Local residents knew something was wrong.

It was 1976. America was celebrating a bicentennial. Spirits were high.

But at Lakewood Theater, it was the beginning of the end.

After 26 years of hosting big, musical productions and major stars, the curtains had fallen.

The well-known playhouse didn’t open for the summer season.

I was a member of Lakewood Critics Circle and recall the uncertainty.

Yet nobody was giving up. There was just too much momentum to let it fail.

Shining stars

Located on Route 54 at Lakewood Park between Tamaqua and Mahanoy City, the theater was famous for bringing big names to the local stage.

It opened on June 14, 1949, with “Yes, My Darling,” starring Tom Poston and Ann Harding.

The first large-scale musical was “Finian’s Rainbow” with star Jerry Wayne.

The playhouse was run by producer John Kenley of Ohio’s Kenley Players, billed as “America’s Most Exciting Summer Theater.”

Kenley managed Lakewood until 1955, after which other producers stepped in, continuing to lure top touring companies.

Among the big names appearing at Lakewood: Jayne Meadows, Jackie Cooper, Alan Alda, Dorothy Lamour, Veronica Lake, Red Buttons and Eva Gabor.

National talent was complemented by local celebrities at the summer stock company. And sometimes in very big ways, filling major roles.

For instance, in 1957, Tamaqua’s Ruth Steinert starred in “Damn Yankees.”

Jane Towle of Tamaqua worked the ticket booth. She later became manager and chronicled the theater’s amazing history for decades.

In 1966, the season opened with “Guys and Dolls.”

But there was a change in approach.

Instead of using star package touring companies, producers recruited aspiring talent from New York, until the end of the 1968 season.

In 1969, the operation was taken over by producer Robert G. Buchanan, calling it Lakewood Musical Playhouse.

Each season ran 10 or 11 weeks, with a new show weekly. The approach worked for seven years. In fact, some of the biggest and best productions lit the stage during that time.

On Sunday, Aug. 31, 1975, eight media members of Lakewood Critics Circle declared “Godspell” the most outstanding show ever staged at Lakewood. It seemed the playhouse had hit a peak.

But when the floodlights went out at the close of that season, the stage stayed dark. To everyone’s surprise, there was no 1976 season.

Curtain call

Luckily, three new enthusiasts arrived to save the day.

In 1977, producers Daniel Langan, John Dobbins and Richard Whiting stepped in, with Bruce Anderson as general manager, calling it Lakewood Country Playhouse.

The idea was to bring in and showcase major glitterati to draw fans to pack the 750 seats, including a balcony that seated 90. The goal was to put Barnesville on the map as a center for the performing arts.

And for a while, it worked.

Big names like Lana Turner came, staying at Scrafford’s Inn, Hometown.

Glamorous Turner starred in “Bell, Book and Candle,” dazzling audiences, even if she refused to grant press interviews during the visit.

Other top names: John Raitt, Phyllis Diller, burlesque queen Ann Corio, Ron Palillo of “Welcome Back Cotter” and many others.

Lakewood hit the heights for two more years. A glorious reprise.

However, the final curtain fell at the end of the 1979 season. The doors closed as usual.

But Lakewood Playhouse never reopened.

Afterward, the abandoned, cinder block building fell into disrepair. Eventually it came tumbling down.

An era had ended and the iconic theater was gone.

Times had changed. The 1970s were much different from the 1940s.

Lakewood had gotten its star-studded launch when television didn’t exist. People were accustomed to going out for entertainment.

Today, folks stream movies or watch surround-sound productions in the comfort of their homes.

And while doing so has clear advantages, something has been lost. A special connection no longer exists.

There was excitement in professional, live theater and classic shows.

Perhaps best of all, it was history in the making when big-name movie stars performed right in your own hometown.