In 1987, the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre opened its doors and presented its first show: “A Chorus Line.”
Seven years later, the theater presented the show again. Lauren Sobon performed as Diana in that 1994 production.
“To be able to sing ‘What I Did for Love’ changed my life,” said Sobon, now the artistic producer for Prather Productions, the theater’s parent company. “I truly did quit my day job … and I never looked back and immersed myself into theater.”
The theater’s — and Sobon’s — history with “A Chorus Line” continues this month as the Dutch Apple presents the show once more. Sobon’s daughter, Piper, plays Val in the current production, which continues through Nov. 1.
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The beginnings
Like the Sobons, the Prathers have fond family memories of “A Chorus Line.”
“Back then, this was a pretty cutting-edge show for Lancaster, Pennsylvania,” said Will Prather, CEO of Prather Productions and co-owner of the theater. “For us to come into this market as a brand-new dinner theater and open with ‘A Chorus Line’ and the content and language associated with it, it was a really bold decision by my parents.”
Thomas and Deborah Prather started producing shows in regional hotel ballrooms, including the now-defunct Host Inn in Harrisburg. The couple had a goal to open a theater in Lancaster and established the Dutch Apple in 1987 next to what was then the Quality Inn-Sherwood Knoll Hotel. The Prather family presented “A Chorus Line” at its earlier Harrisburg location before securing the property in Lancaster.
The Dutch Apple became a family business, with brothers Will and David taking an active part in both the construction of the theater and its operation. Now, the brothers are co-owners. David Prather is the Dutch Apple’s president.
David Prather was a sophomore in high school when the theater opened with “A Chorus Line.” He estimates he has seen this show over 250 times, and on the historic first night, he played many off-stage roles himself, from a tuxedoed, welcoming family member to a dishwasher.
“This show resonates with my brother and I because it was one of the first Broadway shows our parents allowed us to attend,” Will Prather said. His mother, who retired from the business in 1992, lives in Florida. Tom Prather died in 2023.
Today, Prather Productions includes The Dutch Apple, a sister theater in Fort Myers, Florida, and a pair of touring companies.
“This is our 299th show,” Will Prather said. “It would have been even more iconic if we would have been able to make it our 300th.”
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DUTCH APPLE DINNER THEATRE
‘Chorus Line’ memories
Will Prather was a high school senior when the doors opened at the Dutch Apple.
“I recall I was promoted from dishwasher to food runner,” said Prather of his early experiences at the theater. “I filled the buffets. I returned while (on college break) and was a waiter and a busboy.”
Fittingly, Will Prather attended Cornell University and studied hospitality. Although he performed as a child actor in a few shows, his parents dissuaded him from a stage profession.
“I did not sing particularly well, and I could not dance a lick,” Will Prather said.
Fortunately for the Dutch Apple, the 1987 cast of “A Chorus Line” could. In a review following opening night, Lancaster New Era staff writer Jane Holahan wrote, “ ‘A Chorus Line’ is only as good as its cast.” And at the then-newly opened Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, Holahan wrote, “a first-rate ensemble of dancers and actors presented an exhilarating evening of theater.”
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MICHAEL C. UPTON
Today’s production
The current production of “A Chorus Line” at the Dutch Apple features a cast of 25 performers. Led by Timothe Bittle as Zach, a regarded Broadway director, the show features the hit songs “What I Did for Love” performed by Dagmar Marshall-Michelson, Mathew J. Brightbill’s “I Can Do That,” and the iconic ensemble selections “One” and “I Hope I Get It.”
“A Chorus Line” is directed and choreographed by Ray Dumont. The orchestra is conducted by A. Scott Williams. And Joshua Bellamy serves as dance captain.
Sobon is overjoyed to see her daughter, Piper, on stage in the 2025 production of “A Chorus Line.” The Dutch Apple is a family affair for Sobon — not only for her and Piper’s connection, but because her late husband, Dean Sobon, worked with Prather Productions as a touring director. Dean died in 2023.
“To have Piper a part of that process is wonderful,” Sobon said. “Dean and I have always been proud of her, and I am excited to share the show with her. To have her (perform) in ‘A Chorus Line’ on the same stage I did it on previously is something indescribable as far as the feeling of pride and being a part of a legacy together.”