Toby's Dinner Theatre


Toby's Dinner Theatre is a dinner theater based in Columbia, Maryland.

History

Soon after the establishment of the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, Toby Orenstein decided to open a theater in her name. In 1979, she approached businessman James Rouse, the catalyst for the CCTA, and he agreed to helped start this endeavor. Shortly thereafter, a Virginia-based restaurant group operated by Steve Lewis approached Orenstein with a partnership offer for the Garland Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland. On December 4, 1979, Toby's Dinner Theater opened with a performance of Godspell. In a 2008 interview with the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, Orenstein reflected on her apprehensiveness: On March 10, 2006, Toby's Dinner Theatre opened a second location in Baltimore with a run of Beauty and the Beast. This location is now closed.

Facilities

In 1979, Toby's Dinner Theatre opened at its current location in downtown Columbia, Maryland, adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lake Kittamaqundi. It has an indoor seating capacity of 300 individuals. The theatre has parking, buffet-style dinner, full bar, full menu, and live music and entertainment. Dinner is a mix of American cuisine. The facility is ADA compliant. Toby's is estimated to draw 4,000 subscribers and 80,000–102,000 patrons a year.
In April 2025, Howard County broke ground on a new performing arts center on the site of Toby's Dinner Theatre. The center will contain one 340-seat dinner theater, two 200-seat black box theaters, a public art gallery and several dance studios and performance classrooms.

Productions

Recent productions include Dreamgirls, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Caroline Bowman and Cathy Mundy, Beauty and the Beast, Show Boat, A Christmas Carol, Sister Act, Hairspray, Peter Pan, Into the Woods, South Pacific, and Newsies.

Awards and nominations