Minnesota's Award-Winning Dinner Theater Delivers World-Class Performances With A Gourmet Twist

No stranger to the art scene, Minnesota is home to thriving creative communities such as Lanesboro, an artsy city known as one of America's dream towns. It's significant that the state is also visually gorgeous, as its heavily forested landscape, which is monikered The Land of 10,000 Lakes, not only provides a scenic backdrop but has also inspired bastions of creativity such as Grand Marais, an artistic haven in Northern Minnesota on the coast of Lake Superior. Chanhassen, in Carver County, is another such beautiful town that has also inspired a high level of artistry. This is where Prince built Paisley Park, the pop star genius' home and studio, and where Chanhassen Dinner Theatre resides, a town fixture since its opening in 1968.

Nearly six decades of offering world-class entertainment and dining is nothing to scoff at, nor are the more than 240 productions it has been home to or the 13 million guests it has served so far. The theater has put on a vast array of musical shows ranging from feel-good romps like "Guys and Dolls" and "Annie" to dramatic epics including "West Side Story" and "Les Misérables." The theater is a truly Minnesotan experience, as everything is sourced locally, from the professional local actors to the set and costume designers. A ticket to one of the theater's nightly productions also unlocks an exquisite two-course meal and beverage, coupled with a thrilling musical or concert.

A friend and colleague of Michael Brindisi, the late artistic director of the theater, told MPR News that "everything revolved around joy and optimism" for the Broadway actor-turned-theater owner. His passion and zest for the craft, along with his brilliant directing and ability to bring out the best in his actors, continues to be evident in the productions at the establishment. As an added delight, the theater's dinner menu is scrumptious, with one dish, their Famous Chicken Chanhassen, described on Tripadvisor by previous guests as "great" and "reminiscent of Thanksgiving dinner."  Vegetarian options, such as vegetable lasagna, are also available, as are gluten-free desserts like a hot chocolate cheesecake. Beer, wine, and cocktails are also on offer and can also be ordered at the theater's pre-show cocktail bar.

As you savor your tasty dinner, you'll settle in for a dazzling extravaganza at their main theater, which has seats for 540 people. Seating arrangements vary; most tables seat four to six people, and parties of two are generally seated at group tables. Booths are reserved for parties of four, but there is a private VIP dinner section that overlooks the theater. For those concerned about accessibility, tables 611-617 don't require navigating steps, and there are options such as wheelchair-accessible seating and ramps, assistive listening devices, and audio description services.

As of this writing, the theater is running Grease, with all the leather jackets, poodle skirts, and slicked-back hair that it entails. You'll undoubtedly recognize the iconic tunes such as "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'," and "We Go Together" as you recline in the plush theater seats. Tickets run over $100 per adult, but there are student, military, and senior discounts. Dinner seating starts two hours before curtain.

The Chanhassen Dinner Theater not only produces classic Broadway plays but also year-long concerts and cabarets. Tributes to musical legends like Journey, Bob Dylan, and Sam Cooke are just some of the live music nights you can experience every weekend. The theater's excursions to America's rich musical past include a Classic Ladies of Country night with crooners belting songs by country music queens like Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, and jazz homages to three kinds of jazz: B.B. King, Freddie King, and Albert King. For an additional fee, you can also include a dinner from the main house.

If you're familiar with Drew Carey's "Whose Line is it Anyway," then you'll be excited to know that Chanhassen Dinner Theatre also hosts a two-hour improv comedy cabaret that unfolds per audience suggestions. The shows, which are open to anyone 13 years of age or older, include dinner and run every Friday and Saturday night. If you really love to laugh, membership to the Loyal Laughers Club grants you unlimited entry to the cabaret (no dinner included) for four months.

The Chanhassen Dinner Theater is a 30-minute drive southwest of Minneapolis and just over an hour's drive from Lindstrom, the charming city outside of Minneapolis known as America's Little Sweden.