours.
CALL (800) 439-9000 For a sneak peek, visit DisneyOnBroadway.com
©Disney except Mary Poppins (©Disney/CML)
IN NEW YORK CITY ON TOUR ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
on theater ❖ of Leisure Group Travel magazine, Sight & Sound joined the ranks of Disney World, New York City and Italy as a top destination. Sight & Sound Theatres, the nation’s largest professional Christian theater company and one of the most-at-
Sight & Sound’s Branson theater features a musical about Noah’s Ark.
tended live theaters on the East Coast, has a new location in Branson, Mo. Sight & Sound has been described as the “Christian Broadway,” showcasing epic Bible stories that come to life on I=: >CI:GC6I>DC6A E=:CD B:CDC >H the largest stage in 8DB>C< ID 6 8>IN C:6G N the country—a 300DJ foot stage that wraps around three sides of the audience. Sight & Sound ® opened its latest 4HE (ILARIOUS #ELEBRATION OF show, Joseph, last 7OMEN AND 4 HE #HANGE ® month in its Lancaster, Pa. location. This all-new original production about Joseph the dreamer and his famous coat C : impacts hearts of B ADK: >I young and old with IDD its message of integrity and forgiveness. From the tents HZZ l]Vi && b^aa^dc eZdeaZ ldgaYl^YZ VgZ aVj\]^c\ VWdji of Canaan to the ;dg <gdje Idjg >c[dgbVi^dc VcY GZhZgkVi^dch XVaa idaa [gZZ stunning palaces of --- BIB"I@IH Zmi#&& ---"+-+"-*-, Egypt, Joseph inK^h^i djg lZWh^iZ lll#BZcdeVjhZI]ZBjh^XVa#Xdb spires everyone to 14 April 2010
dream and live for the glory of God. Noah – The Musical graces the stage for another year in Sight & Sound’s Branson location. As Noah and his family endure ridicule and persecution as they obey the call of God, audiences feel they are sitting right inside the vessel, surrounded by hundreds of live and animatronic animals. Sight & Sound’s timeless Christmas story, Miracle of Christmas, returns at both locations with a spectacular retelling of the miraculous birth of Jesus, the Savior. (800-3771227, sight-sound.com) DINNER THEATER Whether it’s a day trip to see a specific show or a multi-day excursion, dinner theater—combining dinner with a show— clearly has its advantages. The National Dinner Theatre Association (NDTA) has over 40 members providing a variety of entertainment options. The majority offer buffet meals featuring regional fare, although there are also fine dining options with white glove service. Most theaters feature traditional Broadway shows such as Fiddler on the Roof and Sound of Music and more contemporary musicals like RENT. Tour planners can count on the quality of the food, the high level of professional talent, an attractive package price for the dinner and show, and year-round entertainment. Over the years, some have asked if dinner theater is on its way out. National Dinner Theatre Association members strive to combat the rumor that it is just enjoyed by the senior traveler. Seniors may predominate at matinees, but with the introduction of newer shows, served meals and healthier menu items, a younger audience is discovering that dinner theater can be cool. Especially when the show is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty or Hairspray. For many trip planners, the best part LeisureGroupTravel.com
Photo by Ken Howard ©BMP
Blue Man Group electrifies audiences around the world.
shows in New York City with only three performers, the founding team realized that if the show were to grow, the Blue Men would need to replicate. Three Blue Men were cast, and a show opened in Boston. Chicago came next, then Las Vegas and Orlando. The team has gone international and today the show is in Berlin, Zurich and Tokyo. 2010 will bring a U.S. touring produc-
tion and a Blue Man Group show on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Epic. More than 17 million people have seen Blue Man Group in over 30,000 performances, and each production has something that is unique to that city. In the spring, when student travel is at its peak, the performance schedule is adjusted to include more matinees. The
about dinner theater is that everything is in one place. There’s no worrying if the meal will be served in time to get back on the bus to get across town to the show. (ndta.com) BLUE MAN GROUP Blue Man Productions, creators of the Blue Man character, is the powerhouse behind shows that combine comedy, music and multimedia artistry. In 1991, after 1,285 consecutive
© BMP / PHOTO BY JAMES PORTO
WONDERS OF THE WORLD EIGHT, NINE AND TEN Whether your group is craving comedy, music, or a stunning theatrical experience, Blue Man Group offers something for everyone. This unique theatrical experience is a form of entertainment like nothing else, guaranteed to be an outing that your group will never forget. Call us to learn more.
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on theater ❖ company’s mission is about providing playful, stimulating and intelligent experiences that inspire creativity and connect people at a deeper level with themselves and their group. The Blue Man is part innocent, hero, scientist,
shaman, group member and trickster. He doesn’t speak, but he communicates with vaudevillian slapstick humor. He drums and catches gumballs in his mouth that are filled with paint, which he spits onto a canvas to make art. It’s
Arizona
Florida
Indiana
Broadway Palm West Mesa, AZ 85205 (888) 504-7256 www.broadwaypalmwest.com
Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theatre Orlando, FL 32819 (407) 363-1985 www.sleuths.com
Kansas
Arkansas
Illinois
Arizona Broadway Theatre Peoria, AZ 85382 (623) 776-8400 x109 www.azbroadwaytheatre.com
Murry’s Dinner Playhouse Little Rock, AR 72204 (501) 562-3131 www.murrysdinnerplayhouse.com
California
Candlelight Pavilion Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 626-3296 x12 www.candlelightpavilion.com Welk Resort Theatre Escondido, CA 92026 (760) 749-3182 x22139 www.welkresort.com
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre Ft. Myers, FL 33907 (239) 278-4422 www.broadwaypalm.com
Circa ‘21 Dinner Theatre Rock Island, IL 61201 (309) 786-2667 x303 www.circa21com Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre Goodfield, IL 61742 (309) 965-2545 www.barn2.com Tommy Gun’s Chicago, IL 60616 (800) 461-0178 www.tommygunsgarage.com
Derby Dinner Playhouse Clarksville, IN 47129 (812) 288-2632 x128 www.derbydinner.com Crown Uptown Theatre Wichita, KS 67218 (316) 681-1566 www.crownuptown.com
New Jersey
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse Hampton, NJ 8827 (908) 730-8007 www.hhplayhouse.com
North Carolina
Barn Dinner Theatre Greensboro, NC 27409 (336) 292-2211 x3022 www.barndinner.com
Pennsylvania
Allenberry Playhouse Boiling Springs, PA 17007 (717) 258-3211 www.allenberry.com
interactive, with music, lights and lots of colorful liquids that get sprayed on the stage. That experience resonates with a wide range of people, from children to grandparents. (800-258-3626, blueman.com) LGT
Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre Lancaster, PA 17601 (717) 459-5221 www.dutchapple.com Freedom Chapel Dinner Theatre Christiana, PA 17509 (610) 593-7013 www.freedomchapeldinnertheatre.com Rainbow Dinner Theatre Paradise, PA 17562 (800) 292-4301 www.rainbowdinnertheatre.com Riverside Inn Dinner Theatre Cambridge Springs, PA 16403 (800) 964-5173 www.theriversideinn.com Station Dinner Theatre Erie, PA 16509 (866) 848-2022 www.canterburyfeast.com
Tennessee
Chaffin’s Barn Nashville, TN 37221 (800) 282-2276 x11 www.dinnertheatre.com
Wisconsin
Armory Dinner Theater Janesville, WI 53547 (608) 531-0186 www.janesvillearmory.com Fireside Dinner Theatre Ft. Atkinson, WI 53538 (800) 477-9505 www.firesidetheatre.com
Wyoming
Jackson Hole Playhouse Jackson, WY 83001 (307) 733-6994 www.jhplayhouse.com
Pines Dinner Theatre Slatington, PA 18080 (877) 898-8577 www.pinesdinnertheatre.com
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• Look to NDTA members for the best in dinner theatre entertainment
• Representing the very W I S C O N S I N
best in Broadway Musicals, Children’s Theatre, Mysteries, and Comedy
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