Akron’s Carousel theater closes

By CAROL BILICZKY

Carousel billed itself as the largest dinner theater in the United States.

AKRON — The Carousel Dinner Theatre has announced that it has closed effective this weekend.

Chief Executive Joe Palmer chalked up the abrupt closing to the sour economy and declining attendance.

A news release said that Palmer “accepts full responsibility for this action and regrets the impact on one hundred fifty employees and their families and all others affected by this closure.”

The release also indicated that “the final tipping point was the reversal of certain stakeholders’ written or verbal promises.” Palmer could not be reached for further comment.

The news of Carousel’s closing was a rude shock to patrons who have purchased season tickets that cost as much as $291 a person, plus an $18 processing fee, for prime seats.

With the 2009 schedule already published and many tickets sold, some customers converged on the theater Friday to get their money back.

One was Melanie Wasson of Tallmadge, who worried that she wouldn’t get a refund for the “Doo-Wop - Life Could Be a Dream” tickets she bought for next Friday. The show was to debut Wednesday.

She said she used a gift certificate from her birthday in September to cover most of the $118 for tickets for herself and her husband.

“I’m very disgruntled,” she said. “Everybody’s concerned they’re going to go out of business” and ticket holders would have to stand in line with other creditors to get their money back.

The Web site announcement indicated that ticket holders who used credit cards to purchase tickets should contact their credit-card companies to process refunds for shows already locked in for 2009.

In addition to “Doo-Wop,” the 2009 show schedule included “My Fair Lady,” “The Full Monty,” “High School Musical,” “The Producers” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Rumors surfaced on New Year’s Eve that the dinner theater on East Waterloo Road would close Saturday after the run for the “All Shook Up” show featuring the music of Elvis Presley. About 700 guests were poised to ring in the new year as the staff spread the word.

The announcement marks the end of a 35-year run for the 51,000-square-foot theater that blossomed from a renovated supermarket in Ravenna to a former nightclub in Akron in 1986.

The facility on East Waterloo Road has billed itself as the largest professional dinner theater in the country.

It attracts “hundreds of thousands” of tourists a year, said Gregg Mervis, chief operating officer for the Akron-Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We benefit tremendously from having them here,” he said.

The theater has offered six Broadway productions a year, some using local talent that auditioned for the chance to get on stage. Patrons sat at candlelit tables that were staggered on multiple levels, with servers weaving among them to provide full meals, appetizers, desserts and cocktails.

Earlier in the day Friday, Palmer had said the theater would provide directions to credit-card customers on Monday via e-mail or U.S. mail and to cash and check customers the following week.

Palmer and co-owner David Slaght purchased the theater from Prescott Griffith in 2003. Slaght could not be reached to comment.

On Friday, an employee who declined to give his name picked up his check and his W-2 form for 2008.

He said fellow employees are speculating that some may be asked to come in this week to help tear down the facility.