{"id":2099324,"date":"2025-10-18T04:11:48","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T04:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2099324"},"modified":"2025-10-18T04:11:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T04:11:48","slug":"the-ingersoll-dinner-theater-delays-its-opening-until-new-years-eve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/the-ingersoll-dinner-theater-delays-its-opening-until-new-years-eve\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ingersoll dinner theater delays its opening until New Year’s Eve"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Ingersoll pushed back its opening date from November to Dec. 31, according to executive director Renee Crowell. The theater originally planned to open on Nov. 28<\/a> with \u201cShow Business: An Ingersoll Variety!\u201d featuring a 10-piece show band led by Jason Danielson.<\/p>\n\n

Construction delays are preventing the renovated dinner theater on Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines from meeting that deadline.<\/p>\n

Crowell extended the timeframe the venue needs to open, she said in a news release. \u201cAs we\u2019ve neared completion, supply chain delays have extended our construction timeline. But this extra time allows us to ensure every detail \u2014 from the chef\u2019s kitchen and new stage to the mezzanine and finishing flourishes \u2014 reflects our commitment to an extraordinary guest experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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More: <\/strong>‘A White Christmas’ comes to Ingersoll Theater in Des Moines to reopen this holiday season<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n

What is the history behind The Ingersoll?<\/h2>\n

The venue closed more than a decade ago and is going through a $4.7 million renovation. Inside, 200 people can watch everything from musical performances to comedy shows downstairs; another 25 can sit in the balcony when the venue opens. Every show comes with a meal, whether it’s brunch or dinner.<\/p>\n\n

Connor Delaney, the CEO of White Oak Realty, bought the historic building at 3711 Ingersoll Ave. in Des Moines from longtime owners Lee Family Properties for $550,000 in 2022. He replaced the roof and mitigated water damage from rain and snow.<\/p>\n

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The move to reopen the theater came 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\u2019s Stephens Auditorium and Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, the largest dinner theater in the country, based outside Minneapolis.<\/p>\n\n

Originally, the theater served as a cinema, built in 1939 by Des Moines businessman and theater operator A.H. Blank. It appeared in \u201cThe Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,\u201d the 1950s and \u201960s childhood memoir of Des Moines native\u00a0Bill Bryson<\/a>, now 73, author of the best-seller\u00a0\u201dA Walk in the Woods.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n

The Art Deco venue operated as a dinner theater for 26 years until 1978, when short-term tenants followed before the theater closed in 2014.<\/p>\n

What shows will The Ingersoll open with?<\/h2>\n

The Ingersoll<\/a> will offer two shows on New Year\u2019s Eve, featuring Napoleon Douglas & His Jazz Orchestra in the afternoon and The Grand Marquis with a tribute to Kansas City blues to Memphis soul and New Orleans energy in the evening, capped with a Champagne toast.<\/p>\n

Those who purchased tickets for shows in November and December can reschedule or exchange tickets, or request a refund.<\/p>\n

For a full list of upcoming shows, times, and tickets, visit\u00a0theingersoll.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Ingersoll hires a chef<\/h2>\n

The Ingersoll also brought on Chase Johanson as executive chef, who plans to focus on menus with \u201cseasonal ingredients, inventive flavor profiles, and a balance of refinement and accessibility.\u201d Johanson previously worked as the executive chef at Americana, a cornerstone of downtown Des Moines\u2019 dining scene that closed on Sept. 7<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Where to find The Ingersoll<\/h2>\n

Sign up for our new dining newsletter, Table Talk DSM, which comes out on Wednesday mornings with all the latest news on restaurants and bars in the metro. You can sign up for free at <\/em>DesMoinesRegister.com\/tabletalk<\/a>.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>Twitter<\/em><\/a>, or\u00a0<\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>, or drop her a line at\u00a0<\/em>sstapleton@gannett.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n