Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater

It’s taken me awhile to finally update my review, haha. Anyways, my family and I went to go see Oklahoma and the show was really good! Our waiter, Aaron, was really nice too. My food was okay. I got the deep dish pizza. It was alright, I was hoping for more but if my food wasn’t that great and that’s the worst that could happen I’m totally cool with it. I was already full from the salad and bread anyways! Do yourself a favor and get dessert, it is the best decision you will ever make. Another plus here is that if yoh have leftovers they will box them up for you and put them in the fridge if needed! I thought that was really cool and different. Thank you Candlelight! We will see you soon!

I absolutely love this place. From the food to the show, to the waiters and hosts, this company knows how to make the guests feel great. I would recommend that everyone of all ages come and partake in this amazing experience. Definitely, get a dessert too! It’s just all wonderful!

The plate on your table has a good balance of protein and fiber.
Taking a #2 after coming here feels good.

Candlelight Pavilion has the dinner theater formula down pat.
The theater productions are very good, well directed, and well acted. The recent productions of Guys and Dolls and Oklahoma were outstanding, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the 2016 shows (we bought season tickets this year).
Every seat in the house has a good view of the stage, though I will admit that some seats require you to «twist» in your seat to see the stage, and some, particularly the floor tables, require half the table to turn their chair 180 degrees.
There is often guitar music before dinner, and that is a nice touch.
The food is pretty good, but not great. My suggestion is to go with the fish or chicken as the beef seems to be tough too often. The appetizers are really good, with some amazing sauces. Salads are tossed table side, and that results in nice, well dressed salads. The desert selection is plentiful (check carefully, some must be ordered with dinner so they can be ready at intermission).
So overall, I’d give this place a 6 for the theater and a 4 for the food, so average that together and its a five star venue.

This place is truly a hidden gem in Southern California ! The shows are great, I’ve seen so many here with my family. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

Came for date night with my boyfriend and it was such an awesome experience. The service was great! Dinner was yummy and the dessert was GLORIOUS. The only thing i didnt enjoy was the fact that the dress code wasnt enforced as much as i thought. I felt a little overdressed since the majority of the guests were dressed very casual. Aside from that i love this place along with the very talented dancers and performers.

I saw Guys and Dolls here last night and was very pleased. The venue was quaint and small. I enjoyed the food but it wasn’t stupendous. The show was practically perfect in every way. It is VERY easy to run up a bill on drinks, appetizers, and desserts alone so beware. Overall, I’d return if a show I enjoyed were playing there.

I booked my corporate event for our Christmas party at the Candlelight Pavilion in December, and my experience was AMAZING! All my staff and I enjoyed the dinner and show so much! They all went on and on thanking me for taking them to such an awesome place. The Candlelight Pavilion staff was friendly, and our food was served nice and fresh. We will DEFINITELY book another event for Flowers Etc. in the future.

The California sunset, beautiful as ever, slowly disappeared as my carriage traversed me toward I knew not where. Yet something was drawing me into the California night sky. Then suddenly I saw a tiny dim light on the horizon. Was this my destination of ‘unknown’ in the night? I know not, but my journey continues just the same. The dim light suddenly becomes larger and brighter. So bright that for a moment I could not see. But my carriage continued on for a bit and then suddenly stopped. I had arrived; arrived at the magnificent Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater in all its blazing glory. I departed my carriage and wandered with increasing anticipation into the theater. My journey had ended.
Ladies and Gentleman, you must forgive me now, as I must travel to other sights and sounds. I have tried to take you thru my mythical land of ‘Brigadoon’, and it is my wish that you will travel as I did to the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater. Enjoy the feast prepared for you, yet fit for a king. Then wonder at the theatrical performance orchestrated just for you. Yes, you will not be disappointed. And perhaps we shall meet again, in another time, another place, not unlike the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater.

This is a great place to visit if you’re looking to dress up, eat gourmet, see an awesome show and experience pleasant ambience. The whole menu is worth trying everything once. The service is impeccable. The actors and actresses are professionals who even visit with the audience after some shows. The pavilion is family owned, and the general manager may even personally seat you. I look forward to visiting the pavilion every time.

2^nd time at their Christmas show here and it was BOMB!!! MY SON LOVED IT!!!

BOTTOM LINE: GO! THIS IS a superb dinner theathre — one of the only remaining dinner theatre venues like this in Southern California. You will create your own history for coming to this magical place. This is «not our grandma’s dinner theathre» show. Last time, I came there is to watch the musical called «Jekyll and Hyde» sometime around last year’s holiday season.
For the lunch or dinner theatre events, envision this: Arrive about 10 minutes after the doors open. (Don’t go right at the opening time — there are lots of people waiting to walk to their assigned seats.) Patrons are greeted at the entrance (often by the co-​theatre owner Mick) and are taken to their table.
For those of you who haven’t been before, you’re really missing out. Let me walk you through it. When you make your reservation, the dress code is explained. Men are encouraged to wear coats, and the women, dresses or dressy pantsuits. If you’re not a dress-​up kind of person, don’t dismay. A nice outfit will do.
Once you arrive at the theatre, you will be escorted to your pre-​assigned table. There are no bad seats in the house. While the server is taking your drink/​food order, an entertainer, usually the fabulous guitarist Michael Ryan, plays. It’s very relaxing and enjoyable. Try the baked brie. YUM.
At your table, after viewing the pamphlet, which includes information about the show, actors, story line, and dining options, you decide if you want appetizers and drinks, and what dinner and dessert options you might want to consider. (Dinner, soft drinks, and coffee are included; alcoholic drinks, appetizers, and desserts are extra — and worth it!) We especially love the baked brie. There are several yummy-​looking shell fish options. Then we are treated to a delicious dinner. There is always a great beef, chicken, pasta, and vegetarian choice. Also, there is also a kids’ menu for most shows. During part of the time that we’re eating our appetizers and meal, Michael Ryan, accomplished guitar player, plays for the guests. This is a very special experience. Mr. Ryan plays here a few other times of the year — definitely work attending!
Right before the show starts, typically, «Mick» Bolinger (son of the founder Ben Bolinger from APU fame) gets up on stage to share with us birthdays and anniversaries in the house, changes to the venue, upcoming shows, and the like. On the nights he wasn’t available to provide this speech, we miss him.
Desserts are traditionally eaten at intermission. My nephews look at the extensive dessert menu are reviewed first. :) They love the Pavilion dessert, which includes a brownie, ice cream, chocolate sauce, and a cherry — enough for 2! You can’t go wrong with any dessert — there are so many choices that even the most finicky will find something to love!
So the bottom line: GO DO THIS! I don’t care what your perceptions are about dinner theatre. Try this, and you’ll be hooked!!!
At some shows, there are photo sessions available with the staff. For example, after the «Cinderella» show, there were photo sessions available with Cinderella, her beau, and whomever from other audience. Photos were printed on the spot.
This also happens at Christmas. At Christmas, the same Santa and Mrs. Santas (Janice Lee and Beth Mendoza) are there. During the second half, the youngers in the Pavilion are invited on the stage; Santa and Mrs. Santa sing a song for the kids. I’ve cried through every one of them (even when we’ve had no kids on stage). MAGICAL!
The quality of the productions here have been consistently outstanding over the ten years I’ve been attending. Great acting, amazing choreography, delightful music.
The Candlielight Pavilion is very interested about engaging kids about the arts. About 3 years ago, the CP created a Kid’s Camp-​type where kids in certain age groups went to the CP from about 10 – 2 every day during a particular summer week. Then, on that Friday night’s production, the kids had a part in the play. Discounted theatre/​dinner tickets were provided to the families for that night. My cousin participated in this program for 3 years, and was so good, that we were invited back to help with the weeks that the younger kids were being trained.
I have been going to the Candlelight Pavilion Theatre (CP) since 2003. (I live far far away from Clearmont, CA) It’s a tremendous experience. The Candlelight Pavilion is in Claremont, a wonderful college town aka Clearmont McKenna. The CP is family owned and operated. The CP offers several live plays a year, and other events. Every performance I’ve attended has been entertaining and well worth the money. I don’t understand how they serve so many people such good food.
My last words about this particular musical theatre: The Candlelight Pavilion is a true local gem — please be sure to enjoy the shows here! I will definitely bring my friends to watch one of my favorite musical West Side Story couple months later around Halloween!!!

Had a great time, great seating. Highly recommend

This is my favorite place to go when I want to feel special. For my 17^th birthday we went to the Mystery of Edwin Drood. I have also seen a few other plays here over the years, but my favorite was their anniversary celebration production of My Fair Lady. Their brie cheese appetizer is wonderful, their servers are very accommodating, and their staff and productions are wonderful. Can’t wait to go again!

We went to see Evita. This was our second time at the Candlelight Pavilion. The experience this time was not nearly as satisfactory as before. We felt there were several differences between the two occasions. Last night the drink service was very slow. 20+ minutes for a glass of wine to arrive at the table because the bar was «backed up». We had brought a bottle of wine with us knowing there is a $ 15 cork fee but the wine list was fine & pricing was reasonable so we didn’t open our own.
Our server was polite but he had absolutely no personality and spent as minimal time conversing as possible. I feel he might be new to serving. Maybe nervous, possibly timid but no niceties or small talk to speak of. Last time our server was a delight and made us feel welcome and appreciated for attending even though he was busy taking care of several tables under a tight timeline. He even came around to all of his tables after the performance and thanked us for coming and said he hoped we enjoyed ourselves and would come again soon. I specifically remember because I was so impressed with him & thought the training must have a focus on this very important part of serving a dinner. «Make the people want to come see you again & not just the dinner/​performance». Aside from the warm welcome from the owner/​manager at the top of the show, we felt completely different this time around. It’s a shame really because I raved about the service to our friends before we arrived and it was not the case this time. :/​
As for the meal. We did not care for the chicken meal at all. It was undercooked and quite bland. We ate the salads, veggies & rolls which were basic and fine but nothing to write home about. Three chicken entrees were left on the plates barely touched. Our server didn’t question it.
As I mentioned above, we saw Evita. We didn’t know the details of the storyline & it was a bit hard to follow. By far not my fav musical but I did appreciate the talent of the artists.
We will try Candlelight Pavilion one more time but based on this past experience we will skip the dinner shows and instead go to one of the premier nights where dinner is not mandatory.

The musical we came here to watch was «Anything Goes». Driving into the parking lot, I felt like I was at my old middle school or community church. However, once we were in the venue, everything just seemed so regal. I thought I was going to a small opera. The theatre was decorated very nicely, stage well lit, and seating was comfortable. We were seated on the main floor (300s). Even with the tables all around us, our view was never compromised. We opted for the Tri-​tip dinner. It was the typical prom/​banquet/​wedding food, nothing to rave about. Steamed veggies, rice, and small portions of Tri-​tip in sauce. Appetizers, drinks and dessert are extra. Along with gratuity. Service was excellent. We really enjoyed the experience.

We saw the matinée for The Producers. The production was excellent with professional talent and staging. The meal came with a fruit cup, a small blueberry muffin, warm crusty rolls with little butter balls and choice of a meat, poultry, fish or vegetarian entrée. The chicken dish my daughter had was delicious with chipotle cream farfelle and a corn relish. The side vegetables of carrots and broccoli were not over cooked. Only champagne and fruit juices were included in the ticket price. Iced tea and coffee were extra. The meal starts about 1 hour before the show which allows plenty of time to enjoy it. They had a talented guitarist play while we were eating.

5 brilliant stars for the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater. My husband and I attended The Producers on Friday evening during their special preview night.
On preview nights (always on a Friday night), each production show (except for the Christmas special in December) has a special preview night in which you can come and preview the play/​musical/​show prior to the season starting at a discounted price of $ 20. On preview nights, if the show/​musical/​play makes a mistake, they will need to stop and fix the problem and redo the scene again (the price of a cheap ticket, however on this evening, the musical did not stop and redo any scenes) since this is the first time the actors are performing the show in front of a live audience. On preview nights, you are able to purchase dessert and drinks at an additional fee (but no dinner is served).
However, if you came on another night (other than preview night), tickets run from $ 58-​$ 73 (children prices are cheaper) that include one entrée and admission. Appetizers, desserts and drinks are available at an additional fee. As you can see, preview nights truly are an excellent deal and fill up quickly so make sure to purchase preview nights in advance.
Anyways, with our experience of The Producers this past Friday night, we sat at a small table right in front of the stage. Sitting this close to the stage really gave us a wonderful experience. It was nice to see all of the details of the stage, costume and actors. It was also nice that no one tall was blocking my way as well (this seems to always happen to me). The musical lasted around 2.5 hours with a 25 minute intermission. My husband said he enjoyed seeing The Producers this time around (we saw it in Las Vegas years ago) because of our view of the stage.
I purchased 2 slices of cake ($ 5 each). One was a light strawberry cake and the other was tiramisu. Both were wonderful and at a fair price. The desserts were cater by Dolce Bistro & Bakery in Montclair (and they usually sell desserts on preview nights according to an employee).
My husband snuck in a $ 2 beer he got at Trader Joe’s (located in the same plaza, no one checks if you bring in food and drinks. We saw other people who also brought in their own food and drinks as well) to drink (if you purchased drinks in house, they range from $ 5-​$ 10).
Anyways, this theater itself is nice with round tables and booths. There is also some seating on the 2^nd floor. With this small theater, I think any seat would be good to view the stage (although sitting near the middle would be best).
Since we had such a wonderful time with The Producers, I have already purchased tickets for other preview nights for the rest of this year (Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat, Westside Story) and look forward to them.
By the way, just some addition tips to mention. If you pay in person with a check, you can avoid the $ 2 charge per person, per show. Also you can get an additional 10% discount (up to 4) for students, teachers and military (ID is required to show proof, don’t think you get get the discount on preview nights). For preview nights, doors open at 6:45 pm and curtain is at 7:30 pm. There isn’t a strict dress code for preview night but if you come for another evening, it is important to review the dress code.

The world famous Candlelight Pavilion is a true gem for the Claremont community and the Inland Empire as a whole.
I truly love live theatre and have been to many shows here. I have never been disappointed. The calibre of actors and musicians they attract for each play is amazing.
This is a dinner theatre and the food they serve is really good too. The amount you pay for both dinner and the show is a really fair price considering what you are treated to. The servers are all friendly and willing to go out of their way to make sure your time with them is excellent.
I have introduced many friends to this experience and all of them return for future shows. I always look forward to seeing what each new season has to offer. The website keeps you updated on the coming shows and there is a seating chart for easy reference.
One last thing. They have a Summer Concert Series where cover and tribute bands play. No dinner is served but you can order dessert and drinks while you enjoy really great Vegas quality acts. These sell out quickly so get your tickets fast. See you there!

Brought my mom here for Valentine’s Day to see the Buddy Holly Story! Excitement, great food & entertainment. We love coming here!