Carey Dinner Theatre
Mississippi's Unique Dinner Theatre
Following a 29-year tradition of excellence in entertainment, Carey Dinner Theatre has earned the title as "Mississippi's unique dinner theatre."
From the aroma of the catered buffet, through the candlelit mean, to the thrill of the first chords of the overture, CDT offers patrons an all around entertainment experience for the senses.
In 1974, the William Carey College theatre program decided to try something different. Under the management of O. L. Quave, CDT managing director and chair of Carey's Department of Theatre and Communication at the time, the faculty wanted to give young performers a professional, yet educationally sound opportunity to express their talents in a unique format. There was a desire to offer the public entertainment that the whole family could enjoy. Out of this need for family fare, CDT was born.
The original idea was presented to several Carey employees who gave their enthusiastic support. This group became the first advisory board and they were assisted by other faculty and staff, along with Hattiesburg residents.
Students also caught the excitement. Two of these, Keith Thompson and Jay Rogers, were interested in writing and composing for musical theatre. This desire resulted in It's Make Believe, a musical which was produced in the first season of what was then called Carey Summer Showcase (the name changed to Carey Dinner Theatre in 1978). Thus, in 1975, four performers, along with technicians, office personnel, and staff launched one of the state's most valuable summer traditions.
From the beginning, it was agreed that the members of the CDT company would be given a stipend in the form of a working scholarship, with no tuition. This was a radical idea, for a time, many educational summer theatres charged tuition for students to participate. The scholarships have been possible because of the people who have loyally supported CDT with contributions through the years.
Another distinction from the beginning has been that student members serve during dinner. Thus, by the time the performances begin, each person in the audience has had some personal contact with at leas one member of the company.
Selected from auditions held every March, college students from a wide area try out for performing, technical, and clerical positions. Over 50 schools, including Julliard, Wake Forrest, Duke, and Eastman School of Music, as well as a large number of schools from the Deep South, have been represented by members of the CDT company.
CDT alumni, such as Phillip Fortenberry and Keith Thompson, can be found on Broadway. Fortenberry was a keyboardist for the national tour of Cats and more recently was the musical director for the revival of Hair and Seussical, The Musical. Thompson is also a musical director in New York, where his credits include Les Miserables. Both have numerous credits in professional theatre. Shannon Robert completed a master of fine arts degree at Florida State University and studied at the Moscow Art Theatre in Russia before returning to Carey theatre faculty and the position of designer with CDT.
From the first group of students in 1975 came a teacher, a social worker, a dentist, a nurse, a professional actor, and a professional musician.
Many students who have worked for CDT over several seasons comment that the audiences who attend the shows keep the actors' performances fresh. The uniqueness of the shows keep the CDT experience fresh as well. Managing director O. L. Quave, musical director Howard Keever, director/designer Shannon Robert and director Tim Matheny work for months before the dinner theatre season to choose musicals the public will enjoy. Whether it is a contemporary musical revue or an established musical comedy performed through the years, CDT has offered the public a myriad of wonderful shows. Recent productions include:
Smoke On the Mountain, The Taffetas, Beehive, Dracula, The Musical?, School House Rock Live!, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Some Enchanted Evening, Red, Hot, and Cole, and several original revues.
Follow this link to a history of performances