Michael Brindisi, leader of Chanhaass — dinner theaters, the nation’s largest, is dead

Minnesota Theater icon Michael Brindisi, a Broadway actor who became the director of the director is dead.

Brindisi served as artistic director and co-owner of the Chanhasen dinner theaters, the country’s largest theater of its kind and a company he helped save by joining a group that bought it in 2010.

“Michael has been under the weather for the past few days, but this is a total shock,” said theater spokesman Kris Howland.

Brindisi, 76, was just about to end repetitions of a new resuscitation “Grease”, which is scheduled to open Friday.

The show had deep significance to him. In 1977 he went on a 56-week national tour with “Grease” as an underlying in four parts. This commitment would lead to his Broadway debut in “Once in a Lifetime”, where he shared a dressing room with the legendary director Jerry Zaks.

“Grease” opens as scheduled Friday, Howland said. “He wouldn’t have had it in any other way. Michael was our inspiration, our mentor, our role model, our everything. “

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