Eric Rathke and Ashton (Rathke) Weida To Perform At Music in the Park August 8, 2024
As it was previously announced to the public, because of the Random Lake School District’s major reconstruction project, Lakeshore Productions, Inc. has postponed its summer 2024 musical, Fiddler on the Roof. As a way to stay active and in front of the community, some LPI alumni will be performing at Music in the Park during the bands’ set breaks.
On Aug. 8th, during the Boo! The Band's break, Lakeshore Productions alums Eric Rathke and Ashton (Rathke) Weida will be performing a duet.
Ashton (Rathke) Weida grew up watching her parents sing on the worship team at church and brothers perform in show choir and knew she wanted to do the same. With her musical family as an influence and encouragement from her music teacher (shoutout Nikki Anderson), Ashton started performing in LPI musicals when she was 9 with her debut show being Oliver! It was that show that gave her "the bug" and she hasn’t shaken it since. She went on to be involved in 8 more LPI shows both on and off stage, her favorite being a part of the dance ensemble in Mary Poppins. She has also played Mary in LPI’s rendition of The Living Nativity. Other than LPI, Ashton has been involved in choir and theater through Random Lake High School, with her favorite show
being The Addams Family where she played the iconic Morticia Addams. Some of her favorite memories include performing in and working behind the scenes in musicals with her best friends and family members. During college, Ashton hasn’t graced the stage in theater, but has taught herself guitar, written songs, and has been a worship leader for her campus ministry. Whenever she returns to Random Lake, she always finds time to sing with her dad, Eric. Looking back through the years, Ashton has nothing but gratitude for the many opportunities LPI and the Random Lake schools have provided her with to learn, grow, and build lasting relationships.
Eric Rathke has been performing on stage since 1985. His first experiences on stage included being a member of the Middleton Singers which was a nationally recognized high school show choir. In 1988, this choir won the distinction of being named the top show choir in the country when it represented South Carolina at a national competition at the Grand ‘Ol Opry in Nashville. During that time, he also studied and performed one summer under the direction of Kirby Shaw at the Young Americans Show Choir academy in Dallas. During his college years, Eric continued his singing and became a
member of the Original 13 a capella group. A highlight during this time was being able to sing for President Ronald Reagan. After graduating, he began to sing in an unnamed Southern Gospel Quartet while living in North Carolina. Once he moved to Wisconsin with his family, Eric joined another Southern Gospel quartet named the Four Decades. They performed together up until 2016. Since then, Eric has been a part of LPI. His first performance was in the Music Man in which he played the role of Oliver Hix. His current role with LPI has been behind the scenes as a member of the set building crew. He has also worked on many other sets for the Random Lake School District’s performances He does still sing as an active member of Lakeside Alliance’s Praise and Worship team. Eric currently lives in Random Lake with his wife Renie and son Spencer. Their other four kids are out of the house and starting their own lives. One of his favorite past times is singing with his daughter Ashton.