Dinner + Theater=?
Crimes of the Heart is the first presentation by at the new Webster Studio dinner/theater in Barboursville .PHOTO BY MARTY MOORE
Charlottesville has lots of dinner and plenty of theater, but starting February 14 you'll be able to get both at once at the new Webster Studio dinner-theater on Route 33 in Barboursville.
The Saturday-night-only events kick off Valentine's Day with Crimes of the Heart, a popular play turned 1986 movie starring current Albemarle resident Sissy Spacek, former Albemarlian Jessica Lange and Diane Keaton. It's a play Webster Studio founder David Webster knows well– he directed it twice before in Atlanta and Savannah– and the third time is "by far a better show," he says, thanks to the talent of the local cast of six.
The performances will be preceded by a multi-course dinner prepared by regional catering company Meriwether Godsey. The menu– available at websterstudio.org– offers organic fare and local goods including roasted rosemary chicken, grilled tuna, bacon wrapped beef loin with red wine sauce, and, for vegetarians, braised tofu with shiitake mushrooms in red wine sauce. As is tradition with dinner theater, the costumed actors are also wait staff.
The all inclusive fee– tickets, dinner, tax, tip and parking– is $78 per person (beer/wine cash bar available) and Webster, who is also a film director, says proceeds will go to training local actors who'll appear in his future movies. The theater can accommodate 50 patrons.
Crimes of the Heart will run through April 18,
says Webster, and already several performances (including the Valentine's Day event) are sold out, perhaps in part thanks to Webster's low-cost advertising blitz that had him posting signs on roadsides and in medians during January until Albemarle County forced him to take them down.
After Crimes: a Webster-penned play called Frank Sinatra Stole My Thunder. Webster says he's confident audiences will enjoy his own work. Not only did his team win this year's Adrenaline Film Festival– a 24-hour movie making challenge– at the Virginia Film Festival, but prior to moving to Charlottesville in 2004, Webster lived in Hawaii and Atlanta where in the late-1990s his improv show– a 90 minute routine that changed every week– sold out 1,500 times in a row, and eventually won him a regional Emmy Award after it was picked up and aired by cable station Turner South.
Webster says he's pleased with the local dinner-theater location– Stonefire Station, an event facility just west of Route 20 on Route 33 in Barboursville– and hopes to continue the performances as long as there's demand.
"If people want a dinner theater," he says, "all they have to do is support the first show."
–Last updated 3:21pm on Monday, February 9.#
28 comments
I'm all for it - but Webster needs to be realistic about the price he is charging. I'd go to every performance - but I might not go to a single one until pricing is more responsible of the socioeconomic status of those in the area.
Is the fee $78 per person or per couple? Something about this made me think it was per couple, but going back and re-reading, I realized it was probably per person. I still don't think that's terrible when you look at what you get, and what you could spend just on dinner out. This is a bad time to launch a business like this, but I hope they're successful.
Hi M-- it is per person, but it wasn't clear. I just updated the article. Thanks for pointing that out!
Courteney Stuart
We're the only theater in town that is paying it's actors. $10 per ticket goes to the building owners and over 50% to the dinner. After paying actors and crew we have a small margin available for the next shows set, costumes and marketing. If we have any profit it will go toward equipment for the films made exclusively with the students of webster studio (who each own a % of their movie). To lower price would mean not paying actors which would relegate us to only volunteer talent as with community theaters. I urge you to support the possibility that great stage talent doesn't have to leave our town to get paid on stage. See you at the show!!!
Congratulations David, very happy you're bringing the wonderful experience of community Dinner Theater to the citizens of our area.
"Break a Leg"
These are the people illegally posting signs in the right-of-way all over town. (For which, happily, they'll be fined $100/apiece come February 17, when the county gains the right to enforce the law on behalf of the state.) Not only am I not *about* to support a business like that, but I'll actively discourage others from doing so. This dinner theater is only five minutes from my house, but I'll eat my hat before I'll give spammers my money.
What better way to celebrate Valentines Day!? Also, Waldo Jaquith is stupid, the name, yes, but also the person. This community thrives on its arts, from the local music scenes to theatre, problem is, local artists don't get paid squat, cuz there're so many of them locally. So stop the whining about somebody promoting a show that is his life, and support the arts! (or die of boredom)
What a rhetorical victory, Darby.
Waldo Jaquith took no issue with theater, arts or paying actors. He took issue only with the (illegal, by the way) method of advertising the theater owner chose to use. If you want the theater to be able to advertise by putting signs anywhere and everywhere they choose, get the law changed.
Thanks for the congrats on a much deserved victory, moral, rhetorical, hey a wins a win, I just wanna thank Jesus, and all those who said I wasn't that great of a typer...Waldo said, "I am not about to support a business like THAT"...This is not a stripclub mind you...Plus Waldo eats hats for dinner.
...oh and by the way, Come one come all to the Falsies show this Friday at IS, one of the finest venues in town!! Don't miss their hit song, "Why do you never answer my rhetorical questions?"
Waldo, you sound like a petulant child. Fine, take issue with the signs but i find these ironic coming from you, the ultimate self promoter.
Congrats to Webster and crew. This sounds like a great venture and hope that it is a success in this town.
And as far as hat eating goes... how anarchist of you Waldo...Joe Strummer would be mighty proud..
For the record my fellow citizens, we will be taking down all of our road signs. We did not know it was against the law. During the last presidential election signs were everywhere and it gave some of my actors the idea to do likewise. Since I've been politely contacted to remove them, we as a company have chosen a date to do so entirely. We will not put up street signs again and apologize to anyone they displeased. We hope you'll look for our ads in "The Hook" over the next ten weeks as well as other places. Our cast has been rehearsing intensely for three months and the show is amazing. Last Saturdays dress rehearsal was a smashing success.So far this town has shown tremendous support and desire for this performance by ordering tickets at websterstudio.org. We still have plenty of seats left due to our lengthy run. SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!!!!
David, I don't think very many people have lost sleep over your signs. Once the signs are down, Albemarle County will find something else to whine about. IMHO, I'm sure there's probably some $98,000 per year employee (plus an attractive benefits package) sitting around the county office building dreaming up what to go after next.
While it may surprise a few people around here for me to say this, I would prefer to see some of these overpaid $98,000 Doolittle positions converted over to 2 full time police positions. Instead of enforcing a silly sign ordinance, -they- can enforce the law and get some of the many unsafe cars off the highway. Just last night I stopped beside a piece of junk at an intersection with an expired inspection sticker, slick tires, broken windshield and a leaking muffler and/or manifold gasket. This endangers my family much more than a small cardboard sign on the side of the road.
People have no idea how much money is wasted every year in Doolittle positions in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. While the ability to hire teachers, cops and firefighters is overlooked by the "good ole boys".
Sure is funny how I mellow out and defend the underdogs after stopping and getting a cheeseburger and beer for lunch!!! :)
This is actually a pretty sharp deal per person. I just looked at their website and the price does include gratuity and tax. Most other dinner theaters don't which means by the time you take your little lady out and see the show you end up dropping $100 or more per person.
Shine on.
Dear WEBSTER --
Today between her UVA classes, my wife called me about the abundance of comments in reaction to the HOOK article regarding your new Theatre venture. As she usually avoids public comments, it is most significant that she called after reading the HOOK link I sent her, to express her full support for your position, your ticket price and your motivation/reasoning.
It is sad that Teachers & Artists are all too often taken for granted financially. I applaud your effort and wish you all and your Company of Talent, all the very best.
I hope & trust that winning over my wife is an indication of a Central Virginia public still open to, interested in and supportive of The Performing Arts and reasonable compensation for ALL ARTISTS!
BRAVO & Welcome to Town!
The MBR Group
At least the dinner theater signs were part of a well intended effort and the folks were unaware of the law. Take a look as you drive through the 29 N. corridor. Notice how many properties and buildings harbor large blighting signs advertising "nothing". The businesses have either left town or remain for rent. In all fairness, it seems the county should require the property owners to paint over or remove the large expired signs more quickly. As far as I know, the current Albemarle zoning law allows expired "business type" signs to remain for 2 years. This includes the tall pole type signs-service stations.
So is this Waldo guy saying that he doesn't give to political candidates that put signs up?
My comment is to anyone who does not support this venture taken on by Webster Studios. First of all, I know these people. Not only are they upstanding folks but they are sincere in their efforts to educate this community about art, movies, and culture. They could have taken this idea anywhere and been successful. But they chose to stay here and share their talents and their experience with us. Frankly, Im proud to know and love them but more importantly, Im glad they chose to stay here and enlighten my mind with their vision and dreams. If it took every spare penny I had, I would go see this if for no reason other than pure curiosity. Step outside the box and enjoy yourselves sometimes. If you need a cause to fight for, hunger, injustice, social acceptance are still needing to be corrected. The signs issue can wait.
Webster seems ahead of the game. He found an unused venue, rented it, and started a dinner theatre, then got the attention of a lot of people. He put up signs without realizing it was a no no, and issued a sincere apology and is taking them down, making the small minded complainers look cheap and nasty. Now if the play and food live up to expectations, all will be well and people might actually start making a living in the performing arts. Not bad!
I didn't need the signs to inform me of this great opportunity. I'd rather see them, though, than all the for sale signs with which realtors festoon lawns. I made my reservations!
I knew Webster from his time in Atlanta. His commitment to the arts will mean nothing but positives for Charlottesville, much in the same way it was in Atlanta. He is a dedicated artist with an unwavering passion for creating and getting the best out of people.
I was thankful for the signs, that is the only way I knew about it.
Darby, your right.
go hoos
"First of all, I know these people. Not only are they upstanding folks but they are sincere in their efforts to educate this community about art, movies, and culture." This community is rather well-educated about art, movies, and culture. This is certainly not the first dinner theater in this area. I enjoyed one on 250W over thirty years ago and I'm hoping to enjoy the new one with its great pricing. I know I will if I don't run into a bunch of ignorantly pompous snots.
Unfortunately, political signs in public rights-of-way are not illegal.
Oh, "stupid" is not an adjective I would use to describe Waldo Jacquith.
I love me some dinner theater! Bring it on!!!!
Last night we had a great show with a thunderous standing ovation. The food was excellent and dozens of people stopped me to compliment the chefs. Still plenty of tickets left at websterstudio.org. Thanks Charlottesville!!!
Great show last night. I will definitely be back for seconds.
congrats, Webster on introducing a fresh entertainment venue to the area. I am a big fan of the Paramount as a volunteer, but what better bang for the buck, comparatively, than cuisine food, entertainment and involvement in the entertainment. Plus the possibility to say, "I remember seeing 'so and so' before they were fabulously famous. I can remember wasting 78 bucks on considerably less...actually perhaps, yesterday!! :<)