Garbeau's Dinner Theatre Could Close Forever

Garbeau's Dinner Theatre has been an institution in the Sacramento, California area for over 25 years. However, a combination of tough economic times and a change in landlord, who is demanding a large sum of money to keep their lease, means that Garbeau's is in danger of closing its doors forever.

When Garbeau's owners, Mark Ferreira and Andrea Castel, learned of the news, they immediately launched a campaign to raise the needed funds. Sacramento area groups rallied to the cause, holding benefit performances. Area theatres promised to honor gift certificates and season passes purchased at Garbeau's if the dinner theatre went under.

On Tuesday, the Ferreira and Castel announced that their landlord said if they could raise $8,000 by March 16^th, he would consider it a show of "good faith" and would renegotiate their lease. They are hopeful that this new lease will allow them to remain open even in the face of the declining economy.

"We are optimistic because we have a wonderfully supportive community," says Castel. "We also have a great show on stage now, and typically would be able to raise that amount on a normally busy weekend."

Thursday night, karaoke lovers can sing on the Garbeau's stage while enjoying snacks and the full bar. Friday and Saturday night, attend the musical comedy "I Love you Because". Sunday will be another benefit performance, titled "Evening in Ireland". "We are truly grateful to all the talent that has stepped forward to date to help our cause," adds Castel.

Garbeau's has been working hard to fight the recession and keep people coming in the door. "The first thing we did was cut ticket prices effective with our first show of the 2009 season," says Castel. "We also scaled back our staff and changed our pay structure for our theater support staff. We added karaoke Thursday nights, and are hoping to finalize plans for our Local Band night soon. These appeal to a different crowd than 'dinner theater,' and also help use our venue more than just three days per week. We priced our "Flex Tickets" to be very cost effective so customers would see the savings associated with purchasing advanced show tickets. We also adjusted the food selections and try to offer more items on the lower end of the scale so more people could afford to dine and see the show too. We cut costs associated on the restaurant and theater sides of business, and ask for a lot of support from our management team. We have a great staff here, and we're all working toward a common goal.To find out how you can help Garbeau's stay open as a great place for weekend entertainment that provides jobs to actors and backstage and restaurant staff, visit www.garbeaus.com.