After 14 years on the Allentown Fairgrounds property, 17th and Liberty streets, Allentown, The Pines Dinner Theatre, will move to a new location in the new year.

Pines co-owner Oliver Blatt says he and the staff were “shocked” when they were told their lease at 448 N. 17th St., Allentown, would not be renewed at the end of 2023.

Blatt says it was totally unexpected, and they immediately started searching for a new location. He says the company that runs The Pines is co-owned by himself and Stacey Welker since 2009.

According to an official of the Lehigh County Agricultural Society (LCAS), the LCAS leases the building to Telfair, owned by Dominic Germano, owner-operator of the MainGate and Fairgrounds Hotel.

Attempts to reach Germano were unsuccessful as of the deadline for this column.

The Lehigh County Agricultural Society operates The Great Allentown Fair, presented annually on the 46-acre Allentown Fairgrounds, where, in addition to The MainGate nightclub, Fairgrounds Hotel restaurant and (formerly) The Pines Dinner Theatre, are located the Fairgrounds Farmers Market, Ritz Barbecue and Agri-Plex. The aforementioned are listed on the Allentown Fair website.

Blatt says that in October, he and his associates found an ideal property, but negotiations took longer than anticipated. Since details are not finalized, Blatt can’t reveal the location. However, he says, the new location is very close to The Pines’ previous site. “It won’t be too far away,” says Blatt.

According to The Pines’ website:

“While we can’t announce the specific address yet (We’re waiting until the ink on the contract dries!), our new theater is very close to our current location. Not only that, but our new space will be amazing, while retaining the charm and unique atmosphere for which we are known!

“At this point, we are anticipating opening on June 1, 2024, at our new location, but never fear, if you can’t wait for your Pines Dinner Theatre fix that long, we are pleased to announce that we are partnering with Delta by Marriott to present our 2024 murder mystery,” states the website.

Blatt told Curtain Rises that the new space offers lots of opportunities and The Pines will be able to continue to serve the kind of food patrons enjoyed at its 17th Street site.

“The new location will include a kitchen and a state-of-the-art stage area,” says Blatt. “We are blessed that the new location is basically an empty shell, so we’re able to design exactly what we want. We’ll be maintaining our unique casual atmosphere, along with our made-from-scratch menu items and exciting shows.”

According to The Pines’ website:

“Very unexpectedly, in July, we were notified that our lease would not be renewed at the end of the 2023 season! I’m sure you can imagine this was quite a shock to us, and we immediately jumped into crisis mode to find a new location that was suitable for our theater.

“We thought we had a property secured by the end of August, but after two months of negotiations, that deal fell through, and we were back to square one! So, we began looking again, and in the beginning of October we finally found an ideal property.

“Of course, good things take time, and the negotiations have taken longer than we anticipated, but we are thrilled to have a new home. We do have some significant renovations to do at the new location, but we have a crack team of contractors, realtors, accountants, attorneys, and bodyguards (well, maybe not bodyguards!) assisting us to make this move happen as efficiently as possible,” states The Pines website.

“We are extremely fortunate that the Delta by Marriott had been looking to expand their offerings to guests, at the same time that we were in need to find a venue to continue operations while we fit-out our new location,” Blatt told Curtain Rises.

Blatt has written “George Jetson’s Intergalactic Cosmic Caper,” a murder mystery parody which will run Jan. 27 - April 27 at Delta Hotels by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley.

The show ticket will include a buffet dinner provided by Delta by Marriott.

“Because they are hosting the show, we are simply providing the entertainment,” Blatt says. “They are providing kitchen and wait staff.

“When we open at our new location, our kitchen and wait staff will be back at it, providing the great food that we’re known for.”

The new show takes audiences to the future to George Jetson’s retirement party in space. However, tempers flare and things don’t go as planned. By the time the party is over, there’s been a murder, and anyone could be the killer.

Audience members vote for the most likely killer based on the clues they’ve collected, so there might be a different ending at each performance.

The rest of The Pines’ 2024 season will be at the new location, and includes “Footloose the Musical,” June 1 - July 13; “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” featuring the music of Neil Sedaka, July 26 - Aug. 4; “Always … Patsy Cline,” Sept. 6 - Oct. 26, and “White Christmas,” Nov. 8 - Dec. 29.

Blatt got involved in dinner theater through his parents, who operated Blatt’s Dinner Theatre in Kutztown for many years, and where Blatt was artistic director.

When his parents retired in 2005, Blatt opened The Pines Dinner Theatre in the Slatington area.

In 2009, The Pines relocated to the 17th Street venue in Allentown.

“George Jetson’s Intergalactic Cosmic Caper,” 7 p.m. Fridays; 4 p.m., 7 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 27- April 27, Pines Dinner Theater, Delta Hotels by Marriott Allentown Lehigh Valley, 7736 Adrienne Drive, Breinigsville. 610-433-2333; https://www.pinesdinnertheatre.com/

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com