Hattiloo Theatre opened its doors to a unique blend of elegance, creativity and community connection with its recent Musical Chairs Dinner Theatre. The immersive networking event began with a lively cocktail hour that filled the theatre’s corridor with conversation and anticipation.
Afterward, guests entered what is usually a minimalist black box theater to find the space transformed into a fine dining venue. The atmosphere was elevated by the smooth sounds of the Hattiloo House Band and soulful selections by singer Chasity Alliston.
The brainchild of Hattiloo’s founder and event creator, Ekundayo Bandele, Musical Chairs was a celebration of creativity, nostalgia and community building.
“When I came up with this event, I was thinking, Hattiloo does plays, right? Then I was thinking of playing,” Bandele said. “I have a daughter who goes to a summer camp where she stays for a whole week, and it’s those childhood games that we love to play. So it’s like how can we mix theater and childhood games? … And then the whole thing is that theater is a lot about music, so Musical Chairs just came together.”
As guests entered the room, servers asked them to pick up a card from a serving tray. The card denoted which table they would be seated at during their first meal course. When the Hattiloo House Band played a special cue, guests would change to new assigned seats for the entrée and dessert courses, each determined by a new draw.
Entertainment also included performances by comedian P.A. Bomani and poet Matthew Marseille.
“The Hattiloo Musical Chairs Theater was a unique way to connect and support Black theater in Memphis,” said Judith Black Moore, founder of J. Black Moore Strategies. “It was a lot of fun switching tables each course and dining with a new group of people throughout the night while experiencing some great entertainment.”
