A new partnership between two Indiana-based nonprofits is bringing more than $100,000 in investments to boost entertainment in Downtown Indianapolis.
The Murat Shrine of Indiana and On-Stage LIVE! Entertainment are coming together to create the first dinner theater experience in the downtown area complete with musical revue production shows. The Downtown Dinner Theatre is being created in the historic Murat Shrine Center — formerly Murat Shrine Temple — and will begin serving guests in May 2025, according to a press release.
“This partnership of two philanthropic organizations to celebrate the arts is a win-win-win,” Murat Shrine Potentate Scott Roberts said in a statement. “This move is re-energizing for both organizations, which are focused on fellowship and community. It will broaden the exposure of Murat Shrine and On-Stage LIVE! Entertainment to attract new audiences to help us both grow. It’s also a win for the city, which gains a new dining and performing arts entertainment option for residents, visitors and conventioneers.”
The partnership is investing more than $100,000 in facility improvements to the Murat Shrine Center’s Arabian Room, including purchasing new stage draperies, stage lighting, sound system, technical booth, patron seating, signage and more, according to a press release.
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These new updates only build on the Murat Shrine renovations started during the pandemic, which renovated the building’s first floor, The Oasis Restaurant & Bar and Tunisian Room.
The Downtown Dinner Theatre will offer guests a unique night-out experience, complete with a three-course dinner by Grafton Peek Catering in the Oasis Restaurant & Bar and Tunisian Room, followed by a “vibrant musical revue production show” in the Arabian Room, which seats up to 180 people.
“This partnership is a tremendous opportunity and fills a void since there are no other dinner theatres in downtown Indianapolis,” Jolyn Parker, president of the board of On-Stage LIVE! Entertainment, said in a statement. “The Murat provides a fabulous, beautiful, landmark venue for creative, professional programming. After the show, patrons can stay in the area to experience all that the Mass Ave District has to offer.”
Although the venue aims to be a downtown destination for dinner theater, brunch and lunch performances will also be available.
Downtown Dinner Theatre’s inaugural production “Imagination” premiers May 2-18. The show features music about bringing dreams to life and is the first in a six-show series debuting in 2025.
Tickets for brunch and lunch performances are $70-$80 and tickets for dinner performances are $60-70. Reduced rates are available for teenagers and children, veterans, Shriners, Masons and Scottish Rite members. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit downtowndt.com or call the box office at 317-635-2433, Ext 190.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
