Yo, Columbia! It’s Rocky and it’s here for you— live on stage at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. This is a knockout musical that will pull you to the edge of your seat by the end of the show. Directed by Toby Orenstein & Mark Minnick, with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, and Fight Choreography by Justin Calhoun, Rocky is not just a musical with boxing, it’s a story— an honest to God story about how one man wants to make something of himself,
PINK is for playthings.
YELLOW’s for warnings.
PURPLE for princes.
BLACK for wannabes.
GREEN is for pickles.
But RED… RED IS FOR SEX!!!
Serving up all the sex, the sauce, the sassiness, and the
serious heart and soul, Kinky Boots is all the rage at Toby’s Dinner
Theatre of Columbia. Marking the regional premiere of the production, whose
successful run on Broadway sent it touring around the country before it finally
landed in Columbia,
I hope life treats you kind. And I hope you have all you’ve
dreamed of. And I wish to you joy and happiness— but above all this, I wish you—
to go and see the stellar regional premiere production of The Bodyguard at
Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia. Directed by Mark Minnick and Toby Orenstein
with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings and Choreography by Shalyce
Hemby, the iconic 90’s film turned stage musical finds its footing with a true
focus on the story in the well-seasoned hands of Mark Minnick,
Here it is— the moment you’ve been waiting for! Here it is—
you know exactly what’s in store! A story like you’ve never seen or heard
before! Now’s the time to head to Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia to see the
DC-regional premiere of The Hunchback of
Notre Dame. Directed by Toby Orenstein & Mark Minnick, with Musical
Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, this musical masterpiece inspired by the
Victor Hugo novel with musical selections from the Disney animated feature film
presents a hauntingly beautiful tale with striking,
Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom
Everything’s coming up Toby’s! Everything’s coming up— TOBY’S!
Let them entertain you with their stunning, thrilling, exciting, and magical
production of Gypsy. Directed by Mark
Minnick and Toby Orenstein with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, the
truth of a brilliant story is told in earnest, with the heart of that gripping
tale at the forefront of the show creating honest theatrical magic for everyone
who comes to the table and lets the cast and crew of Gypsy entertain them.
Toby’s Carries Banner! Makes Newsies Smash Success!
Toby’s on a mission! Kills competition with stellar new musical production!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Newsies makes area premiere at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia! Directed by Mark Minnick & Toby Orenstein with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings and Choreography by Ilona Kessell, this moving and inspirationally sensational Disney musical inspired by the 1992 Disney film is a regular prize-winning affair.
Guess what? In their heads— two co-directors had a crazy dream! Five narrators all summer long, was the dream of Mark Minnick and Toby Orenstein! No one knew exactly what that would mean! What to do— it was such a crazy dream! And strange as it seemed— that crazy, crazy dream, brought five women who interpret musical theatre with astonishing brilliance to the stage for the summertime run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Now, here is a riddle to guess, if you can— hear the bells of Notre Dame! What makes a monster and what makes a man? Sing the bells…bells…bells…of Notre Dame! You’ll only discover the answer to this mystifying riddle in the stunning, stirring, brilliant, and breathtaking production of Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts’ Teen Professional Theatre this summer. Directed by Stephen Fleming with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings and Choreography by Mark Minnick,
Morning in Columbia the city awakes— to the bells of Notre Dame!
The merchant man sells and the baker man bakes— to the bells of Notre Dame!
Toby’s Teen Professional Theatre, as a part of Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, is offering up a bold regional premiere this summer with their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on the infamous Victor Hugo novel with songs from the iconic Disney animated film,
Way, way back many decades ago— not long after the city of Columbia began! Toby Orenstein started up a dinner theatre— the finest one in all of Maryland! Toby’s! Dinner and show! That’s the place— this summer— to go! Toby’s! Dinner and show! They’re showing Joseph, just thought you should know! It’s a dazzling production of many colors, this Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Directed by Mark Minnick and Toby Orenstein.
Go! Go! Go! Go go see Joseph…
That’s what the papers say! As Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia celebrates the 45th year of Columbia Center for the Arts (CCTA) and the 50th anniversary of the city of Columbia, what better way to celebrate than with five show-stopping female leads, all of whom have starred on the Toby’s stage in the past, now lined up to be a part of Toby’s present?
Look what they got! How can they fail? You’ve never seen a show like this before! They make the evening bright, and once you’re through tonight, they guarantee you’ll come back tomorrow for more! Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia is setting sail up and down the Mississippi River with a grand old production of Show Boat. A rarely produced theatrical treasure, this musical theatre gem of yesteryore is an iconic foothold and earnest classic in the history of musical theatre.
“The theatre community here <Washington DC> is something other cities can only dream of.” An earnest and rewarding quote pulled directly from the lips of David Ives, this year’s recipient of “Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation” at the 32nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards Ceremony. Just one of 236 nominees being celebrated over the course of the evening, Ives’ statement captured the tone of the evening early on with the aforementioned quote given during his award acceptance speech.
The 32nd Annual Helen Hayes Awards is just around the corner celebrating live professional theatre of all shapes and sizes in the nation’s capital city of Washington DC. This year’s ceremony will be presented at the historic Lincoln Theatre on Monday evening May 23, where 236 nominees are being honored, representing 202 eligible productions produced in 2015. In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we’ve taken a few quick moments with nominee David James (nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Musical— Helen Production,
There’s no happier thought than magic and wonder and enchantment, especially not when it comes to the theatre! A place beholden of wondrous talent, magical moments, and enchanted evenings, Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia is now proudly presenting a timeless family classic with their production of Peter Pan. Directed by Toby Orenstein and Mark Minnick, with Musical Direction by Brandon Fullenkamp, this lively time-honored treasure will spark fond memories of childhood for the young and young at heart.
Some enchanted evening, you may attend the theatre. You may attend Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia and see…a truly enchanting Rogers and Hammerstein classic with their production of South Pacific. As the run winds its way into the final month of production, TheatreBloom sits down with actress Teresa Danskey, currently playing ensign Nellie Forbush, for a little happy talk regarding her debut performance at Toby’s.
Thank you for taking a moment out of your busy schedule to sit with us.
If you’re gonna fly then you just gotta have wings! And the only way for Clarence Odbody, Angel Second Class, to earn his wings is by helping George Bailey hang onto God’s greatest gift! Acting veteran David James, well-known for his three decades of stage work in and around the Washington and Baltimore area, has returned to Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia once more, a performance venue he’s proud to call home for the holidays,
Teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings! Holiday bells are ringing at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia as they welcome the holiday season with their very own original musical production of It’s a Wonderful Life. With Music and Lyrics by David Nehls with Book and Adaptation by Michael Tilford, this feel-good holiday classic is carefully crafted with love specifically for the intimate in-the-round staging at Toby’s Dinner Theatre and fits like a favorite holiday sweater.
Giving the nation a new syncopation, Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia proudly presents a masterful production of the treasured Ahrens and Flaherty musical Ragtime. Rolling on the wheels of a dream, the production is Directed by house Artistic Director Toby Orenstein and Co-Artistic Director Lawrence B. Munsey. With Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, this evocative, soul-searing musical brings forth a hunger for justice and presents to theatergoers all across the Columbia and greater Baltimore and Washington Metropolitan areas a sensationally talented cast with earnest heart and emotional depth.
Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor and the opportunity to catch one of Stephen Sondheim’s most popular musicals is equally brief at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia this summer. With magic that defies description, Into the Woods tumbles fairytale classics onto their ear in this thrilling and adventurous family-friendly musical. Co-Directed by Toby Orenstein and Mark Minnick, with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, this heartfelt Sondheim classic grants wishes and proves that right and wrong don’t matter in the woods.
“Franklin did this and Franklin did that and Franklin did some other damn thing. Franklin smote the ground and out sprang George Washington, fully grown and on his horse. Franklin then electrified him with his miraculous lightning rod and the three of them— Franklin, Washington, and the horse— conducted the entire revolution by themselves.” John Adams, 1776. While Ben Franklin may stand around quoting himself and John Adams complains about it, TheatreBloom continues on in the Vote Yes: Inside Independence Hall series with an exceptionally talented actor who has returned after retiring from the stage 29 years ago.
Pins. Saltpeter. Does love and marriage have a place in pre-revolutionary America? One had better hope so otherwise Abigail Adams and Martha Jefferson will serve no purpose in Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards’ 1776. In the sixth installment of Vote Yes: Inside Independence Hall, TheatreBloom sits down with Santina Maiolatesi and MaryKate Brouillet, the only two female performers in 1776 to find out what it’s like to be a part of the independency revolution as a woman.
Does one play the villain when one simply exposes the truth for what it is? The pungent aroma of hy-pocrisy wafting down from the north as John Adams campaigns for Independence in Philadelphia exposed by the surly tongue of Edward Rutledge in what is marked as one of the darkest musical numbers in 1776. Continuing on as the fourth installment of Vote Yes: Inside Independence Hall, TheatreBloom sits down with Dan Felton to discuss his antagonistic role inside the second continental congress.
It’s family first and family last and family by and by! When you’re an Addams? You do what Addams’ do or die! Finishing out the Move Toward the Darkness interviews, we bring the series to a close with the patriarch of the family, Gomez Florencia Addams. Toby’s Co-Artistic Director is back to the stage after nearly a year’s acting hiatus and is loving every minute of what this creepy and kooky papa character has to offer.
Brush away the dirt and soot and get ready to go over the rooftops with Toby’s veteran performer Jeffrey Shankle as he gives the readers of TheatreBloom an exclusive interview on what it’s like playing one of the most magical roles of his performing career. Shankle, currently involved in Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia regional premier of Mary Poppins the Disney musical, is playing Bert, the loveable jack-of-all-trades chimney sweep who reminds us anything can happen if we let it as he narrates the tale of the Banks family and their involvement with the infamous flying nanny title character.
This Christmas season is a jolly holiday indeed over at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia as they serve up true theatrical magic at its finest with their production of Disney’s Mary Poppins. Making its regional debut with original music by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman; new songs, music, and lyrics provided by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, and book by Julian Fellowes this wondrous production brings all the magic one needs for a practically-perfect holiday and an exceptionally spirited new year.
It’s time to tear down the house over at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia! Their smokin’ hot production of Memphis is burning down the roof! In an exclusive interview series featured only on TheatreBloom, we go in-depth and behind the scenes with the cast and creative team of this Tony Award-Winning musical to get the full musical experience and find out exactly what Memphis means to them.
Thar she blows! Land-ho! Those singing, dancing, prancing pirates have cast their ship upon the great shores of Columbia and weighed anchor at Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia for the summer! This revamped version of a Gilbert and Sullivan classic will bring rolling waves of comedy to the audience with a refreshing and revitalized love story to boot! Directed and Choreographed by Mark Minnick with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings,
Do you hear the people sing? The beating of their hearts echoes the beating of the drum, as the show is about to start at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia. Presenting the regional premier of the Tony Award-winning classic, one of the longest running shows on Broadway— Les Misèrables stirs up a revolution of the heart and soul as it takes to the in-the-round stage at this spectacular theatre.
Directed by Toby Orenstein and Steven Fleming,