PFT: Tell us a little about your background.
Peg: I am a long-time McLean County resident but spent 5 Years in New Jersey with State Farm and instead of going to happy hour many of us would drive the 20 minutes into Manhattan for Thursday night half price Broadway shows. One of my employees had a dad who was a Radio City Music Tech engineer, so we had an “in” to a lot of stuff. Best Time Ever! My whole farm family was musical: my mother, father, sister, uncles, grandparents. When I was a kid, we went to Chicago to see Mary Martin in The Sound of Music; that was just the beginning of a lifetime of Broadway shows. I did musical theater or sang with bands most of my life starting with a girl group at age 16, performing rock, pop, country, jazz, and a Broadway tune here and there.
PFT: How did you learn about Prairie Fire Theatre?
Peg: My State Farm girlfriend Linda Lehmann turned me on to Prairie Fire by inviting me to the gala.
PFT: Why do you support PFT?
Peg: I feel that Prairie Fire brings together the best musicians of all ages to perform at their Gala and in their light operas and I also love that they provide the children’s musicals to thousands of kids I’ve been to those performances, and I love watching the kids get turned on to light opera. And I also love the way they choose light operas that are not always heard by the masses and last year’s Bright Star was a perfect example of that. I had never heard of it, and I thought it was fabulous!
PFT: Do you have a favorite show that you’ve seen at PFT?
Peg: Oh wow, that’s like asking someone what’s the best show they’ve ever seen on Broadway, my answer is all of them.
PFT: Is there a show that you’d like us to stage?
Peg: Whatever you choose because I always like your choices.
PFT: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Peg: If you’re not a member of Prairie Fire please join. If you are a member of Prairie Fire please be sure to increase your giving every year because the cost of shows keeps increasing. Every year I value more and more those cultural activities that could someday disappear if people don’t step up and support them. And the way you show your support is by attending the events and supporting the events with your donations. It’s so important to the quality of Our Lives!