In the late 1940s park owners struck a deal with the famous New York City producer John Kenley to bring his productions to Lakewood. Kenley was already producing plays at the Deer Lake Theatre. In 1948 construction of the Lakewood Theatre began. It was an air-conditioned cinder block building with a fully-equipped stage & 4 backstage dressing rooms. It featured plush seating for 750 on the main floor & balcony.
Lakewood Theatre opened on June 14, 1949 with "Yes, My Darling Daughter" starring Ann Harding. In the summer of 1950 the theater's 1st musical "Finian's Rainbow" premiered starring Jerry Wayne. Kenley produced plays at Lakewood through the summer of 1955.
In the years that followed other producers brought big name talent to Lakewood including Lana Turner, Jackie Cooper, Alan Alda, Dorothy Lamour, Jayne Meadows, Robert Alda, Veronica Lake, Red Buttons, Eva Gabor, John Raitt. Stars of stage & screen would often be spotted at Lakewood's pool & local dining establishments including Scrafford's in Hometown. Stars sampled our coal region ethnic specialties & we're told--"local moonshine".
In 1966, Lakewood Musical Theater opened with Guys & Dolls using aspiring New York City talent--a move that was with less than rave reviews. 1969 saw another name change to Lakewood Musical Playhouse & a new producer, Robert Buchanan, who previously performed & directed at the theatre. He ran different shows every week, 10-11 per season, for 7 seasons through 1975. 1976 saw no performances & a dark theatre. The venue reopened in 1977 as the Lakewood Country Playhouse with big name talent. After the end of the 1979 season, the theater had its final curtain call marking the end of a 30 year star-studded era at Lakewood.
So--how many coal region "patrons of the arts" visited the theatre at Lakewood & what stars entertained you? Please COMMENT below. As always, thanks for your LIKES, SHARES, & COMMENTS. Please check this page every 2-3 days because Facebook is no longer including all fan page posts in your news feed.
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