Brian Lizotte confirmed he has sold his legendary music dinner club venue at 31 Morehead Street, Lambton, to Wallsend entertainer Wayne Rogers and Rogers' business partner James Hingston.
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For Rogers, it feels like he has come full circle.
"When I first came to Newcastle I auditioned when it was Kings Theatre and I was there for six years," said Rogers, a hairdresser and long-time cabaret performer. "It just feels like I'm coming home."
Rogers said, "I'm one of those people, the universe has offered this to me, and maybe it's what I should be doing. Go for it."
Lizotte hands over the management on November 1, and will remain working with the venue through December 31 as a consultant and booking shows.
There are already shows booked in advance into August 2024.
Clapton's bookings on October 27 and 28.
"I've never felt more weird than I do now," Lizotte said, as word of the sale became public.
Brian Lizotte's final shows as owner and manager will be Richard
Lizotte had sent out a letter to artists and promoters recently notifying them of the change.
"It is with mixed emotions, we've got new owners," he said. "I'll be booking into the future and working as a consultant to give them the best possible push forward."
Rogers has been considering the purchase for a year, and working as a host at Lizottes for the last six months and performed a couple of shows to get the feel.
"Brian and Jo [Lizotte] have created this great legacy," Rogers said. "We just want to continue that, and add some more stuff so it opens it up to other genres of music and just to, I think, become one of Australia's best known live music venues."
There will not be any immediate changes to the formula that has seen Newcastle and visitors from much further afield attend shows with the likes of Mick Fleetwood, Taj Mahal, Steve Earle, Kasey Chambers, Martha Wainwright, Jimmy Barnes performing.
"For a venue like that to survive, you have to have every sort of genre, and audiences, to keep it alive," Rogers said. "It won't be just one style of music, it will lots of different styles of music and certainly, keep what's already been created. I mean, it works, why would you change that."
Rogers anticipates keeping the same staff and chef, and plans to stage events on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are currently closed.
He envisions opera, classical music, local performers and dance shows as perhaps new offerings.
Rogers will celebrate his 65th birthday in the venue on Sunday, November 5, with his own cabaret performance, along with several of his friends.
As for Brian Lizotte, who has had the venue for sale for more than year, he's looking forward to travel and down time with his wife, Jo. And perhaps, spending more time playing his beloved trombone. The next time you see him on stage, he may be blowing his own horn.
"It's been a wonderful career," Lizotte said. "I just need that little break with family and travel and will come back and reset the clock."
Jim Kellar
Jim Kellar writes about culture, art, food, drinks and music. He's been a journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1997. jkellar@newcastleherald.com.au
Jim Kellar writes about culture, art, food, drinks and music. He's been a journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1997. jkellar@newcastleherald.com.au
