LCTG Trivia
Little Factoids You Might Not Know...and Some You Know and may even have created yourself!
Over the past 43...going on 44...years that LCTG has been around, all sorts of people have come and gone. A good deal of them have left a very indelible mark on Lake Central Theatre as we know it. To this day we still perform some of their traditions that were started years ago. Here's a little list of LCTG Trivia. If you'd like to see anything added, just e-mail us. BE SURE TO NOTE THE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: angielctg@sbcglobal.net
LCTG TRIVIA...you'll also find some neat trivia among the show titles on the LCTG History page!
Did you know...Paul & Angie have been the directors for 43...going on 44 years? Happily married for 45 years! (a day here, a week there!)
"Harvey" was finally performed in 2001 after first being rumored in 1980...We hope John Tennant has finally forgiven us! We know he'd have made a great Elwood P. Dowd, but Pete Seat had that honor!
Jim Robinson ('77) was the first person other than Boss and ALowe to direct an LCTG production, namely Wally's Cafe, followed by Dan Winkler*** ('90), Prelude to a Kiss, which incidentally won the Best Play award from the NIETF Foundation, plus Best Actor award for Jeff Wein, sadly no longer with us...
The "First-Ever" Freshman-only show was performed in 1998---- "Mrs. McThing" (thus the debut of so many incredible performers for the next 3 yrs, and hence!)
The "First-Ever" show was performed in the fall of '66--- "Rally Round the Flag, Boys"...all about an army base in a small town...(little did we know that Dyer was still up in arms about the Nike Base!
The "First-Ever" Summer show was performed in 1972---- "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown" (featured brothers Jerry & Roger Hughes as Charlie Brown & Snoopy! "Look, mommy...wet doggy!" said a believing child in the audience. I'd give anything to know who that was!
Roger Hughes, who portrayed R.P. MacMurphy in our last (not latest) Cuckoo's Nest is now married to Laurie who portrayed Nurse Ratched! Who'd have ever believed that? R.P. married to Nurse "Rat-shit"???
The following shows have been presented 4 times (3 times "revived")
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in '73, '84, '02, & '06, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in ‘83, ‘91, ‘01, & '06. (and we swore we'd never repeat a show! Sorry, Steve Gawronski!)
Here's a list of who has played some of those roles...
PSEUDOLUS- Jerry Hughes, Steve Tennant, Bruce Fane, Steven Becker! JOSEPH- Tim Peyton, Joe Beggs, Ryan Magee, Jacob Gardner!
Narrator(s)- Wendy Belush '83, Sammy Mikulski '91, Erin Cerwinske, Taylor Garrison, Heather Foltz, Missy Horgash, & Amy Kiral (all in '01), & in '09 Mercedes Sheehy Austgen, Christine Powers, alternating Chrissy Kvachkoff & Kelly Bourget, & substituting Julie Natt...all incredible singers!
REUBEN- Larry Nigh, Bob Gustas, Bruce Fane, Jon Kowalski (all LC grads)
LEVI- Chris Snow, Matt Yablonowski, Peter Seat, Ethan Gresham
POTIPHAR'S WIFE-Beth Bachnak (Nigh), Carol Rosinko (Angerman), Mataya Parson, Zoe Crafton (the youngest ever)
The following shows have been presented twice (once "revived") ... "Chess" ‘91 ‘97, "Noises Off" ‘87 ‘99 Wait Until Dark '71, '06, 1776 in'76 & '02, Jesus Christ Superstar '79 '03, maybe more?
Perennial favorite You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown! has been presented 3 times (twice "revived")...'72, '97, & '09.
Charlie Browns have included Jerry Hughes, Jack Arndt, & Brett Balicki (11 yrs old) Good old Charlie Brown!
Snoopy has been played by Roger Hughes, B.J. Lesniewski, & Brandon Kratkoczki! Arf, arf!
Michael "Doc" Kuhn got the nickname Doc because he played that part in "West Side Story"...twice! Doc was the first, by the way, to reprise his original role...'72 and '86.
David Sawyer played Lloyd Dallas in both "Noises Off" comedies, ‘87 &‘99
Jim Becklenberg was the first-ever recipient of a theatre ring, designed by Larry Nigh, made by Brad Belush of Belush Manufacturing Co in Crown Pt....the rings had been suggested a waaaaaaaaay long time before by our late great Miss Rosie Ihnat. (Rosie passed away January '08, followed by our dear Brenda in June, and our dear friend Dave Vignocchi in July! An awful year...)
Due to Boss’s absence, four other people have asked the "Questions"- "Do you feel good?" and "Are you ready" (or the "Jim O Version" of "Question #1" and "Question #2"- Jim Oyster (Cabaret '80), Keith Palazolo (Grease '00), Pete Seat (Freshman Shows '01, Don't Tell Mother/The Odd Couple '01, Freshman Shows '02, Forum '02), Riley Knight (Superstar '03)
Paul Felus only had 7 rehearsals before opening as Linus in the revival of "You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in 1997
"How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" '84 was the 100th show for the LCTG, the senior year for Kyle Ross, Jason Utesch, Jason Moon, and Kristin Vadas!
Two grads have appeared on Broadway-- Michael Berglund in La Cage Aux Folles & Starlight Express and Rob Mikulski conducting "Aida" & so many other shows.
Many other LCTG grads have gone on to perform professionally...one of the earliest from '72, Rhona Justice, in prof dinner theatres in Fla, then on to teaching theatre in a university somewhere...I'll have to check that out again and put it up here.
Randy Noojin '78 (this is also somewhere else on the site, but wanted to list it here too) has portrayed Hank Williams, Jr. professionally for several years.
Boss & ALowe first met Wayne Knight of "Seinfeld" fame way back in '75 and '76 at the University of Georgia in Athens. Our grads Kit Keller, Nedra Lancaster, Seth Hennessee had the pleasure of working with Wayne in a production of Spoon River Anthology! Years later, Wayne appeared in Benno Blimpie on Broadway. Boss & ALowe were in the audience, not knowing. They recognized him, sent him a note backstage, & out he came after the show, saying "Hello, Lake Central!"
Boss & ALowe walked the late, great Mr. Jack Lemmon to the doctor after a Broadway performance of "Tribute". He had pulled his arm saving a speaker from falling onto the audience from a box seat. He was no nice to talk to.
Boss and ALowe also met and talked for over an hour with the one and only Cloris Leachman after a performance of Twigs at Marriott Lincolnshire.
Kendal Smith first dubbed Paul Lowe ‘Boss’, from Cool Hand Luke!
Jim Oyster is the man behind "The Jim O", one of our favorite warm-ups!
The Gentlemen’s Club started in 1983 (hopefully not like the typical gentlemen's clubs of note!)
We are trying to compile a list of all the "heads" over the years. You know, the guy who knelt down during the "Questions." If you were ever the head...let us know. Ones we know: Tim Peyton, Riley Knight, Jack Arndt, Pete Seat, Ryan Magee, Chris Bottger, Jason Utesch...who else?