Dinner theater draws visitors by the busload

(Sentinel photo by Magdalene Landegent) Ruby Tuesday, played by Margaret Britton; Sapphire Blue, Janelle Bixenman; and Goldie Lockets, Jill Young; express their horror at finding another one of their friend's jewels have been stolen. The actresses had the audience roaring at the jewel thief mystery dinner theater last Thursday, which drew more than 200 visitors to town and raised money for Main Street projects in Le Mars. [Click to enlarge]

More than 200 out-of-town visitors spent last Thursday shopping Le Mars and getting to know the city, thanks to the spring mystery theater fundraiser "Sherla Combs and the Case of the Great Jewel Robberies" hosted by the Le Mars Area Chamber of Commerce Main Street Mentors.

Busses from Spirit Lake, Spencer, Rock Valley, Cherokee and Sioux City pulled in. The guests, mostly bank tour groups, were treated to a tour of Le Mars and a coupon booklet for local businesses, personally handed out by Mayor Dick Kirchoff.

"My goal was to have people in town, to shop in town," said Mary Reynolds, Main Street manager, who coordinated the event. "The coupons are good through September because we wanted to drive people back to Le Mars through the summer."

The downtown shops, Reynolds said, had a very good day of business.

"And we just heard from people that said they were glad to see so many people downtown," she added.

The event culminated in the jewel thief dinner theater at the Willow Creek Golf Course Clubhouse, including an artsy buffet of food with cream-puff swans and fruit kabobs.

The Le Mars Community Theatre put on the jewel thief production, directed by Danna Schuster and Audrey Scholten. Schuster added a few lines to the show that made it special to Le Mars.

The money raised by the dinner theater will go to Main Street projects in le Mars.

This event, Reynolds said, could be the first in a tradition of an annual dinner theater bringing bus tours and bank groups to Le Mars.

The proceeds could possibly be split 50-50 between the Main Street program and the Le Mars Community Theatre.

"We're in the talking stages," Scholten said. "Both boards need to agree on that."

All the tour groups gave rave reviews, Reynolds said.

"They had a wonderful time. They loved Le Mars, the tours, the play," Reynolds said. "One group said their mayor would never take the time to come out and meet a tour bus."

The dinner theater wasn't only for visitors.

The evening performance, which brought in another 200 locals, included a special appearance by Le Mars Police Chief Stu Dekkenga, who came to "arrest" the jewel thief, Goldie Lockets -- played by Jill Young.

"When Stu came in, the crowd was roaring so loud you couldn't even hear his line," Reynolds said.

The crowd, Scholten said, was really into the show.

"We were very pleased," she said. "We were especially pleased with our cast, they all really developed their character."

Reynolds was glad locals enjoyed the show, too. That's another tradition she wants to carry on year after year.

"Our hope is to have some kind of event like last night with fun, laughter and raising money for something that benefits all of us," she said.