Comments for Summer Stock Theatre

Comment on Lakewood Pictures Wanted by Lakewood71

Lakewood71 — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:30:11 +0000

There’s a website for everything, right?

In the Bob years I was in West Side Story, Kismet, 1776, My Fair Lady, Hello, Dolly! There were more, but I can’t remember. So it’s possible, even likely, you saw me onstage.

I was there during the flood on the 70s.

Glad you found us. If you have pictures, email me!

Comment on Lakewood Pictures Wanted by terry

terry — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 01:41:58 +0000

I can’t believe I came across this website. I was a local when Lakewood Playhouse was open under the direction of Bob Buchanan and i saw at least 50 % of the shows during those years. i fondly remember many of the actors, some of whom came back for multiple seasons. I was a high school student and I wanted to be an apprentice there. I even enquired about the possibility but got cold feet and didn’t pursue it. In my eyes, the folks there seemed so talented and above me. I parked outside what remains of the park a few years ago and walked in. I was probably trespassing on private property but it was quite an experience. Sadly, the theatre was a shell with holes in the roof and the doors smashed in. Many of the other park buildings are in worse shape. Lakewood was a special place and it is sad to know what has become of it.

Anyway, I think Godspell was the last Buchanan show and I saw it multiple times. I remember Oliver, Babes in Arms, Camelot, Irma La Douce, Paint Your Wagon, Fiddler, Cabaret, Charlie Brown, I Do I Do, Fantasticks, Follies, Annie Get Your Gun, Mame, Damn Yankees, Molly Brown, Anything Goes, The King and I, Once Upon A Mattress, South Pacific, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Music Man, La Mancha, Sound of music, Pajama Game, Funny Girl, Gypsy, Company, Showboat, Zorba, and SeeSaw, in no particular order. There were no shows for a dew years and I was thrilled when it reopened, but it was never the same. I also saw many of the benefits that were done each year. I often wonder what happened to the many talented people who appeared there.

My first memory of Lakewood was when I was an elementary student and my mom took my cousin and I to see “The Absence of a Cello” with Hans Conreid and Ruth McDevitt. THen it was a few years till the Buchanan era. Remember his silly Pepsi commercials at intermission?

My mom and Jane Towle were friendly, both being Tamaqua natives, and Jane produced a book of Lakewood History at one point. I have left the area and I don’t know what happened to Jane. She was a repository of Lakewood History.

Thanks for the chance to stroll down memory Lane!! Hopefully others will post and jog memories.

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by dickens

dickens — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 01:10:05 +0000

I have some old pics scanned from a program, and I also have pics that I took about ten years ago and scanned of the dilapidated shell. I am not sure where/how to get them on here.

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by Summer Stock Theatre Blog Archive Lakewood Musical Playhouse | Shed Kits

Summer Stock Theatre Blog Archive Lakewood Musical Playhouse | Shed Kits — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:03:10 +0000

[...] Summer Stock Theatre Blog Archive Lakewood Musical Playhouse Posted by root 21 hours ago (http://summerstocktheatre.info) I did summer stock at the lakewood musical playhouse in 1974 eating venison countrytime lemonade and oreos doing a new children show and acting in it every week and building the sets you must be logged in to post a comment summer stock theatre is proudly Discuss | Bury | News | summer stock theatre blog archive lakewood musical playhouse [...]

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by dickens

dickens — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:01:36 +0000

I too have many memories of Lakewood Summer Playhouse from the 70′s. My sister was an extra in a show sometimes around then. My father was a self-employed plumber and every spring we would go up there and get everything ready for the upcoming season on the playhouse and more importantly, in all the cabins where the actors/actresses used to stay. I do have some old pictues scanned from an old theater book somewhere. And about ten years ago I was able to drive around inside the park through the weeds and took pictues of the shell of the theatre.

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by ampav

ampav — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:23:02 +0000

Hi..

I did summer stock at the Lakewood Musical Playhouse in 1974…I was an apprentice…we did about 12 musicals in 13 weeks…and I paid $300 for the privilege of living in a shack, eating venison, countrytime lemonade and oreos…doing a new children’s show and acting in it every week and building the sets, running crew, etc. for all the mainstage shows…we did Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Camelot, No No Nannette, South Pacific, Call Me Madame, etc. We cleaned the theatre, sold concessions, tickets, made costumes, worked as dressers, grips, etc. and the owner did Pepsi commercials that he wrote and performed at intermission…in the midst of all this about5 30,000 Bavarians showed up for “Beer Fest” for two weeks of drunks peeing on the side of our “shack”…and non stop polka bands…it was quite an experience!

You can reach me at apinfo@ampav.com

X Julie Sisk

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by cramerw

cramerw — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:40:39 +0000

I feel like Tapman1961 as I just by luck discovered this site. I was a member of the company of the Lakewood Playhouse in the summers of 1969 and 1970 and was in several productions with Jeanne Lehman. Most names escape me now, but my roommate and one of my favorite people was David Coakley (spelling? – sorry David if you ever read this). I’ll have to go dig out my old programs and pull back some details. I remember having a great time – 10 shows in something like 11 weeks; meeting a wonderful group of performers each summer and commuting from Mahonoy City where we lived in a hotel (name escapes me) daily. I would love to hear from anyone from that period. Can reach me at cramerw@wcsu.edu. Walt Cramer.

Comment on Lakewood: The Season by Buzzer9

Buzzer9 — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:26:13 +0000

The entrance to Lakewood Park was on Route 54 (Barnesville Drive.) Back in the 70′s there were plenty of signs leading you to Lakewood Park, but of course, they are no longer there. If you Mapquest “Barnesville, PA” you should find Lakeside Park, which was actually right next to Lakewood Park, but now the entire entire area is labeled “Lakeside.” If you choose aerial view you will be able to spot the Playhouse, which obviously still stands, even if only as a cinder block shell. The park, rides, ballroom, etc. are all gone, but the playhouse still seems to be there.

Comment on Lakewood: The Season by Barb

Barb — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:48:19 +0000

My husband and I live an hour or so from Barnesville, and in our sating days we used to attend almost all of the Lakewood productions every summer. In the intervening 30+ years, we’ve had very little reason to be in that neighborhood. Recently, though, we’ve been going to a nearby farmers’ market, and while we have been “in the neighborhood,” so to speak, we have been trying to find the old playhouse building and grounds. No one nearby seems to remember exactly where it was. Is there anyone out there who can give us some specific idea where it was?

Comment on Lakewood Musical Playhouse: Barnesville, PA by Tapman1961

Tapman1961 — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:46:30 +0000

Wow! Lakewood! Incredible memories. Thom, you and I were there at the same time, though I was a wee lad of 10. I played Winthrop in “Music Man” in 1971. It was my very first show, and I had all of six days to learn the role. I didn’t do any shows there in 1972, but I did do “Showboat” in 1973, “South Pacific,” “Camelot,” and “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1974 (which all ran consecutively), and played the Artful Dodger in “Oliver” in 1975. I was also in the chorus of “Music Man” in 1975, and this time, my younger brother played Winthrop. After that, I started doing high school and community theater, and I couldn’t BELIEVE how LONG and BORING the rehearsal process was. I thought mounting a full-scale musical in a week was normal. I went on to study musical theater at the Boston Conservatory of Music, moved to NYC after college, had no success at all, and two years later, went to law school. I’ve been practicing law in the Twin Cities for 20 years now. Thom, thanks for creating this website. Chet Taylor