This particular menu featured such items as Fresh Atlantic Sole Florentine ($28.50 - Heidi's choice), Wisconsin Duck Montmorency ($28.50 - I had this and it was outstanding), Beef Wellington ($33.50), Chicken Vienna ($27.50) and New York Strip Sirloin Steak ($36.50). The kitchen staff develops a new menu with each new theater production. Secondly - and perhaps even more importantly - the food and service are both exceptional and the prices are very reasonable. There are numerous, intimate areas and several levels on which to dine, and one does not have a sense of the immensity of the structure. The first is that, for such a huge capacity restaurant, the size of the place is not immediately obvious. There are also five themed gift shops to browse. The theater now boasts state-of-the-art sound and lighting, a hydraulic lift system in the stage and complete handicap accessibility. In 1978 a 435 seat theater was added later additions increased capacity to 652 seats. ![]() Over the years, the size of the venue has increased, now able to accommodate up to 1000 diners. People frequented from miles around on a regular basis. Owners Dick and Betty Klopcic built a small restaurant in 1964 offering fine food, great service and an intimate atmosphere. absolutely top-notch!!Īnd in case you thought I forgot about the dinner, I have not. A six-piece band sounded more like a full orchestra and 11 actors filled the theater with music, laughter, applause and delight, the likes of which I have not experienced in quite a while. The music was nothing short of spectacular, the choreography splendid and finely tuned, and the evening passed very quickly.Įven if you don't remember hula hoops, Ipana toothpaste, Sputnik and TV Dinners, the music from the Platters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson and a host of others will surely bring your hands together, tapping to your feet and smiles to your faces. but at least I knew the tune! In any case, I would find it extremely hard to believe that there was even a single droopy eyelid in the crowd that evening. Ok, so there were a few to which I couldn't sing along. The Fifties were my years and every song performed that evening, from television commercials to theme songs to chart-toppers, were ones to which I knew the lyrics. The show that Heidi and I attended - Those Fabulous Fifties - was about as fast-paced as any I have ever witnessed and the energy released was roughly equivalent to that required by all the air-conditioners of Los Angeles during a summer heat wave! Add to that the professional costume designers, set and lighting designers and the musical directors and choreographers and you have a high class production available in but a few areas of the country. This, and all his shows to be sure, are well-written and masterfully performed. The rigorous schedule to which they will commit includes over 80 performances in a 9-10 week period. When looking for a cast for his show, Flesch heads to New York where he'll see more than 600 actors auditioning for perhaps 20 parts. ![]() The theater talent is scouted by Artistic Director Ed Flesch, producer of all the Fireside's roughly five shows per year since coming on board in 1978. And those youngsters were having just as much fun as anyone in the large audience (the Fireside theater-in-the-round can accommodate up to 650 at a time). Atkinson, as well as the entire Midwest, a truly Broadway-caliber theater that will appeal to all age groups - a fact that was exemplified by the large number of children that I observed attending the performance that evening.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |