The 2012 Season at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre will take audiences from Chicago to Iowa to Oz, with a whole lot of fun in-between.
Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre is at 9301 N. Michigan Road, on the Northwestside of Indianapolis.
Four new shows bookend three favorites for a season with everything from blondes to the church basement.
Starting the season with some Southern charm, Beef & Boards presents its debut production of “Dixie Swim Club.” Dive into this comedy about five women whose friendships formed many years ago on their college swim team. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they reunite every year at a beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh and meddle in each other’s lives. This touching show about friendship that lasts forever is on stage from Jan. 12 through Feb. 12.
Beef & Boards goes blonde in February with its premiere production of “Legally Blonde the Musical,” opening Feb. 16. After being dumped by her boyfriend for someone “serious,” Delta Nu sorority president Elle Woods drops the credit cards and hits the books to win him back. She’ll take on Harvard Law, but also learn a lot about herself in the process. This Tony Award nominee is on stage through April 6. The show is based on the movie “Legally Blonde.”
“The Music Man” marches in starting April 12. This Tony Award winning musical centers on the fast-talking “Professor” Harold Hill, a con man who convinces the people of River City, Iowa, to buy uniforms and instruments for the boys’ band he promises to create. While his plan is to skip town with the cash, he doesn’t bank on falling for the town librarian who sees right through him. On stage through May 25. Book, lyrics and music are by Meredith Wilson.
The Yellow Brick Road leads to the 2012 Family Show, “The Wizard of Oz.” Join Dorothy and her unlikely friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion as they take a fanciful journey that teaches them there’s no place like home. On stage May 31 through July 15, special $10 discounts are offered for this show for kids ages 3-15. From the book by L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics are by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.
Summer signals the time for a great religious comedy and 2012 brings the return of the Beef & Boards favorite, “Nunsense!” This side-splitting spoof about the Little Sisters of Hoboken who present a hilarious fund-raising talent show is on stage from July 19 through Aug. 26. Book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin, who refers to the show as “just good-time fun.”
Then things really heat up as the Tony-Award winning sizzler “Chicago” makes its debut at Beef & Boards starting Aug. 30. Step back into the roaring 20s in Chicago, where Roxie Hart murders her lover and seeks to become a celebrity while incarcerated. Her new-found fame could launch an entertainment career – but only if she’s acquitted by her charismatic lawyer. On stage through Oct. 7 and rated PG-13.
As the seasons change, it’s time to go “Away in the Basement” for “A Church Basement Ladies Christmas” starting Oct. 11. It’s 1959 and those zany Lutheran ladies are doing their part for the children’s Sunday School Christmas program. Come on back to the basement for more of their hilarious antics and stories. On stage through Nov. 25.
If ever there was a season to celebrate traditions, it’s the holidays. And Beef & Boards’ annual holiday production, “A Beef & Boards Christmas” marks its 20th year in 2012. Opening Nov. 29, “A Beef & Boards Christmas” makes the most of the season, with beautiful music, energetic dance numbers, colorful costumes and stirring voices. Gather with friends and family for this original production, on stage through Dec. 23.
Plus Beef & Boards brings back its one-hour musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” starting Dec. 7. This classic, enhanced with holiday carols, tells the timeless Charles Dickens story of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge whose cold heart warms with the visits of several spirits on Christmas Eve. The production is on stage for select dates through Dec. 21.
Children’s theater
The Pyramid Players are also announcing their 2012 Live Theatre for Kids series. Designed to entertain children of any age, these shows are a great way to introduce preschoolers to live theater. Plus, kids have the opportunity to meet the cast after each show for pictures and autographs.
“Dora’s Pirate Adventure” sails in to Beef & Boards for the first time and docks from Feb. 24 through March 31. “Dora the Explorer Live!” presents a show with Nickelodeon’s Dora, her best buddy, Boots the monkey, and the rest of their friends as they take an exciting trip to Treasure Island.
“Cinderella,” the childhood favorite about a young girl’s journey to becoming a princess, is on stage starting Oct. 19. A young girl with a wicked stepmother, Cinderella’s fate seems sealed. But with a little help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella secretly slips off to the royal ball where she and the Prince fall in love. The magical fairy tale comes to life at Beef & Boards through Nov. 17.
Performances take place on select Fridays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Performances last just one hour, are presented without intermission, and include juice and a snack.
Concerts
Beef & Boards also offers several concerts throughout the year. These performances always include a specially prepared buffet.
Indiana’s own Wright Brothers return for their annual Race Day concert on Sunday, May 27.
More featured concerts are planned, with performance dates to be announced throughout the season.
Tickets on sale to members now
New 2012 VIP memberships are on sale as of Sept. 1. Those who are not current VIP members can purchase their membership and reserve seats for 2012 shows as of that date. Tickets for all regular season shows are on sale to the public as of Oct. 1. See the theater’s website, www.beefandboards.com, for complete details.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the Box Office at (317) 872-9664 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays). Tickets for main stage shows range from $37 to $60, and include a dinner buffet.
