Wayne Rogers and James Hingston have hit the ground running as the new owners of Lizotte's music dinner club at Lambton.
On the first weekend of the new ownership in November, a torrential rainstorm almost flooded them out, with all staff on hand pitching in to keep raging stormwaters away from the front door on Morehead Street.
But the pair, who Hingston says are like "yin and yang", survived the day unscathed and have traded on with no hiccups.
For Rogers, who worked at the venue as an entertainer when it was known as King's Theatre, ownership feels special.
"It was a nice dream," he says of buying the theatre. "But I didn't think it would ever happen. Here we are."
And he's bet heavily on keeping it alive.
"This place cannot shut down," he says. "It's an icon in Newcastle."
Departing owner Brian Lizotte had music shows booked into August 2024 for the venue, so Rogers and Hingston have taken over a going concern, including some sold-out shows. In the lead-up to Christmas the venue will host headline acts Anthony Callea and Tim Campbell (three sold-out shows this weekend), Josh Pyke, Beccy Cole, John Waters, Wendy Matthews, The Black Sorrows, the Kransky Sisters and Diesel.
Hingston, an accountant, has taken on responsibility as director, and is already putting in about 90 hours a week. Rogers will continue to run his hairdressing business in the short term, and is continuing to perform his own stage shows at local aged care facilities.
Rogers has formally assumed the role as host of the venue as well has helping Hingston with the myriad of details involved in maintaining the theatre. The decor won't change much, but they are in the process of buying new chairs.
Chef Luke Smith and his kitchen team have stayed on, as have most of the floor staff. The new owners have nothing but praise for the entire crew.
NEW EVENTS
Rogers says, "People say to us all the time, 'are you going to change?'. Well, it works. Why would you do that. We'll just add to it. What's already here, will be staying."
However, the new owners are keen to trial some new events on days and times outsides the venue's normal hours (it has been trading Thursdays through Sundays).
Hingston says the pair are keen to explore offering high tea events at Lizotte's. They ran high tea events togeher for nine years, and think there is a market for it.
On the music side, they see potential, too.
Hingston says, "We have been doing five shows a week. Now, we want to open that up to include some matinees."
"We get asked about that a lot," Rogers says. "The older clientele, they don't want to come out at nighttime. If we can offer them some day stuff, we can get that audience as well."
The owners have a lunchtime show, Come to the Cabaret, booked for an afternoon on Wednesday, December 20, that will be hosted by Rogers and feature guest performers. They suggest it may become a monthly fixture if successful.
They are also keen on offering a regular "local open mic" night.
They also see opportunities to offer stage time for local performers.
"I'd like to nurture some of the local talent, do a kids cabaret thing," Rogers says. "They come and be mentored for a while and then do a show, because there is a difference between being a singer and entertainer.
"They are used to being in musicals and things: you put them on that stage, it's completely different. They need microphone technique, they need to be able to engage with the audience.
"So I'd love to do that next year, maybe extend that into teenagers, and seniors. There are so many talented seniors, but where do they go to perform? We have a stage, so let's offer it."
Rogers is serious about opportunity for local talent. He carries significant memories from his own start in the entertainment industry.
"I'm very passionate about that," he says. "In my career, when I first started, there was nowhere to perform. Nobody wants to know you, they don't want to give you a go. And entertainers are very closed in giving you information because they think you are going to take their work from them. It's like, no one wants to let you in. So it's a lot of hard work to get that to happen."
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