Best Dish with Extra Cheese
Anthony’s Dinner Theater
The patrons at Anthony’s Dinner Theater are looking for a dinner-and-entertainment combo experience that comes with a generous helping of the gooey stuff. Eager to be served, they are eating it right up and asking for seconds.
A few years ago, Anthony’s proprietor and lifelong musical-theater fan Anthony Barrasso had a breakthrough moment. After appearing in a show at Portland Players, Barrasso transformed the dining area of his humble Old Port basement restaurant into a micro-theater, cramming in a stage, lighting, and plenty of razzle-dazzle.
The idea of a Broadway-style dinner theater this far off Broadway (it’s even way off SoPo’s Broadway) — not to mention in a pizzeria — is a bit confounding, but artistic director Michael Donovan explains: “As long as there is an alternative to the digital era, there will be a place for live entertainment. You just can’t replace the human element of a live show.”
The shows have been consistently selling out (that’s tickets, not souls) in Anthony’s three-plus-year run, and show no signs of slowing down. The made-to-order experience includes a prix fixe meal ($35 per person) and homecooked, homegrown talent of unusually high caliber. It’s a rare opportunity to see a great show for not a lot of cheddar.
Anthony’s Dinner Theater | at Anthony’s Italian Kitchen, 151 Middle St, Portland | Fridays & Saturdays at 7 & 9 pm | 207.221.2267 | anthonysdinnertheater.com
