Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre facts for kids
| Address | 5 Willowdale Drive Frederick, Maryland 21702 United States |
|---|---|
| Owner | Kiska Corporate Enterprises Bill Kiska, Executive Producer & CEO Justin M. Kiska, President & Managing Director Deb Kiska, Chief Financial Officer |
| Type | Dinner theater |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Website | |
| http://www.wayoffbroadway.com/ | |
The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, also called Way Off Broadway or WOB, is a special kind of theater. It's a "dinner theater" and also has a "children's theater." You can find it in Frederick, Maryland, in the United States.
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The Story of Way Off Broadway
The theater first opened in 1990. Back then, it was called the Keynote Dinner Theatre. Its very first show was the musical Grease.
In 1995, some new owners bought the theater. They were Pete Peterson, Terrance Warfield, and Jim Watkins. They decided to change its name to Way Off Broadway.
A year later, in 1996, something new began: the Way Off Broadway Children's Theatre. Their first show was an original play called Sleeping Beauty. Later that same year, the theater was sold again to Susan Thornton. She was the person who created the Children's Theatre!
The Kiska family bought Way Off Broadway in 2002. They started their ownership with a show called A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The Kiska family still owns the theater today.
Shows You Can See
Way Off Broadway puts on many different shows each year. They have two main types of performances: Mainstage shows and Children's Theatre shows.
Mainstage Shows
Every year, Way Off Broadway puts on five big shows. These are like the plays and musicals you would see on Broadway in New York City. They perform classic musicals by famous writers like Rodgers and Hammerstein. They also show newer plays by people like Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Way Off Broadway has been the first theater in its area to show many popular musicals. For example, in 2009, it was one of the first theaters to get the rights for The Wedding Singer. Other popular shows that first came to western Maryland at WOB include La Cage aux Folles and The Producers.
Children’s Theatre Shows
From 1996 to 2017, Way Off Broadway had a full season of shows just for kids. They put on four plays each year that were perfect for young audiences and their families. Many of these were musical versions of popular fairy tales.
One special show was in 2005. Way Off Broadway put on the first-ever stage version of Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. This was based on a children's book from 1963. Before this, only Jim Henson’s Muppets had made a TV special from the story. The book's author, Robert Barry, even said he liked Way Off Broadway’s play better than the Muppets' version!
Around 2011, the Children’s Theatre started to perform plays based on popular kids' books and movies. Many of these came from Disney! Some of these big shows included Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella, and Aladdin. They also had successful runs of Pinkalicious – The Musical and Dora the Explorer Live!.
Since 2018, the theater has changed how it offers children's shows. Now, they put on special children's theater events throughout the year.
Other Fun Events
Besides their main shows, Way Off Broadway also has other exciting events. They offer interactive murder mystery shows. These are plays where the audience helps solve a mystery! The Children’s Theatre also hosts special breakfast events. These include a Princess Breakfast and a Breakfast with Santa.
In 2019, Way Off Broadway helped put on a new musical comedy called The Book of Merman. This show had just been performed in New York City.
Where the Theater Is
The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre is in Frederick, Maryland. This city is west of Baltimore and north of Washington, D.C.. The theater has been in the same spot since it opened. It's located in the Willowtree Plaza along Route 40.
It's a traditional theater with a stage at one end. But what makes it special is that you eat a buffet meal while you watch the show! The people who serve your food are often the same actors and crew members from the play.
WOB Entertainment
In 2010, Way Off Broadway started a new part of their company called WOB Entertainment. This group handles all the activities that happen outside the main theater. WOB Entertainment helps create and put on shows at other places. They also offer advice to other arts groups.
WOB Entertainment also helps manage the original plays created at Way Off Broadway. This includes their interactive murder mysteries and the Children's Theatre Collection.
See also
