We utilized the recently advertised BOGO promotion for the "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" production. Several of our friends coordinated the purchase of 3 sets of 2-ticket pairs to fill a table of 6 for a Sunday evening performance. The pre-show buffet is fantastic with a well stocked selection on the fresh salad bar (typical options as well as broccoli salad) and then a delicious hot dish buffet. We had green beans, corn, quinoa, Mac 'n cheese, baked potato, pulled pork (very, very good!), baked fish, fried fish, fried chicken (also very good!), and rolls. Our server, Eliza, is also one of the Footnotes (formerly AKA as Barnstormers) and was so fabulous with taking care of us and prompt. We ordered various desserts (selections include bread pudding, flourless chocolate torte, strawberry shortcake, rocky road chocolate brownie, hummingbird cake, peanut butter pie, ice cream) to enjoy during intermission and they were all so rich that my advice would be to share if at all possible. Gift shop at entrance had so many cute items. Lobby and restrooms were all well maintained. Support staff were welcoming and all seemed to operate as a team and like a well oiled machine. Parking lot is large, well lit, and very easily accessible for anyone with mobility concerns. Looking forward to the 2026-2027 season! read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Rocky Road dessert -- easily enough to share and very rich. - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

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This was our first time seeing a play at Derby Dinner Playhouse after a friend gifted us a pair of tickets, and we had a great time! The meal is served buffet style before the play begins, and there are plenty of options available on the salad and hot food bars. Everything was the correct temperature and safety gloves are provided to prevent the spread of germs when touching the serving spoons. We were conveniently seated close to the buffet tables which meant there was a bit of traffic going past us, but we were able to get our food early in the process. Servers bring your preferred drink to the table, including alcoholic drinks from the bar, and they also serve dessert and drinks (an extra cost) during one of the play intermissions. The play, The Bunco Squad Rolls Again, was a funny, locally-written play with a twist at the end. Some friends from college used to perform at the theater and now the daughter of a former classmate is performing there. I think we will definitely return to see other plays. read more

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The good: The shows are always enjoyable, and the staff is always friendly. The bad: where do I begin? Let's start with the food. Saw "Elf" last month. Great show, food was barely edible. Salad bar is decent, but forget anything on the hot buffet. The meats are always the same, have been for 20+ years. Had a few bites of the fish. They always have green beans, they are just okay. This time they also had dressing (hard as a brick) and sweet potatoes casserole ( not close to being edible) Seating: the tables are crammed SO CLOSE TOGETHER! It's not comfortable at all to sit so close to another group. If DD would remove even a handful of tables, it would make the experience so much nicer for the paying customer. Derby Dinner, join the 21St century and get a new menu and seating layout. read more

It's always a fun night with family. Plus dinner and a show. The food is buffet style. It's better than a normal buffet like Golden corral in my opinion. The service is always outstanding. It's typically wait service by the actors. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee currently at Derby Dinner Playhouse will keep you laughing from the first word to the last. (This play includes audience participation which adds to the fun). Your evening begins with a delicious buffet. The actors and actresses provide friendly and entertaining service. The play only has a little over a week so don't delay in getting your tickets to this hilarious show! You won't regret it. read more

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As the last play of the current season we saw Hairspray today. I confess I really wasn't looking forward to seeing this. That being said my wife and I thought they did an impressive job. Excellent vocals performed well by talented actors make all the difference in the world. The buffet was meh to be honest. Some of the vegetables were on the cold side and less of a variety of meat. Service was very good so please tip your server adequately. For those of us in the VIP entrance line it is extremely cramped plus when they finally let us in there are always people who take a shortcut by the stairs and the women's restroom to horn their way in ahead of the others in line. This is a constant complaint I hear when this happens. What can be done about this situation? read more

Always a good time. Very reasonably priced for a top-notch performance plus buffet. Buddy, we love you and the entire staff and time and effort that went into, ELF, THE MUSICAL!! You outdid yourself on acting, costumes, props, and you know we always love that holiday cranberry relish!!! Dickie Baker is certainly a welcome edition to your entourage of awesome talent. We love him, his wife, and all you guys. For those that need accessibility, like seating with scooters or accessible ramps, Derby dinner does their best, but it is certainly not optimum. Ramps are scattered, sometimes temporary, and definitely more for the actors than accessible issues. Watch your step... Very steep compared to accessible standards. Keep in mind, if you have trouble getting to the buffet, up and down stairs, etc. you can ask your Server to get you a menu which you can fill out and they will bring your food to you. This is something I did not even know about in the +25 years we've been coming until last year. It is heaven sent. I always give a small tip to these young people that are helping with that. They do a great job. We always get the full season eight plays and are looking forward to the next one. See you at the show! read more

I have to confess that it had been decades since I have last been here. But my wife and I are huge fans of the show Come From Away, so we decided to return. And we were not disappointed. The cast of the show was excellent. The food was better than expected as well. Since the ticket included dinner, it was really a pretty good value overall. We had a really nice experience and will most definitely be returning soon. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

This was our first time at the Derby Dinner Playhouse. We received tickets as a Christmas gift for Love, Lies & the Lottery. There's lots to unpack here. First, the seating packs guests like sardines. As most shows are sold out, I'm guessing DDP is fine with the guests squeezed into their tables. It certainly doesn't help the wait staff as they navigate their drink trays while avoiding tripping on feet in the aisle. The food? Surprisingly good. Our Friday buffet had a modest salad bar. The hot buffet had roasted potatoes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, orzo, fried catfish, fried chicken, baked chicken and prime rib/eye of the round. The beef was rare to medium rare and very tender. The fried chicken was a bit dry. The veggies were all on the cool side. Still, better than what we expected. Deserts are extra, but they had a good variety of selections. The play tended to drag. After a while, the slapstick grew wearisome. A few less scenes would have helped greatly. It's local theater, but the cast engaged the audience. Very professional. My only black mark was seating. DDP has no business putting tables in corners behind the stage. (Remember the sardines?). We probably missed out on 25% of the scenes as they took place out of our line of sight. Ticket pricing is fixed rate, so our lousy seats cost the same as the better seats. There's plenty of parking. And the clientele was courteous. Most dressed in jeans. Some in nice slacks. Wear a coat and tie and you'll stick out like a sore thumb. This would have been an A+ experience had our seats afforded us a view of the entire stage. We'd return, but only if we could select our seats. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Buffet. - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

Come from Away was amazing! Great job to the entire cast! The food was great as always and they had chili tonight! So so good! I loved the special Newfoundland frozen drink special too! read more

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The dinner and show are really awesome and I recommend everyone come to visit. The buffet has roast, chicken, and fish. There are lots of different sides and a good size salad bar. They have lots of desserts to choose from my wife went with the Hummingbird cake (icing is awesome). While I went with the Strawberry shortcake. This is not a Military friendly place since Covid (sad). read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Hummingbird cake - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

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After a weekend visit to see Annie, I am updating my review. Derby Dinner has been part of my family's life for 20+ years. We've experienced both the adult and children season. Soon I'll be back for a one-time Dolly show from a traveling artist. Our service in the theatre and gift shop has always been friendly and helpful. The team also keeps the buffet lines moving quite effectively and restock items as they get low. My main con is the menu doesn't change. Filling but a bit boring. Dessert offers a variety if you choose to add it to dinner. The space itself is simple. The stage is the main focus for color and energy. They do a great job in the lobby having the gift shop. They source cute stuff and we've made several purchases through the years. If you have young children I highly encourage you to attend a breakfast show. Introduce them to theatre early! Derby Dinner understands the mission of creating a new generation of theatre lovers. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Hot air balloon earrings - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

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What a wonderful performance by the cast of actresses and actors in the show Dracula. I love this venue of dining around the stage set. The buffet was nice with a variety of food for everyone and it comes with the price of the ticket, which was only $45 for adults. The staff and services were wonderful. Fatima took care of our table and was a joy. We were so lucky to catch a play here during our Louisville, KY visit. It was very crowded on a Tuesday which speaks to the quality and love of this place. No empty tables. And the show was really good. Would definitely recommend this awesome theater!! Also, take a jacket, it's freezing inside to help keep the cast comfortable. read more

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We recently had the absolute pleasure of going to the Derby Dinner Playhouse recently. Our experience included a buffet meal with a live play afterwards. The buffet had lots and lots of tasty choices with fried chicken and fried fish being standouts to me. Also the cheesecake I had for dessert was heavenly. As for the play it was titled "Love, Lies, and the Lottery". This was absolutely fantastic as the actors and actresses had us rolling with laughter and were extremely talented. It was a simple but engaging story and was really awesome to experience. The place was spotless and looked awesome and every person that worked there did a fabulous job. We had such a fun night here and I can't recommend this place highly enough for both the food as well as the experience. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Here this time to see Urinetown. Typing this during early intermission, so haven't seen much yet. But I love that the songs have a water theme and that the opening song was a nice rendition of a 1990s TLC song. Great singing. Looking forward to Act I coming up in five minutes. The food is always great here. My first time having a Kentucky Coffee and Hummingbird Cake. Both are high quality and delicious. The cake is similar to Italian Wedding Cake, which I love. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - The Overtures, opening for Urinetown - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

Servers and performers were fantastic, but the food on the buffet left much to be desired. Chicken and dumplings were lukewarm and looked as if they'd been sitting for hours. Catfish and salad bar were good. Ambiance is much as it always has been, a little dated but perfectly suited for the business. Dial M for Murder was a good time! read more

"Singing In The Rain" was fantastic! I wish we lived in the area because I would buy a season ticket! The food buffet was very good also. You pay extra for bar drinks and desert. read more

In December a group of us went to see "A Wonderful Life". The play was fun and they did a great job. I was surprised the actors are also the servers. Wow. They really work hard for the money. Super nice staff. The dinner was served buffet style and was average. it's really about the play and experience but if the food was improved I would probably go more frequently. Just go to enjoy the show. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse is a fun experience for the whole family. While their buffet is always pretty poor, their shows are top notch. We have seen multiple shows here and I understand the food is buffet to keep the costs down. I wish they had a show only option but I'll take what I can get. The service is always really good and the actors double as servers so that is always fun. Go for the show and there isn't many bad seats in the venue. read more

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Food is basic and bland. There needs to be more variation and some herbs and spices added. They may need to do a menu update, or hire a new chef as the food is.boring....other than that I would give 5 stars for the show. read more

I came here on a field trip with my students. We saw "A Fairytale Christmas". It was really well done and my students loved it! Their field trip prices were really good! Field trips don't come with food though. I can't wait to come back for the actual dinner theater which is also priced amazingly! read more

I've been to DDP off and on over the years and have always enjoyed it. The food is decent (the salad bar is the best part) and the entertainment is great! We especially enjoy the mystery series and holiday shows. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome and entertained. I appreciate the simple sets and how they work with their stage angles, etc. And, while some may complain about the costumes and wigs, etc. I do understand this is local theater operating on a budget. I think they do well with what they have. We enjoy the local talent and overall show, which is why we're there. read more

They need to learn how to fry chicken! The fish is sometimes over cooked. The shows are usually very good. We have been going there since it opened! read more

First time here! Easy drive from Lexinton. Hidden gem, I had never heard of until my friend invited me to see Annie. We arrived early and appreciated the small gift shop & the lounge was a very nice surprise! I purchased one of the signature show drinks & it was tasty & great price. The only slight downside was the long line that forms until theatre opens. It went fairly quick, but it did cause the buffet areas to also be long. Again, lines-even buffet went smoothly. However, if you don't care for salad bar, you can bypass that line & head to buffet. Food was being replenished quickly. I saw a few fish filets lost in the haste of filling up. And by the end of the buffet, rolls were out & I went to the end of second buffet & they were out there too. No worries, I didn't need extra carbs. Food was good...only slight issue was I didn't get a hot piece of fried fish. My dessert selection of brownie with hot fudge and ice cream came without ice cream, but error was fixed immediately. I could not finish. it's a shareable portion. Our seats were right next to stage, but I don't think there's a bad seat in this venue layout. Now for the major stuff: Customer Service was excellent!!! Our server was also a performer & she had a great personality & was constantly checking on us-refills never lacked! The Annie presentation was also excellent! Great show & performers!! I definitely will return for another show & highly recommend it. read more

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The lobby was very welcoming with a gift shop area. The women's bathroom was very big. No waiting in line. There was 12 of us. 5 Adults and 7 girls. Ages 7-12. We attended the Saturday matinee. The food was very good. The buffet had corn dogs, chicken nuggets, tater tots,green beans,carrots and greasy cut ham. They also had a salad bar. They had 2 buffets for hot and 2 for cold food. Ours seats were great couldn't believe how close we were. The attendees were dressed up to dressed down. It was a little cool in the theater but we didn't freeze. read more

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Whitaker: food was Great. we. Were there at breakfast time. My favorite were the potato barrels. My favorite show this season was Curious George and the Golden Meatball. Malissia/Mommy: as kids' season ticket holders, we love the Saturday mornings at this theatre. Both my children enjoy the breakfast and shows very much. Can't wait for next season! read more

We've been to a lot of different shows here. We most recently went for Grumpy Old Men. While musicals aren't our favorite plays, this kept us entertained. A lot of laughs & a talented cast. The play with intermission included is around 2hrs long. We had a really good server making sure we had drinks, napkins, coffee etc. They come around to take your dessert order for an extra cost. You can choose to have it brought out after the footnotes or at intermission. We always choose intermission. That's around 8:45 give or take. The food is mediocre. Sometimes it's better than others but your typical buffet style lunch/dinner. I do like they sit out plenty of single packets of butter, sour cream, hot sauce & ketchup. I also like since Covid they have gloves to put on. Less germs is always a plus. I will note that the staff by the buffet get a little antsy & sometimes even rude if it's closer to the 7:10 buffet time cap. I understand they're on a time schedule but it's a bit much. They have plenty of stalls in the bathrooms & they've always been clean when we're there. I always enjoy the gift shop. If you're interested I recommend checking it out. read more

The food at the buffet was flavorful and served at the right temperature including turkey and roast beef. The play was funny and all the actors did a good job. All the employees including our server were friendly and helpful. Everything was a reasonable value for what was offered and we will be back. Excellent experience. read more

This review is difficult because you got two things going on here...a play/musical and a meal. The show gets a "4.5" and would have gotten a 5 if the wigs worn were in better shape...yeah, that is a female "thing". The meal on the other hand was not very good. It was edible but that is about as good as I can say. For example, the salad bar is the best part. It is all comfort food and you can tell it was made "budget conscious" rather than consumer tasty. Heads up: Tea and coffee are free. Dessert and other drinks aren't and are pricey. read more

I was finally able to attend a play here with my family at Derby dinner Playhouse. Over the weekend we saw the play Junie B Jones. My daughters were really excited and we've always enjoyed reading those books. We ordered our tickets it was for tickets and for lunches for 8850. Not bad for dinner and a show. We were seated and a comfortable spot not too far away from the stage it's a Buffay style food this was dedicated for kids so we had corn dogs and chicken nuggets and things. My daughter seem to really enjoy the food was just OK but It was dedicated for kids so we got the job done. The show itself was phenomenal the actors did terrific. And we will be back read more

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Food has declined in the last few years and customer service is worst than bad. I patiently waited on the phone today for over 3 hours and 45 minutes to renew our season tickets, only to be disconnected without any explanation or warning. If your going to disconnect me, do it way before 3 hours and 45 minutes. I'll never go back there again! read more

I am writing this based off the children's plays. I have seen multiple plays for kids and they are literally getting worse and worse. The first one I saw was Spookley the Square pumpkin. That one was amazing and the costumes and acting was great. I have seen more since then and I am so sad at the quality of everything. The costumes look like they pulled things out of the spare closet and put no effort into. It's a show for kids. The costumes should be colorful and full of detail. If they want to run a budget production, they should charge a budget price. The FOOD for the children's shows is horrific. I spoke to the manager about it and he said they cater to the kids. Why? The adults are laying. Why can't we eat? They have frozen tater tots, frozen chicken nuggets, frozen corn dogs, spaghetti, green beans with ham, and carved ham. What adult wants to pay $20 to ear that? I'd rather have a pasta bar with ravioli, lasagna, and noodles, with breadsticks if they're going to stick to basic food. It's a poor excuse to say they cater to kids just so they can get away with making cheap, frozen food. Also, we don't eat pork so that eliminates half the meal. And even if we were to ask for accommodations, they would have to replace half the meal, which I don't think the have plans on doing. I love supporting local and exposing my kids to the arts but Derby Dinner's kid's shows need work in every area. read more

I love Derby Dinner. My very first time going was courtesy of Yelp at an official event. I've been hooked ever since. The past two Thanksgivings I reserved a seat for me and my son. Because of the pandemic last year my mom didn't want to get the family together so this seemed like a great alternative. Have a nice turkey dinner, show and drinks...and then go home. No cleaning up required. So, we did it again this year. Their performances are always wonderful too. So much talent. read more

Wizard of Oz was a fantastic show with an amazing and talented cast! Full of excitement, humor, so authentic to the movie. Every cast member, including the little dog captivated everyone's attention. Play is suitable for all ages six and up. Food was delicious with fresh salads, roast beef, fried fish, mashed potatoes, green beans, and lots of other food dishes. Try the strawberry shortcake! Large enough to share. Overall this was one of the best shows! Huge kudos to the Derby Dinner Playhouse casts and workers. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

I cannot say enough good things about Derby Dinner Playhouse. My extended family lives locally and has been attending shows for years. I live further away and only recently have gotten to go, seeing The Sound of Music and most recently the Buddy Holly story. Both were so fun and the cast was so talented!! The actors in the play are also likely to be your waiters during the meal portion pre-performance and their service is excellent. The food is served on a buffet with a lot of options so they are really just keeping up with your drinks, dishes and desserts but they do a great job. The food surpassed my expectations. My family gets season tickets which ends up being about $44 per show which I don't think is a bad price at all for a great meal and performance!! read more

If you're looking for a good meal with a great show, this is the place to go. The staff is very helpful and the performers never disappoint. The only thing I didn't like about this place is the seating is too close together. I understand they want to have big crowds but it would be more enjoyable if there was a little more room to spread out. read more

Derby Dinner Playhouse - The stage - Performing Arts Near Me - Clarksville, Indiana

This will not be super long as it is mostly about the play. Food was ok and company was excellent but the play Kinky Boots was suburb. We also has great service. It is a top notch performance, the singing choreography, sets, staging, costumes, well exceeded my expectations for local dinner theater. I had been wanting to see this performance live and was not at all disappointed. I highly recommend. I hope to see the Broadway production someday but don't see how it could be any better than this rendition. My only complaint was there was a 2 year old child in attendance that was very distracting during the first act of the play, the management must have asked them to leave since they were not there for the second act. They should have been asked to leave earlier. read more

I had the best time! The play was witty, funny and well performed! The food was excellence! The service outstanding!

Everything went great from the time we checked in to the time we left , especially our waiter

Last night we attended a performance of Kinky Boots. It was a great night! The actors were all very talented and enjoyable. Their rendition of the musical was so well done and a crisp, we can't wait to see another show there. As for the facility, the seating allowed views of the center stage from every angle. And the performers used the entire space to address each side of the audience. The space was clean and well kept. The food was really solid. We really liked the variety. And the brownie sundae was outstanding. We will definitely check this venue out again. Great job! read more