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DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE
JANICE MANN |
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Bridgeport
The Activity
Picture this! It is a balmy summer evening. You have positioned your folding chair on a spot of sprawling green lawn under a starlit sky. You and your friends are eating the picnic delicacies packed especially for the occasion. Between bites you are listening to a band/concert/performer/play (choose one). Now the picture is complete.
But, wait … what if, instead of a balmy summer evening, it is a rainy fall evening, and rather than a starlit sky, there is a chandelier overhead. You are sitting at a round table with a red tablecloth and you don’t have to worry about the weather or the ants or even if it’s summer. At Downtown Cabaret Theatre, you can enjoy a picnic and fine theater year-round.
The form of entertainment known as the “Cabaret” (café and concert combined) evolved from minstrels and strolling players in Paris, to more serious performing art in Munich, to Vaudeville in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The year was 1976.
In the mid-eighties, we attended our first show at Downtown Cabaret. Wop-Bop a-Loo-Bop a-Loop Bam-Boom! was an original production celebrating music of the 50s and 60s. We were hooked. Live professional theater and picnicking are an unbeatable combination, and to my knowledge, there is no other such venue in Connecticut.
The Theatre continues to present musicals, both original and Broadway productions, such as The King and I, The Buddy Holly Story, and Grease. Our most recent show is Hair, which is every bit as impressive and fun as the Wop-Bop we enjoyed years before.
Many of the shows are suitable for the entire family, but be sure to check the schedule for the Downtown Cabaret Children’s Company, featuring weekend matinee performances of the best-loved classics. It is certain that no one will be more enthusiastic about the combination of indoor theater and a picnic than children.
The Picnic
Having no idea what to expect during our first indoor theater picnic, we have a choice—either ask a lot of questions beforehand, or simply wing it. The decision is to wing it, including Buffalo chicken wings.
Wrong choice! We learn the hard way that wings should be eaten in
the light. Since we are in total darkness when the show begins, we must figure out a ay to maneuver the wings, first to the bowl of dip that they long for and then to our eager mouths. Let’s just say it’s a good thing we have plenty of napkins, and we won’t even mention the sight of the tablecloth once the lights come on. There is only one part of our menu that works really well, and that is the basket of fresh fruit we brought to double as a centerpiece!
By the second visit, we are seasoned in the art of picnicking at Downtown Cabaret. We arrive when the Theatre opens, one-half hour before the performance, which is when the majority of theater-goers arrive. After finding our seats, unpacking the cooler and picnic basket, and pouring a glass of wine, we enjoy our picnic amidst a boisterous crowd and a wonderfully lit room. As the lights dim and the show is about to start, we are almost finished and can easily continue eating the last delicious bites of dinner without any mishaps. In fact, the first thing I notice when the lights come on during intermission is that the tablecloth is still spotless. A proud moment!
The rule for picnic fare at Downtown Cabaret seems to be that anything goes. Folks walk in with everything from a large tray of fresh shrimp to take-out sandwiches (a snack bar in the lobby sells chips, candy, soft drinks, ice and coffee). One couple arrives at our table with Chinese takeout, the containers set in a fancy picnic basket. Classy. Others bring only drinks, saying it is too early for a meal at this 5:30 show and they plan to go to a restaurant for dinner after the show. Privately, I think this would have been a good time to try out my best appetizers.
Downtown Cabaret Theatre Address: 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, CT 6604.
Telephone:
Administration (203) 576-1634 Box Office (203) 576-1636.
Website: www.dtcab.com.
Hours:
Administration: Mon-Fri 9-5. Box Office: Tue-Thurs 10-6; Fri-Sat 10-8; Sun 10-5:30. Closed Monday. Ticket price: Varies.
Directions: May be obtained from website or box office. Park in a guarded lot right across the street from the theatre for $2.00 per car.
What's In Our Picnic Basket?
Crab & Crackers
Chicken Caprese
Cold Salad or Slaw
Fresh Pineapple Spears
Chocolate Truffles
Crab & Crackers
The following recipe is excerpted from Cooking With Confidence: Inspirations for Good Food at Home, published by and written permission granted from Romarin Publishing Co., Brainerd, Minnesota.
Here’s a quick-to-fix version of an old favorite. Served warm (as a dip), or cold (as a spread), you’ll agree the taste is always on the money. Choose whole wheat or other hearty crackers to showcase this appetizer.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until mixture is fairly smooth and creamy. Stir in crab meat, parsley, onion, garlic, sherry, mustard, Old Bay, and hot sauce; mix well.
Spoon mixture into a shallow 1-quart baking/serving dish. Sprinkle almonds evenly over the top.
Bake 20 minutes. Turn your oven control from “Bake” to “Broil.” Move the dish to the uppermost rack of the oven; broil 2 minutes to brown the almonds.
Serve (at any chosen temperature) with your favorite crackers as a dip or spread. 8-10 appetizer servings.
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) can crab meat, drained
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons onion, grated
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sherry or white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon bottled hot sauce
1/2 cup slivered almonds
crackers for serving
Glastonbury Gourmet’s Chicken Carprese
Courtesy of Les Harris – Executive Chef @ Glastonbury Gourmet
Wash off the chicken breast and pat dry with a clean towel. Place Balsamic Vinegar in a heavy bottom sauce pan and begin reducing to a thin syrup consistency.
Prepare a flat bottom container for flour. Season flour lightly with salt & pepper.
Place chicken (thinly sliced) into flour (both sides) and tap excess flour off the chicken breast.
Place the above chicken breast in an egg wash (beaten eggs with milk).
Remove when coated thoroughly and place back into flour (the egg wash acts as glue). Lightly coat each side of chicken with the flour and tap off excess again.
Heat up sauté pan with olive oil and butter. Place chicken into hot pan and sauté both sides until golden brown. Remove from pan and place into a preheated oven (325 degrees) for approximately 7 to 10 minutes (time depends on thickness of chicken). The chicken should be cooked completely.
Place cooked chicken on plate. Slice your tomato and ovoline mozzarella and layer them down the chicken sideways. Add a fresh leaf of basil in between the tomato and ovoline. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over the above finished chicken and enjoy!
Total time from start to finish is 20 to 30 minutes.
Chicken Breasts (sliced thin)
Flour
Eggs, Milk
Fresh Tomato
Fresh Ovoline Mozzarella (4 oz. balls)
Balsamic Vinegar (for reduction)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Fresh Basil
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Jan Mann, a Connecticut native, has spent more than twenty years search for the state’s best recreational activities. Add facilities for picnicking and eclectic new recipes, and Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket has all the ingredients for a made-to-order day trip.
Janice Mann
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