The Center City District (CCD) is bringing back its Dinner and a Show promotion, a collaboration between Philadelphia performing arts organizations and restaurants.

Running from March 1 to May 31, Dinner and a Show is a promotion which offers discounted tickets to performances at eight nationally renowned performing arts organizations that the CCD hopes to highlight. 

“We have noticed that some of Center City’s performing arts organizations aren’t at full capacity since the pandemic,” said Giavana Suraci, CCD senior manager of retail marketing and events. “We just really wanted to bring some attention to another aspect of Center City, which is our amazing arts and culture scene.”

Dinner and a Show was created in 2022 in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of CCD’s Restaurant Week, according to Suraci. It has now evolved into its own event, including performances in theater, dance, opera and classical music. 

“It’s everything. It’s dance, it’s live theater, it’s orchestral music with the Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Suraci. “It’s an opportunity to save on some tickets, take advantage of the discount and take advantage of your time in Center City.” 

With most discounts starting around 10% off tickets for select performances, the promotion has given participating organizations the chance to reach audiences and team up with another art form in Center City.  

Along with performances, 23 restaurants scattered throughout Center City are offering happy hour deals, theater themed menus and other discounted dining options. 

“Philly has an incredible restaurant scene,” said Crystal Brewe, chief marketing and audience experience officer for the Kimmel Cultural Campus, one of the arts organizations participating in Dinner and a Show. “I think the thing that’s so great about this is that it’s the culinary arts and the performing arts in this perfect marriage of an evening for people of this region, to celebrate the two great things that we have.”

Dinner and a Show works to engage the Philadelphia community by combining its restaurant scene with live performances, hoping to create a new wave of fans in all areas of the arts, according to Brewe.   

“There are people that end up falling in love, and they try new things,” said Brewe. “Maybe they came in for a Broadway show, but they come back for the orchestra, or they came in for a family show and two years later, their kids are older now and so they’re going to go try out ‘Wicked’ or a different show, I think that’s the long-tail success of this.”

Covering a wide variety of performing arts, the Dinner and a Show promotion gives the community the opportunity to expand their experiences with the arts in Center City, wrote Sylvia Zhang, director of marketing for Philadelphia Theatre Company, in response to written questions from The Hawk.    

“Participants can try new restaurants and explore the city’s vibrant theater scene that they may not have otherwise considered attending,” Zhang said. “It’s an excellent way to support local businesses and the arts, while having a memorable night out.”