New Candlelight Theatre

What Can I say?  This place is Unique, Fun, and worth every penny for a ticket!!  A GREAT NIGHT OUT!!  
I thought I was lost going down a small dirt road to an old Farm House converted into a dinner theater.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  A High School Play?  Not a Chance!!  The Building is a converted Barn?  A Cozy Roomy interior with tables,  and a Dinner Buffet that is Above Average Food,  all served by the Actors that will be playing in the show.  Can't be a good show if the actors are the servers?  WRONG!!  The service is IMPECCABLE!!!  The Show Should is BROADWAY QUALITY!!!  Daily Drink Specials!  The night I went,  Guinness was $3/Bottle.  The people were all nice!  If you don't have enough people to fill up a table,  they'll seat you with others.  Everyone was friendly and COURTEOUS!!!  It's amazing how well your Server/Actor performed at your table and on Stage.  Dollar for Dollar,  at $50 +-/pp,  Dinner, Dessert & Show,  (No Sales Tax),  was an absolute BARGAIN!!!  I can't wait to go back for the next show!!!  Season tickets can be purchased.  Bring a group,  you won't regret it!!  Chef Gary.

I have been a regular at the New Candlelight Theater for at least 6 years.  (I've lost count).  All of the performers work here for $25 or under a show.  You would never know it because they get up there with heart every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Afterward, they thank you at the exit.  I brought many of my friends and family through the years. I always have a really good time.  It feels like a good place to bring your family, friends or a date.  New Candle's theater building has a lot of charm inside and out.  Even the roads nearby the theater are bucolic and special.  

New Candle's buffet quality is excellent.  There's always a chicken, fish, and steak item on the buffet in addition to a veggie option.  They change the main course up a little bit between shows.  Sometimes the buffet items match the theme of the production.  New Candle's salad bar is very consistent with at least 15 different veggies to select for your salad.   In addition to about 5 different pies to choose from the buffet, you can pay a small fee for a ice cream brownie sundae that you'll receive at intermission.  It is quite good. The staff that run the buffet are friendly, and although I don't know them by name, I like seeing them show after show.  I'm probably the king of getting to the theater at the last minute.  One time the buffet staff stopped guests from eating the last of the chicken because we arrived near the end of the buffet hour and we did not have firsts.   Additionally, if you get stuck in traffic, the buffet staff prepare an excellent meal for your group to eat upon your late arrival.  Kudos to the buffet staff and the food they whip up for us!

It's nice seeing the same recurring staff in different roles.  My favorite shows at New Candlelight have been (in order but very close): The Full Monty, 42nd Street, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Man of La mancha, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, Footloose, Nunsense, Miss Saigon, Chicago, The Wedding Singer, Annie.  My least favorite shows were Grease, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar (maybe it's a Andrew Lloyd Webber thing?).  Just like pizza, even the bad shows were pretty good.  What I'm saying is most of the time the shows are fantastic, but once in long while you get a dud.  Dinner and a show for $56 is a great deal!  Remember to tip the unpaid waitstaff!

If I could sum up in a couple words describing our experience at the New Candlelight Music Theatre- it would be "delightfully surprising." As you make your way through narrow roads identified by short, brown street signs that wind and groove towards this quaint little destination- a red barn becomes prevalent as it's humbly established in this historic part of Ardentown.

There seems to be a nostalgic feeling when you enter through the refined barn doors as your senses are met with randomly framed pictures of performers along the walls, the atmosphere is lightly dimmed and the bustle of a growing crowd gradually fills the dining room as they settle down. The tables are generally arranged with no special sequence, except to be adorned with a red tablecloth and standard place settings. Our party of eight was led to a table that was moderately close to the front of the stage- however the area was large enough to accommodate a large collection of people without obstructing the visual clarity of the show.

One of my favorite aspects of the theatre were the chandeliers that hung delicately from the ceiling. It lended itself beautifully to the ambience which was never compromised by the sophisticated sound and lighting system equipment that were also attached to the beamers. Before the 8pm show, they played hits from the 80's at a reasonable sound level which I thought was very charming.

Our server assumed double roles that night- part waitress for our dining experience as well as one of the actresses onstage. It was primarily that way for most of the actors- I have a hunch that because the theatre is a non-profit organization, labor from the entertainment is somewhat mandatory. I personally thought it was a novel idea and was quite pleasing to see the characters and dining experience in such harmony.

The food here alone compels you to return to this place. Quality tends to overcome quantity here- with just a few items on their buffet line you'll be thoroughly content. To describe it without provoking my hunger, the buffet consisted of just a few items: grouper in lobster sauce, chicken marsala, delicious pasta, peel and eat shrimp, mixed vegetables, BBQ meatballs and a carving station for beef. The salad was fresh and come with a handful of toppings like small black beans, chickpeas, traditional croutons and a handful of dressings (which didn't taste bottled). As for the selection of desserts- they must of had about 6-8 kinds: chocolate cake, banana creme pie, tiramisu, pecan pie, cheesecake... all so decadent! Judging from the overall quality, they must have all been prepared on the premises.

There's also a full cash bar which I didn't take advantage of, however other members of my party did and were quite pleased. It was fast service and appropriately priced.  

The show was non-stop fun- a musical rendition of the 80's movie "Footloose". You are entertained from beginning to end without ever getting bored. The sound quality was perfect and all high notes were carefully achieved without a break in both the actor or sound system. I was very much impressed with their stage abilities- from the professional acting to setting up the props from scene to scene- they certainly didn't skip a beat.

In retrospect, not only will I come back again, but I'll share the New Candlelight Dinner Theatre with others who are keen about classic quality entertainment. I'd like to see this place maybe expand in the future, but in it's current state I am truly satisfied.