Dinner theater is a form of live entertainment which includes a meal along with a staged play or cabaret-style show. Quite often the menu is pre-selected by the venue owners or a catered buffet is provided before the show. Dinner theater most likely developed from the popular 'Supper Clubs' of the 1940s and 1950s. These nightclubs combined a world-class dining room with a headlining cabaret act, variety show or big band entertainment. As the popularity of these supper clubs waned, new owners renovated the buildings to accommodate stage plays.

Most dinner theater productions are chosen for their general appeal and relatively low production costs. Customers are more likely to see a Neil Simon romantic comedy than a Shakespearian tragedy or a Wagnerian opera. Other typical dinner theater fare may include a one-man show by a recognized star, an intimate cabaret performance or an interactive murder mystery. Some dinner theaters have limited stage space, but others may have state-of-the-art facilities with 50,000 square feet (15,240 sqare meters) of performance area.

Because many dinner theater productions combine professional and amateur talent, they occasionally receive a bad rap from others in the professional entertainment industry. Few A-list celebrities actively participate in dinner theater while their careers are running hot. Dinner theatergoers are more likely to see actors from older television series or motion pictures headlining the productions. The rest of the cast may be theater majors from local colleges or amateur regional actors. The level of acting may be varied, but it's usually not painfully unwatchable. Many recognizable performers prefer the steadiness of the dinner theater circuit to the uncertainties of Hollywood.

Many behind-the-scenes personnel and beginning performers see dinner theater as a good first step towards professional careers. Unlike community theater productions or college-sponsored plays, dinner theater is almost always a paying gig. Amateurs have an opportunity to work alongside seasoned professionals who understand the entertainment business. Much like working in soap opera productions, dinner theater can lead to auditions for traveling Broadway shows or film work.

Dinner theater tickets are relatively inexpensive, considering the equivalent cost of a separate meal and show in a place like New York City. Some of the larger dinner theater outlets may feature popular musicals barely off the Broadway stage. Actors are encouraged to interact with the audience, so theatergoers may have an opportunity to meet a favorite actor or mingle with the cast members after the show.