The Alhambra Theatre & Dining in Jacksonville, Florida, is the oldest continuously-running professional dinner theater in the United States,Capitano, Laura: Florida Times-Union, May 2, 2008, "For dinner and a show, why not head to the Alhambra?" and the only professional resident theatre in Northeast Florida. USA Today's readers voted the venue the best dinner theatre in the US in April 2025.
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.Brandenburg, Susan D.: Florida Times-Union, December 7, 2004, "Alhambra director gets kids started early on love for stage"
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: CelebrityProduction 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 1970,75,76 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 1979,83 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 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.Coleman, Matt: "A revived Alhambra Dinner Theatre ends short-lived hiatus" Florida Times-Union, November 8, 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.Alhambra Dinner Theatres Second Act (Retrieved 03 December 2010 from Biz Journals)Alhambra Dinner Theatre Profile (Retrieved 08 June 2012 from Iwantabuzz.com via the Internet Archive).
Actors' Equity Association Do Not Work Order The Alhambra Dinner Theatre is currently on the Actors' Equity Association's Do Not Work listActors Equity Association Do Not Work List - Alhambra Dinner Theatre under Eastern Region meaning that Equity members 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.
See also List of dinner theaters Cabaret
References
External links Alhambra Dinner Theatre website National Dinner Theater Association website