The Ingersoll dinner theater makes its return to Des Moines
The historic dinner theater, The Ingersoll, returns to Des Moines after a 22-year hiatus with a menu focused on Midwest comfort food and a 216-seat theater.
- A historic Des Moines dinner theater, The Ingersoll, has reopened after a 22-year hiatus.
- The revived art deco-inspired venue features a 216-seat theater with cabaret-style seating.
- The menu focuses on elevated Midwestern comfort food from executive chef Chase Johanson.
- Initial acts will feature a variety of musical performances before the theater brings in Broadway shows.
A brisk early January night and crowds start gathering under the new art deco marquee and inside the vestibule of one of the newest venues in Des Moines. Inside, a group of a dozen waitstaff, a handful of bartenders and food runners convene for a final pep talk before the doors open.
Opening night for The Ingersoll, the new dinner theater, saw almost a sold-out show with six tickets remaining to see Davina and The Vagabonds, the jazz-blues band based in the Twin Cities.
Dinner theater returns to Des Moines with the opening of The Ingersoll, an art deco-inspired theater that makes a night of seeing a show, food included.
The theater’s revival after a 22-year hiatus, when the venue fell into disarray, blends nostalgia and modern arts, so that diners once again enjoy meals with their shows.
During its heyday, the theater, which first opened in 1939 at 3711 Ingersoll Ave. as a single-screen cinema built by A.H. Blank, transitioned into a dinner theater in 1979, becoming one of the first venues in central Iowa to pair live stage performances with a dining experience.
For 25 years, the theater hosted musicals like “Cinderella,” “Meet Me in St. Louis” and “Miracle on 34th Street,” serving an audience eager for entertainment and dinner under one roof.
“This place means a lot to my parents and my grandparents,” said Natalie Clement, the marketing manager for VenuWorks, which operates the theater. “It has history everywhere.”
Early audiences “who grew up with this” and visited the theater on Dec. 27 for a soft opening, New Year’s Eve and the following weekend felt a strong local sense of pride and were “dying to see it” reopened, Clement said.
The 216-seat Ingersoll features classic dinner-theater seating with communal tables that foster connection among guests. A mezzanine with room for 44 comes with its own bar, bathroom and elevator access.
A red velvet curtain frames the stage, set up for music gigs for now. On opening weekend, a standup bass and grand piano lined the stage under its pink and blue stage lights. Down the line, the theater plans to bring Broadway shows to the stage.
Teal walls wrap around the space with its cabaret-style layout. Gold and teal wallpaper with touches of art deco décor line the entrance to the theater. At the back of the theater, a bar is ready to serve berry and honey cream martinis, classic brandy Alexanders and frozen grasshoppers.
What to expect at The Ingersoll
Every show starts with dinner or brunch on weekends. Doors open a full two hours early so the crowds can dine without feeling rushed. Service pauses during the show and resumes during a 20-minute intermission for desserts, coffee, tea and drinks. A spectacular baby grand piano made of chocolate Frangelico mousse and berries highlights the dinner finale.
“Everybody walks into the door and all of a sudden there’s an atmosphere that brings you back in time and brings you into our living room, is what we like to say,” said Chris Carson, the vice president of food and beverage for The Ingersoll. “So we really focus on the hospitality side of taking care of your dinner service and then it’s showtime.”
The revival of the theater kicked into gear in 2022, when Delaney Enterprises acquired the property for $550,000 and secured a state historic tax credit of $728,818 to fund a $5 million restoration. Real estate broker Connor Delaney’s White Oak Realty owns the building that’s operated by VenuWorks.
The move to reopen the theater geared up last February, when Delaney tapped VenuWorks to manage the theater. Steve Peters, the founder and CEO of the Ames-based company, also manages more than 50 theaters and performing arts centers nationwide, including Iowa State University’s Stephens Auditorium and Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, the largest dinner theater in the country, based outside Minneapolis.
Initial acts focus on a variety of music, from Ben Jones performing ballads and American standards Jan. 9-10 to Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials playing the blues Jan. 11.
The theater also offers discounted tickets for the first two months as it tests what types of theater audiences enjoy
“We’re having some different shows come in, and that’s why we have them at a lower price right now. It’s just to test some things out, see how it goes. And then in the next couple of months, we’re gonna be having a lot of theater come in here, a lot of plays,” Clement said.
The cabaret seating gives diners a chance to make some new friends. Six people sit at many of the tables. “It’s really fun to see. We’ve had a couple of tops come in here that I’ve sat at six tops, and then they make best friends with the people at their table,” Clement said. “It’s super awesome to see the community come together like this and enjoy good food, enjoy good music, and have it all under one room.”
The Ingersoll pushed back its opening date from November to Dec. 31 earlier this year, according to executive director Renee Crowell. The theater originally planned to open on Nov. 28 with “Show Business: An Ingersoll Variety!” featuring a 10-piece show band led by Jason Danielson.
Construction delays prevented the renovated dinner theater from meeting that deadline.
What to eat at The Ingersoll
The vibe here feels a bit like a supper club with entertainment mixed in. The menu flexes on Midwestern comfort food elevated for a night out.
The Ingersoll brought on Chase Johanson as executive chef. His Midwestern comfort food menu of brown-butter roasted salmon, braised beef short ribs, peppercorn-crusted prime rib and pan-seared seabass focuses on seasonal ingredients and a balance of refinement and accessibility.
Johanson’s career began at Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, and then he returned to Iowa, where he competed in Culinary Fight Night events. He later collaborated with restaurateur and chef George Formaro before working as the executive chef at Americana, which closed in September.
The initial core seasonal menu runs into mid-spring with show-themed specials layered on top. New items are added and swapped as they test dishes and receive diner feedback.
Every diner receives a bread basket and greens salad, then chooses from options such as paprika and honey-glazed chicken, blistered tomato basil risotto, roasted salmon or short ribs. They can upgrade their meals with a wedge salad, loaded potato beignets or duck confit spring rolls to start, or the prime rib or seabass for entrees. Chocolate caramel cake or the chocolate piano are also upgrades that diners can choose for dessert.
Cocktails, beer, wine and seltzers are other upgrades diners can make.
“You can come here and experience a five-course dinner that’s inexpensive, and get the show,” Carson said.
Diners can look for themed dinners to go with a New Orleans-inspired show, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and more, he said.
The menu offers some accommodations for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free needs, but Clement suggested coordinating with the box office or server for safe tweaks.
Where to find The Ingersoll
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Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].
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