# Alhambra Dinner Theatre

The Alhambra Theatre & Dining in Jacksonville, Florida, is the oldest continuously-running professional dinner theater in the United States, and the only professional resident theatre in Northeast Florida.

## 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 in 1969, which featured former Gilligan's Island costar Dawn Wells. 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 Centerfold 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 100 stars have graced the Alhambra stage:
| Celebrity | Production | Year |
| Alan Sues | Send Me No Flowers | 1972 |
| Ann B. Davis | Lullaby; 3 on a Honeymoon | 1972 |
| Artie Johnson | The Seven Year Itch | 1973 |
| Barbara Britton | Forty Carats | 1972 |
| Barbara Eden | Social Security | 2014 |
| Barry Williams | The Odd Couple | 2011 |
| Bernie Kopell | The Sunshine Boys | 2005 |
| Betty Grable | Born Yesterday | 1973 |
| Bill Daily | Tribute | 1981 |
| Bob Crane | Beginner's Luck | 1973 |
| Bob Denver | Paisley Convertible | 1973 |
| Broderick Crawford | The Second Time Around | 1976 |
| Cesar Romero | Never Get Smart with an Angel | 1978 |
| Cindy Williams | Weekend Comedy | 2013 |
| Claude Akins | I Ought to Be in Pictures | 1984 |
| Cyd Charisse | Kindling | 1978 |
| Cyd Charisse | Bell, Book and Candle | 1981 |
| Dana Andrews | Best of Friends | 1974 |
| Dawn Wells | Barefoot in the Park | 1969 |
| Dennis Cole | And All the Girls Came Out to Play | 1970 |
| Dennis James | The Impossible Years | 1979 |
| Don Ameche | Girl in the Freudian Slip | 1971 |
| Dorothy Lamour | Fallen Angels | 1973 |
| Dorothy Lamour | Personal Appearance | 1976 |
| Dwayne Hickman | Natalie Needs a Nightie | 1974 |
| Eddie Bracken | Hotline to Heaven | 1976 |
| Elaine Joyce | 6 Rms Riv Vu | 1982 |
| Esther Rolle | Nearlyweds | 1976 |
| Fabian Forte | Love is a Time of Day | 1971 |
| Fannie Flagg | Once More, with Feeling! | 1972 |
| Forrest Tucker | Plaza Suite | 1977 |
| Forrest Tucker | Captain Outrageous | 1981 |
| Frank Gorshin | Breaking Legs | 1995 |
| Frank Sutton | The Last of the Red Hot Lovers | 1972 |
| Gail Bliss | A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline | 2000,01,02,04 |
| Gale Gordon | Never Too late | 1977 |
| Gale Gordon | Love & Kisses | 1979 |
| Gary Burghoff | Boney Kern | 1982 |
| Gene Barry | Hot Shot | 1977 |
| Gene Rayburn | Lovers Leap | 1980 |
| George Hamilton | 6 Rms Riv Vu | 1974 |
| Georgia Simmons | Tobacco Road | 1970 |
| Gig Young | Harvey | 1974 |
| Gordon Jump | Norman, Is That You? | 1983 |
| Hugh O'Brian | Cactus Flower | 1974 |
| Imogene Coca | A Girl Can Get Lucky | 1970 |
| Imogene Coca | Plaza Suite | 1971 |
| Jack Cassidy | Murder Among Friends | 1976 |
| Jack Kelley | Under the Yum Yum Tree | 1975 |
| James Drury | Catch Me If You Can | 1972 |
| James Drury | The Prisoner of Second Avenue | 1976 |
| James Drury | California Suite | 1979 |
| Jay Thomas | Chapter Two | 1980 |
| Jamie Farr | Lend Me a Tenor | 2011 |
| Joan Caulfield | Butterflies are Free | 1972 |
| Jay Thomas | See How They Run | 1982 |
| Jay Thomas | A Gentleman and a Scoundrel | 1982 |
| Joey Bishop | The Seven Year Itch | 1981 |
| John Carradine | Tobacco Road | 1970 |
| Jonathan Harris | The Pleasure of His Company | 1972 |
| Joyce DeWitt | Remember Me | 2012 |
| Judy Carne | Mary, Mary | 1977 |
| June Wilkinson | Pajama Tops | 1970 |
| June Wilkinson | Pajama Tops | 1975 |
| June Wilkinson | Pajama Tops | 1976 |
| June Wilkinson | The Ninety Day Mistress | 1978 |
| Keith Carradine | Tobacco Road | 1970 |
| King Donovan | A Girl Can Get Lucky | 1970 |
| King Donovan | Plaza Suite | 1971 |
| Lance E. Nichols | Driving Miss Daisy | 2013 |
| Lara Parker | The Ninety Day Mistress | 2013 |
| Lauren Tewes | Born Yesterday | 1981 |
| Leanza Cornett | Barefoot in the Park | 1997 |
| Lee Meredith | Champaign Complex | 1968 |
| Lee Meredith | The Marriage-Go-Round | 1980 |
| Liv Lindeland | Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? | 1972 |
| Lyle Waggoner | Boeing-Boeing | 1970 |
| Loretta Swit | Murder Among Friends | 2013 |
| Mamie Van Doren | In One Bed, Out The Other | 1971 |
| Mamie Van Doren | A Dash of Spirits | 1977 |
| Marjorie Lord | How the Other Half Lives | 1974 |
| Martha Raye | Everybody Loves Opal | 1979 |
| Martha Raye | Everybody Loves Opal | 1983 |
| Martin Milner | The Tender Trap | 1980 |
| Meredith MacRae | Sunday in New York | 1971 |
| Michael Learned | Driving Miss Daisy | 2013 |
| Mickey Rooney | See How they Run | 1973 |
| Milt Kamen | Take My Wife | 1971 |
| Morey Amsterdam | Who Wants Fat Hair | 1978 |
| Morgan Fairchild | Paisley Convertible; The Seven Year Itch | 1973 |
| Nancy Kulp | Busybody | 1976 |
| Paige O'Hara | The Sound of Music | 1979; 1982 |
| Pam Blair | Cactus Flower | 1974 |
| Pamela Mason | The Marriage-Go-Round | 1975 |
| Pernell Roberts | Any Wednesday | 1974 |
| Pat O'Brien | Paris is Out | 1974 |
| Patty Weaver | Any Wednesday | 1978 |
| Pia Zadora | The Drunkard | 1971 |
| Randolph Mantooth | Arsenic and Old Lace | 1983 |
| Ray Walston | You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running | 1976 |
| Richard Egan | Hanky Panky | 1978 |
| Richard Egan | Broken Up | 1979 |
| Richard Karn | I Ought to Be in Pictures | 2014 |
| Robert Morse | Play It Again, Sam | 1978 |
| Robert Morse | Murder at the Howard Johnson's | 1980 |
| Robert Morse | Wally's Cafe | 1984 |
| Robert Q. Lewis | Norman, Is That You? | 1971 |
| Robert Reed | Wake Up, Darling | 1974 |
| Ruta Lee | Goodbye Charlie | 1972 |
| Sal Mineo | How The Other Half Lives | 1974 |
| Sally Struthers | Hello Dolly | 2012 |
| Sandra Dee | The Ninety Day Mistress | 1975 |
| Sandy Dennis | Same Time, Next Year | 1979 |
| Selma Diamond | Funny Girl | 1977 |
| Sid Caesar | The Last of the Red Hot Lovers | 1982 |
| Stephen Douglas | I Do! I Do! | 1970 |
| Sue Ane Langdon | The Owl and the Pussycat | 1975 |
| Tab Hunter | The Tender Trap | 1973 |
| Tab Hunter | Here Lies Jeremy Troy | 1975 |
| Vera Miles | Forty Carats | 1972 |
| Vera Miles | Painting Churches | 1986 |
| Veronica Hamel | Cactus Flower | 1974 |
| Vivian Vance | Arsenic and Old Lace | 1974 |
| Dawn Wells | "Come Blow Your Horn (play)" | 2017 |
The theatre features three-course served dinners and a full bar service. The bar hosts patrons who arrive early for happy hour. The facility uses a Thrust stage to give all 408 seats an excellent view. Several staff members have been at the venue for over 25 years.

## 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, which has been a fixture in Jacksonville for more than 20 years. Former owner Tod Booth agreed to direct the shows, which were the primary attraction. The food was placed under the direction of DeJuan Roy, a popular local restaurateur, who has changed the menu with each show; table service replaced the buffet style of serving. The building's decor has been spruced up with new flooring, fixtures, paint and table place settings.
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 beginning December 30, 2009.

## Actors' Equity Association Do Not Work Order

The Alhambra Dinner Theatre is currently on the Actors' Equity Association's Do Not Work list meaning that members of AEA are not permitted to work on any production produced or performed at the Alhambra Dinner Theatre under penalty of suspension or permanent expulsion not only from AEA but from the unions affiliated with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America known as the 4As unions which includes SAG-AFTRA, American Guild of Musical Artists, American Guild of Variety Artists and the Guild of Italian American Actors.