The Westchester Broadway Dinner Theatre opened in 1974 in Elmsford, New York. One of the last of the great dinner theaters, turned to just a stripped stage with piles of lights with equipment being carted off for a sale. The famed theatre home to hundreds of shows closed its doors in November 2020 an unfortunate effect of the pandemic. As many experienced in live entertainment, it was very difficult to remain running without an audience, without an ability to put on live shows, the theatre had to shut its doors. The 450-seat theatre had to close permanently and let go of 100 employees.
Today the theater is just a warehouse. One of the co-founders reminisced to the New York Times of his beginnings. With aspirations to be a movie director, Bill Stutler remembered visiting his parents back in West Virginia for Christmas. He had been fired from his job as an advertising executive and then chose to open an entertainment venue in Elmsford, NY in combination with food.
Stutler joined forces with friend, Robert Funking, a chef to build “An Evening Dinner Theater” which then turned into the Westchester Broadway Theater. They produced 200 musicals and generated up to $8 million annual revenue.
Is there a Replacement for Westchester Broadway Theatre?
While there isn’t another dinner theater in the Westchester area there is the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center which opened recently in the old Readers Digest grounds in the shopping center with Whole Foods in Chappaqua, New York.
Fans and residents have been curious what happened to their beloved Westchester Broadway Theatre and where they can now go.
With 91 reviews and a 4.7 out of 5 stars it appears the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center is a hit so far. The only issue from what has been seen since this theater opened in the Whole Foods shopping center is the theater is a bit sparse with their entertainment schedule.
They only display one event on their calendar which is the ELF: Interactive screening movie on December 17th at 3 pm. Tickets start at $15.
If you want to learn more about the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center go here: https://chappaquapac.org/