The Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

 is the oldest continually operating Dinner theater

Dinner theater

Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...

 in the United States, and the only professional resident theatre in the area south of Atlanta, east of New Orleans and north of Orlando.

History

The Alhambra was built by Jacksonville businessman Leon Simon in 1967 and purchased by Tod Booth, Sr. in 1984. Booth moved to Jacksonville from Chicago, where he worked as artistic director for the Drury Lane Theaters. His family has frequently been involved, with daughter Jessica Booth and wife Lisa Valdini appearing in a number of shows and son Tod Jr. contributing in various aspects, including acting, directing and stage managing of the dinner theatre before becoming general manager and director of the Alhambra's Children's Theatre.
As with other dinner theaters of the 1970s, Alhambra initially relied on the appeal of former stars of film, television and music to attract customers. Alhambra's first such headliner was in Barefoot in the Park

Barefoot in the Park

This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...

in 1969, which featured former Gilligan's Island

Gilligan's Island

Gilligan's Island is an American television series created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver; Alan Hale, Jr.; Jim Backus; Natalie Schafer; Tina Louise; Russell Johnson; and Dawn Wells. It aired for...

costar Dawn Wells

Dawn Wells

Dawn Elberta Wells is an American actress known for playing Mary Ann Summers on the sitcom Gilligan's Island during its run from 1964 until 1967.- Early life :...

. Stars earned weekly pay between $1,500 and $5,000 for six to eight weeks as well as being able to enjoy the weather and amenities in Florida. According to Booth, "When their careers cooled, a star could learn a show and take it on the dinner theater circuit. That one show could be a meal ticket for a year or two."
Other celebrities, including soap opera cast members, hosts from TV game shows, and Playboy

Playboy

Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...

 Centerfold

Centerfold

The centerfold of a magazine refers to a gatefolded spread, usually a portrait such as a pin-up or a nude, inserted in the middle of the publication, or to the model featured in the portrait...

 gals appeared in productions.
In the early 1980s, however, it became difficult to hire former big names to act in dinner theatre. Booth explained: "They could make more in a day doing a commercial than they could make during the entire run of dinner theater show, and they didn't have to travel. Plus, a lot of the stars just started dying off." As a result, few of the performers had familiar names, but all were professionals, most with extensive experience on stage, in movies and TV. The show itself was promoted, rather than the headliner.

Notable appearances

Since the 1970s, over 70 stars graced the Alhambra stage:

Celebrity	Production	Year
Ann B. Davis Ann B. Davis Ann Bradford Davis is an American television actress.Davis achieved prominence for her role in The Bob Cummings Show for which she twice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series...	Lullaby Lullaby A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period.... ; 3 on a Honeymoon	1972
Artie Johnson	Seven Year Itch	1973
Barry Williams Barry Williams Barry William Blenkhorn , known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.-Early life and career:...	The Odd Couple The Odd Couple The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...	2011
Bernie Kopell Bernie Kopell Bernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...	The Sunshine Boys The Sunshine Boys The Sunshine Boys is a play by Neil Simon that was produced on Broadway in 1972 and later adapted for film and television.-Plot:The play focuses on aging Al Lewis and Willy Clark, a one-time vaudevillian team known as "Lewis and Clark" who, over the course of forty-odd years, not only grew to hate...	2005
Betty Grable Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...	Born Yesterday Born Yesterday Born Yesterday is a play written by Garson Kanin which premiered on Broadway in 1946, starring Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn. The play was adapted intoa successful 1950 film of the same name.- Plot :...	1973
Bob Crane Bob Crane Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...	Beginner's Luck Beginner's Luck Beginner's Luck is a 1935 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 135th Our Gang short that was released.-Plot:...	1973
Bob Denver Bob Denver Robert Osbourne "Bob" Denver was an American comedic actor known for his roles as Gilligan on the television series Gilligan's Island and the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on the 1959–1963 TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.-Early life:Denver was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in...	Paisley Convertible	1973
Broderick Crawford Broderick Crawford Broderick Crawford was an Academy Award-winning American stage, film, radio and TV actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his starring role in the television series "Highway Patrol."-Early life:...	The Second Time Around The Second Time Around The Second Time Around is the second studio album by American Blues artist, Etta James. The album was released in 1961 on Argo Records and was produced by Phil and Leonard Chess, who also produced her previous album.-Background:...	1976
Cesar Romero Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...	Never Get Smart with an Angel	1978
Claude Akins Claude Akins Claude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...	I Ought to Be in Pictures I Ought to Be in Pictures I Ought to Be in Pictures is a play by Neil Simon.The three-character comedy-drama focuses on Herbert Tucker, a struggling, writer's-blocked screenwriter who abandoned his New York family 16 years earlier...	1984
Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...	Kindling	1978
Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse Cyd Charisse was an American actress and dancer.After recovering from polio as a child, and studying ballet, Charisse entered films in the 1940s...	Bell, Book & Candle	1981
Dana Andrews Dana Andrews Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...	Best of Friends Best of Friends -Tasks and Treats:In the show, five friends with a strong friendship must complete a series of three unpleasant tasks in order to win a final treat The tasks include mucking out pigs, cleaning bins, picking up ice with the bare feet, getting your feet tickled without laughing or smiling and so on,...	1974
Dawn Wells Dawn Wells Dawn Elberta Wells is an American actress known for playing Mary Ann Summers on the sitcom Gilligan's Island during its run from 1964 until 1967.- Early life :...	Barefoot in the Park Barefoot in the Park This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...	1969
Dennis Cole Dennis Cole Dennis Cole was an American film and television actor.Before breaking into acting, Cole was a model for men's physique magazines. His first big acting break came when he landed a starring role in the ABC police drama Felony Squad, which ran from 1966 to 1969...	And All the Girls Came Out to Play	1970
Dennis James Dennis James Dennis James was an American television personality, actor, and announcer. He is credited as the host of television's first network game show, the DuMont Network's Cash and Carry in 1946...	The Impossible Years The Impossible Years The Impossible Years is a 1965 comedy play by Robert Fisher and Arthur Marx, son of famed comedian Groucho Marx.The comedy revolves around Jonathan Kingsley, a teaching psychiatrist at the local university, his wife, and their two teenaged daughters...	1979
Don Ameche Don Ameche Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...	Girl in the Freudian Slip	1971
Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...	Fallen Angels Fallen Angels (play) Fallen Angels is a play by British actor and playwright Noel Coward that opened at the Globe Theatre in 1925, starring Tallulah Bankhead.Cast of the original 1927 Broadway production included:...	1973
Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...	Personal Appearance Personal Appearance Personal Appearance is a stage comedy by the American playwright and screenwriter Lawrence Riley , which was a Broadway smash and the basis for the classic Mae West film Go West, Young Man ....	1976
Dwayne Hickman Dwayne Hickman Dwayne Bernard Hickman is a former American actor and television executive at CBS.He is known primarily for his "teenage" actor roles on television sitcoms. The naturally brown-headed Hickman is best known for playing Chuck MacDonald, Bob Collins's crazy teenaged nephew, on the popular 1950s...	Natalie Needs a Nightie	1974
Elaine Joyce Elaine Joyce Elaine Joyce is an American actress.Joyce was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She made her film debut in 1961 as an extra in West Side Story and made uncredited appearances in several musical films, including The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, and Funny Girl before being cast in Such Good Friends in 1971...	6 Rms Riv Vu	1982
Fannie Flagg Fannie Flagg Patricia Neal , known professionally as Fannie Flagg, is an American actress, comedienne and author. She is perhaps best-known for the 1988 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was adapted into the 1991 movie Fried Green Tomatoes; Flagg was nominated for an Academy Award for...	Once More, with Feeling	1972
Forrest Tucker Forrest Tucker Forrest Tucker was an American actor in both movies and television from the 1940s to the 1980s. Tucker, who stood 190 cm tall and weighed 93 kg , appeared in nearly 100 action films in the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:Forrest Meredith Tucker was born in Plainfield, Indiana, a son of...	Plaza Suite Plaza Suite Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...	1977
Forrest Tucker Forrest Tucker Forrest Tucker was an American actor in both movies and television from the 1940s to the 1980s. Tucker, who stood 190 cm tall and weighed 93 kg , appeared in nearly 100 action films in the 1940s and 1950s.-Early life:Forrest Meredith Tucker was born in Plainfield, Indiana, a son of...	Captain Outrageous	1981
Frank Gorshin Frank Gorshin Frank John Gorshin, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was perhaps best known as an impressionist, with many guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show...	Breaking Legs	1995
Frank Sutton Frank Sutton Frank Spencer Sutton was an American actor best remembered for his role of Gunnery Sergeant Vince Carter on the CBS television series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.-Early life:...	The Last of the Red Hot Lovers The Last of the Red Hot Lovers This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Last of the Red Hot Lovers .Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a play by Neil Simon....	1972
Gail Bliss	A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline	2000,01,02,04
Gale Gordon Gale Gordon Gale Gordon was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show...	Never Too late	1977
Gale Gordon Gale Gordon Gale Gordon was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfisted bank executive Theodore J. Mooney, on Ball's second television situation comedy, The Lucy Show...	Love & Kisses Love & Kisses Love & Kisses was a 1970s disco group assembled by European producer Alec Costandinos, with a variety of male/female singers.After collaborating on Cerrone's debut album Love In C Minor , Costandinos assembled Love & Kisses in early 1977, and shortly after the group released their first album,...	1979
Gary Burghoff	Boney Kern	1982
Gene Barry Gene Barry Gene Barry was an American stage, screen, and television actor. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films The Atomic City and The War of The Worlds and for his portrayal of the title character in the TV series Bat Masterson, among many roles.-Personal life:Barry was born...	Hot Shot Hot Shot Hot Shot or Hot Shots may refer to:* Hot Shot , the name of several Transformers characters* Hot Shot Hamish, a character in a British football-themed comic strips* Hotshot crew, a Type 1 wildland firefighting crew in the United States...	1977
Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn Gene Rayburn was an American radio and television personality. He is best known as the host of various editions of the popular American television game show Match Game for over two decades....	Lovers Leap	1980
George Hamilton George Hamilton (actor) George Stevens Hamilton is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Hamilton was the youngest son of bandleader George "Spike" Hamilton and his first wife, Ann Stevens . He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and lived in Blytheville, Arkansas...	6 Rms Riv Vu 6 Rms Riv Vu 6 Rms Riv Vu is a play by Bob Randall, who also wrote The Magic Show.6 Rms Riv Vu derives its title from shorthand used by realtors in classified advertising. In this case, a six-room apartment with a view of the Hudson River, located on Manhattan's Riverside Drive, serves as the comedy-drama's...	1974
Georgia Simmons	Tobacco Road Tobacco Road Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports played among rival North Carolina universities...	1970
Gig Young Gig Young Gig Young was an American film, stage, and television actor. Known mainly for second leads and supporting roles, Young won an Academy Award for his performance as a dance-marathon emcee in the 1969 film, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.-Early life and career:Born Byron Elsworth Barr in St...	Harvey Harvey (play) Harvey is a 1944 play by American playwright Mary Chase. Produced by Brock Pemberton and directed by Antoinette Perry, the play premiered on 1 November 1944 at the 48th Street Theatre on Broadway where it was staged for 1,775 performances before closing on January 15, 1949. The original production...	1974
Gordon Jump Gordon Jump Alexander Gordon Jump was an American actor best known as the clueless radio station manager Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the TV series WKRP in Cincinnati and the incompetent "Chief of Police Tinkler" in the sitcom Soap...	Norman, Is That You? Norman, Is That You? Norman, Is That You? is a 1970 play in two acts by American playwrights Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick about a Jewish couple coming to terms with their son's homosexuality. The work is notably the first play written by both writers. After 19 preview performances, the play officially opened on Broadway...	1983
Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian Hugh O'Brian is an American actor, known for his starring role in the ABC television series The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp .-Early years and career:...	Cactus Flower	1974
Imogene Coca Imogene Coca Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....	A Girl Can Get Lucky	1970
Imogene Coca Imogene Coca Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....	Plaza Suite Plaza Suite Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...	1971
Jack Cassidy Jack Cassidy John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...	Murder Among Friends	1976
Jack Kelley Jack Kelley Jack Kelley was a longtime USA Today reporter and nominee and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2002.He is perhaps best known for his professional downfall in March 2004, when it came out that he had long been fabricating stories, going so far as to write up scripts so associates could pretend to...	Under the Yum Yum Tree Under the Yum Yum Tree Under the Yum Yum Tree is a 1963 comedy movie that stars Jack Lemmon, Carol Lynley, Paul Lynde, Dean Jones and Edie Adams.This sex comedy was one of the successful small comic movies that Lemmon despised making . It first ran on Broadway in 1960-1961.-Plot:Jack Lemmon stars as the playboy landlord...	1975
James Drury James Drury James Child Drury, Jr. is an American actor probably best known for his success in playing the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, broadcast on NBC from 1962-1971...	Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...	1972
James Drury James Drury James Child Drury, Jr. is an American actor probably best known for his success in playing the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, broadcast on NBC from 1962-1971...	The Prisoner of Second Avenue The Prisoner of Second Avenue The Prisoner of Second Avenue is an American black comedy play by Neil Simon, later made into a film released in 1975.The play ran on Broadway from November 1971 until September 1973, with Peter Falk and Lee Grant starring as Mel and Edna Edison, and Vincent Gardenia as Mel's brother Harry. The...	1976
James Drury James Drury James Child Drury, Jr. is an American actor probably best known for his success in playing the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series The Virginian, broadcast on NBC from 1962-1971...	California Suite California Suite California Suite is a 1976 play by Neil Simon. Similar in structure to his earlier Plaza Suite, the comedy is composed of four playlets set in Suite 203-04, which consists of a living room and an adjoining bedroom with an ensuite bath, in The Beverly Hills Hotel.-Plot:In Visitor from New York,...	1979
Jay Thomas Jay Thomas Jay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....	Chapter 2	1980
Jamie Farr Jamie Farr Jamie Farr is an American television, film, and theater actor. He is best known for having played the role of cross-dressing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the television sitcom M*A*S*H.-Early life:...	Lend Me a Tenor Lend Me a Tenor Lend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...	2011
Jay Thomas Jay Thomas Jay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....	See How They Run	1982
Jay Thomas Jay Thomas Jay Thomas is an American actor, comedian and radio talk show host.-Personal life:Thomas was born in Kermit, Texas. He was raised in his Italian American mother's Roman Catholic faith, although his father was Protestant....	A Gentleman and a Scoundrel	1982
Joey Bishop Joey Bishop Joey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin...	The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...	1981
John Carradine John Carradine John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...	Tobacco Road Tobacco Road Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports played among rival North Carolina universities...	1970
Judy Carne Judy Carne Judy Carne is an English actress best remembered for the phrase "Sock it to me!" on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.-Career:...	Mary, Mary Mary, Mary (play) Mary, Mary is a play by Jean Kerr. The play became one of the longest-running productions of the decade. After two previews, the Broadway production opened on March 8, 1961 at the original Helen Hayes Theatre , where it ran for nearly three years and nine months before transferring to the Morosco...	1977
June Wilkinson June Wilkinson June Wilkinson is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in Playboy magazine and in films of the 1960s...	Pajama Tops	1970
June Wilkinson June Wilkinson June Wilkinson is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in Playboy magazine and in films of the 1960s...	Pajama Tops	1975
June Wilkinson June Wilkinson June Wilkinson is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in Playboy magazine and in films of the 1960s...	Pajama Tops	1976
June Wilkinson June Wilkinson June Wilkinson is an English model and actress, known for her appearances in Playboy magazine and in films of the 1960s...	90 Day Mistress	1978
Keith Carradine Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...	Tobacco Road Tobacco Road Tobacco Road refers to the tobacco-producing area of North Carolina and is often used when referring to sports played among rival North Carolina universities...	1970
King Donovan King Donovan King Donovan was an American film, stage, and television actor, as well as a film and television director.-Film:...	A Girl Can Get Lucky	1970
King Donovan King Donovan King Donovan was an American film, stage, and television actor, as well as a film and television director.-Film:...	Plaza Suite Plaza Suite Plaza Suite is a comedy play by Neil Simon.-Plot:The play is composed of three acts, each involving different characters but all set in Suite 719 of New York City's Plaza Hotel...	1971
Lauren Tewes Lauren Tewes Cynthia Lauren Tewes ,known simply as Lauren Tewes,is an American actress best known for playing Cruise Director Julie McCoy on the sitcom The Love Boat beating out over 100 other actresses for the role...	Born Yesterday Born Yesterday Born Yesterday is a play written by Garson Kanin which premiered on Broadway in 1946, starring Judy Holliday as Billie Dawn. The play was adapted intoa successful 1950 film of the same name.- Plot :...	1981
Leanza Cornett Leanza Cornett Eva Leanza Cornett was crowned Miss Winter Park and Miss Florida in 1992 and Miss America 1993....	Barefoot in the Park Barefoot in the Park This article is about the Broadway production. For the film adaptation see Barefoot in the Park .Barefoot in the Park is a romantic comedy by Neil Simon. The original Broadway production, directed by Mike Nichols, opened October 23, 1963, with the four lead roles taken by actors Elizabeth Ashley ,...	1997
Lee Meredith Lee Meredith Lee Meredith is an American actress. She was born Judith Lee Sauls and grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. She is married to Burt Stratford....	The Marriage-Go-Round The Marriage-Go-Round The Marriage-Go-Round is a 1958 play written by Leslie Stevens and a 1961 film adaptation also written and produced by Stevens. It was inspired by a suggestion that dancer Isadora Duncan supposedly made to playwright George Bernard Shaw: the two of them should have a child because "with your mind...	1980
Liv Lindeland Liv Lindeland Liv Lindeland is a Norwegian model and actress. She was chosen as Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month in January 1971 and as the Playmate of the Year for 1972. She became the first Playmate of the Month ever to show clearly visible pubic hair.Her original pictorial was photographed by Alexas...	Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? is a 1957 American satiric comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield and Tony Randall, with Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell, John Williams, Henry Jones, Lili Gentle, Mickey Hargitay, and a cameo by Groucho Marx...	1972
Lyle Waggoner Lyle Waggoner Lyle Wesley Waggoner is an American actor and former model, best known for his work on The Carol Burnett Show from 1967 to 1974 and for playing the role of Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman television series from 1975 to 1979...	Boeing-Boeing	1970
Loretta Swit Loretta Swit Loretta Swit is an American stage and television actress known for her character roles. Swit is best-known for her portrayal of Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.-Early life:...	Amorous Crossing	2010
Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren is an American actress and singer; who rose to popularity as Universal Pictures's version of 20th Century Fox's Marilyn Monroe....	In One Bed, Out The Other	1971
Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren is an American actress and singer; who rose to popularity as Universal Pictures's version of 20th Century Fox's Marilyn Monroe....	A Dash of Spirits	1977
Marjorie Lord Marjorie Lord Marjorie Lord is an American television and film actress. She played Kathy "Clancy" Williams opposite Danny Thomas on Make Room for Daddy and later Make Room for Granddaddy.-Early life and career:...	How the Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York was an early publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis, documenting squalid living conditions in New York City slums in the 1880s...	1974
Martha Raye Martha Raye Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....	Everybody Loves Opal	1979
Martha Raye Martha Raye Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....	Everybody Loves Opal	1983
Martin Milner Martin Milner Martin Sam Milner is an American actor best known for his performances in two popular television series, Adam-12 and Route 66....	The Tender Trap The Tender Trap The Tender Trap can refer to:*The Tender Trap , a 1954 Broadway play by Robert Paul Smith and Max Shulman, starring Robert Preston*The Tender Trap , a 1955 movie based on the play, starring Debbie Reynolds and Frank Sinatra...	1980
Meredith MacRae Meredith MacRae Meredith Lynn MacRae was an American actress and singer.-Life and career:MacRae was best known for her television roles as Billie Jo on Petticoat Junction and as Sally Ann in My Three Sons...	Sunday in New York Sunday in New York Sunday in New York, filmed in Metrocolor, is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Peter Tewksbury and starring Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Rod Taylor. It was one of Fonda's earliest films, and she was called "the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses" by Newsday...	1971
Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...	See How they Run See How They Run See How They Run is a classic English comedy in three acts by Philip King. Its title is a line from the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice. It is considered a farce for its tense comic situations and headlong humour, heavily playing on mistaken identity, doors, and vicars...	1973
Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...	See How they Run See How They Run See How They Run is a classic English comedy in three acts by Philip King. Its title is a line from the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice. It is considered a farce for its tense comic situations and headlong humour, heavily playing on mistaken identity, doors, and vicars...	1974
Morey Amsterdam Morey Amsterdam Morey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...	Who Wants Fat Hair	1978
Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...	Paisley Convertible; The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch The Seven Year Itch is a 1955 American film based on a three-act play with the same name by George Axelrod. The film was co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, and starred Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, reprising his Broadway role...	1973
Nancy Kulp Nancy Kulp Nancy Jane Kulp was an American character actress best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the popular television series The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...	Busybody	1976
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara Donna Paige O'Hara is an American Broadway singer, actress, and Disney Legend best known for her voicework as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.-Personal life:...	The Sound of Music The Sound of Music The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...	1979
Paige O'Hara Paige O'Hara Donna Paige O'Hara is an American Broadway singer, actress, and Disney Legend best known for her voicework as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.-Personal life:...	The Sound of Music The Sound of Music The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...	1982
Pam Blair	Cactus Flower	1974
Pernell Roberts Pernell Roberts Pernell Elvin Roberts, Jr. was an American stage, movie and television actor, as well as a singer. In addition to guest starring in over 60 television series, he was widely known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son, Adam Cartwright, on the western series Bonanza, a role he played from...	Any Wednesday Any Wednesday Any Wednesday is a 1966 comedy film directed by Robert Ellis Miller, starring Jane Fonda, Jason Robards, and Dean Jones. The story centers around a Manhattan woman who is trying to decide between two suitors on the day of her 30th birthday.On August 18, 2009, Warner Brothers released the movie...	1974
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Pia Zadora Pia Zadora Pia Zadora is an American actress and singer. After working as a child actress on Broadway, in regional theater, and in the film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians , she came to national attention in 1981 when, following her starring role in the highly criticized Butterfly, she won a Golden Globe...	The Drunkard The Drunkard The Drunkard; or, The Fallen Saved is an American temperance play first performed in 1844. A drama in five acts, it was perhaps the most popular play produced in the United States before the dramatization of Uncle Tom's Cabin  in the 1850s. In New York City, P.T. Barnum presented it at his...	1971
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Robert Morse Robert Morse Robert Morse is an American actor and singer. Morse is best known for his appearances in musicals and plays on Broadway. He has also acted in movies and television shows. His best known role is that of J. Pierrepont Finch in the 1961 Broadway musical, and 1967 film How to Succeed in Business...	Play It Again, Sam Play It Again, Sam Play It Again, Sam is a 1972 film written by and starring Woody Allen, originally entitled Aspirins for Three. The film was directed by Herbert Ross, which is unusual, as Allen usually directs all his own written work....	1978
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Robert Reed Robert Reed Robert Reed was a prolific American character actor of stage, film and television. In his first big break, he played Kenneth Preston on the popular 1960s TV legal drama, The Defenders, alongside E. G. Marshall. But he was best remembered for portraying the father, Mike Brady, on the popular...	Wake Up, Darling	1974
Ruta Lee Ruta Lee Ruta Lee is a Canadian actress and dancer who appeared as one of the brides in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers...	Goodbye Charlie Goodbye Charlie Goodbye Charlie is a 1964 comedy film about a callous womanizer who gets his just reward. It was adapted from George Axelrod's play Goodbye, Charlie and starred Debbie Reynolds and Tony Curtis...	1972
Sal Mineo Sal Mineo Salvatore "Sal" Mineo, Jr. , was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause...	How The Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York was an early publication of photojournalism by Jacob Riis, documenting squalid living conditions in New York City slums in the 1880s...	1974
Sandra Dee Sandra Dee Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a model and progressed to film. Best known for her portrayal of ingenues, Dee won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 as one of the year's most promising newcomers, and over several years her films were popular...	90 Day Mistress	1975
Sandy Dennis Sandy Dennis Sandra Dale “Sandy” Dennis was an American theater and film actress. In 1966, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.-Early life:...	Same Time, Next Year Same Time, Next Year Same Time, Next Year is 1975 comedy play by Bernard Slade. The plot focuses on two people, married to others, who meet for a romantic tryst once a year for two dozen years.-Plot:...	1979
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Stephen Douglas	I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do! is a musical with a book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt which is based on the Jan de Hartog play The Fourposter. The two-character story spans fifty years, from 1895 to 1945, as it focuses on the ups and downs experienced by Agnes and Michael Snow throughout their...	1970
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The Alhambra's performers are members of the Actors' Equity Association

Actors' Equity Association

The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...

 (AEA), the union that represents professional stage and film actors. The theatre features buffet dinners and a full bar service. The bar itself seats 75 for patrons who arrive early for happy hour. The facility uses a Thrust stage

Thrust stage

In theatre, a thrust stage is one that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its up stage end. A thrust has the benefit of greater intimacy between performers and the audience than a proscenium, while retaining the utility of a backstage area...

 to give all 408 seats an excellent view. Several staff members have been at the venue for over 25 years.

Expansion

During 1997, plans were drawn up to reconfigure the Alhambra into separate theatre and dining sections. A 24800 sq ft (2,304 m²) new building would be constructed for a restaurant seating 600 and a banquet facility for another 100. The present structure would be converted into auditorium seating for 600 and triple the size of the stage. Construction was projected to start in the fall of 1998, pending financing approval, which never materialized.

In 2000, plans for a $10 million, 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²) project were submitted to the city for approval. Three buildings would be constructed surrounding the existing structure, which would eventually be razed. However, Jacksonville's Concurrency Management Office determined that there was insufficient traffic capacity, and denied the permit.

Brief closure

On August 31, 2009 the Alhambra Dinner Theatre suspended operations, citing the effect of the Late-2000s recession on attendance and expenses. The sale of the theatre to Theatre Partners, a group of local investors, was announced on October 28, 2009.

The group stated that operations would resume December 1, 2009 with A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...

, which has been a fixture in Jacksonville for more than 20 years. Former owner Tod Booth has agreed to produce the shows, which were the primary attraction. The food will now be under the direction of Matthew Medure, a popular local restaurtteur. Medure states that the food will be cooked at one of his restaurants and transported to the theatre. He plans to retain the existing presentation, but improve food quality and variety, changing the menu with each show. The building's decor is being spruced up with new flooring, fixtures, paint and table place settings, and the investors plan a multi-million dollar renovation if ticket and subscription sales are strong.

The new ownership group hosted a free outdoor dinner show on November 7, 2009 to celebrate the revival of the local theatre landmark. Chef Medure cooked on a grill and performers entertained with classic show tunes. It was announced that the first show for the 2010 Season would be High School Musical

High School Musical

High School Musical is a 2006 American television film, first in the High School Musical film franchise. Upon its release on January 20, 2006, it became the most successful film that Disney Channel Original Movie ever produced, with a television sequel High School Musical 2 released in 2007 and...

beginning December 30, 2009

External links

• Alhambra Dinner Theatre website
• National Dinner Theater Association website