Experiencing the Past

By Rebecca Brittingham

Ticket Booth

As you walk past the rustic ticket booth through the two glass doors, you step into a time machine taking you back to 1975 when the dinner theatre was first introduced to Portsmouth, Va. The Commodore, a refurbished theatre, shares a story of hope, love, passion and determination. However, it almost didn’t happen.

It was first constructed in 1945 by Mr. Wilds. It was originally designed to seat 1000 guests. For several years, right after World War II, the Commodore had been the place for social gatherings. However, when the city of Portsmouth started to decline, the theatre could no longer sustain itself and therefore, had to shut down.

 In 1975, Fred Schoenfeld envisioned converting the old theatre to a dinner theatre to provide a place for guests to enjoy a taste of the past. Although many people believed that he would fail, Schoenfeld was determined to succeed. Two years later against all odds, Schoenfeld opened the Commodore attracting guests from all over the Hampton Roads area. Today, it has become a very popular attraction and the talk of the town. Unlike other theatres, the Commodore only has one screen and usually shows films on a four-week rotation.

Fine Dining

The theatre is furnished with tables, cushioned chairs and dimly lit lights casting and intimate ambience over the room. Each table is also furnished with a telephone for each guest to call in their food order before the start of the movie.

The Commodore
Portsmouth, Va

Food menu includes BBQ beef, potatoes, fish, and of course their well-known home-made chicken salad made with raisins, nuts and chicken that had been marinated for over 24-hours. Twenty-foot murals, beautifully designed surround the entire theatre making the guests feel more intimate. The Commodore has become a place for guests to step into the past and relive a 1975 move experience.

Rebecca Brittingham can be reached at Honeyrose13@gmail.com