The term "rebrand" carries with it a few different connotations - an admission of failure, a need to move in a new direction, or simply just a fine-tuning of something that's already proven to work.

In the case of Port Coquitlam's Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre, the latter choice is the most appropriate.

Having been the Tri-Cities' centre of politically incorrect dinner theatre since 2001, staff with the long-standing institution want to breathe new life into the operation.

Enter the rebranding process. "We're really looking to have the image of what we put out there match the calibre of what we deliver," said Patrick von Pander, Giggle Dam's marketing and promotions coordinator.

"We want to be more current and modern, a little more sexy in terms of the look, and definitely more vibrant."

According to von Pander, few, if any stones will be left unturned during the rebranding, which is a process that is incrementally rolling out over the next year.

Everything from the beaver logo, cuisine and wine selection to the interior and exterior designs are getting a makeover.

"The new logo is going to be a lot more blingy and a lot more flashy. It's going to reflect a sort of Vegas show marquee style," von Pander said. "[The current logo] is fun, but it just doesn't do justice to the quality and calibre of the players, the performers and the experience that we deliver for the clientele that come to see us."

The experience von Pander is referring to is what's made the Giggle Dam tick for more than a decade - irreverent live comedy that breeds audience participation set against a backdrop of food, wine and music.

The theatre houses three shows per year, and each runs for about 15 weeks a pop. On top of the show itself, the Giggle Dam offers a nightly four-course meal made by the facility's in-house chef and sous chef.

And after the show winds up and the food goes down, the actors who performed in the show come back for a full set's worth of music that pertains to the performance earlier on in the night.

"The food is tremendous - it's a chefprepared four course meal," said von Pander. "Then they get the comedy show. And then we end off the night on a really high note when we deliver a one-hour rock and roll concert that is in line with the theme of the show.

"So you're getting three things in one evening, and that's what we hang our beaver caps on: a great meal, a great comedy show to have you laughing and then we get you rock and rolling and dancing to end off your evening."

The theatre's current offering, Cabin Feaver at Lake Beaver, runs through Sept. 29 and is billed as a "dam dysfunctional family adventure."

Set at Beaver Lake, the plot follows the exploits of a family full of "Dam Deadbeats" who ruin everything that's cherished in a camp setting; campfire songs, bunkhouse stories and more fall by the wayside.

At all Giggle Dam shows, the lion's share of entertainment is found on the stage itself. But that's not to suggest the laughs are confined to the performers - audience participation is central.

"What happens at the Giggle Dam usually winds up on the Internet, and we're looking to nudge that along and encourage that as much as possible," von Pander said. "People come to us for their celebrations.

"On any given night, 80 to 90 per cent of the room is celebrating something: birthdays, anniversaries, stagettes, staff appreciation events, recreational sports team parties and out of town guests.

"We're really celebration central and we want that theme to permeate through more."

. For more information or to book tickets to a Giggle Dam show, log on to www.giggledam.com.

jkurucz@thenownews.com