Half a Century of Master Follies Hosts and Hostesses
With the 2024 Master Follies: Sing it Out, Lubbock Christian University’s Homecoming Weekend celebrated its 50th year of including hosts and hostesses—talented artists entertaining the audiences by performing musical numbers between the acts of the weekend competition.
One of LCU’s longest-standing traditions, Master Follies began in 1958 as a variety show for individual and small group acts among LCU’s student body as a fundraising effort for the music department. As the talent competition quickly grew over the next decade, it became dominated by the social club showcases, and in 1974, the show was reworked into a format much more closely resembling what is seen on stage today. For the last 50 years, then, Follies has alternated the social clubs acts with performances by our hosts and hostesses—a group comprised of LCU students who have auditioned for these leading roles.
As a part of homecoming weekend, LCU celebrated this milestone with a reception for all former Master Follies hosts and hostesses, along with the group for this year, and it was a time filled with celebration and reminiscing.
Among the first group of hosts and hostesses was Dottie (Beasley) Vinzant (‘74). “In that first year, 1974, it was up to us for what to wear, to provide our own dresses—we were the guinea pigs,” she recalled. “We wanted to be entertaining, we wanted to be unforgettable, and we wanted to set the bar really high—I hope we achieved that.”
“I was part of year two—1975,” shared Angela (Tabor) Fowler (‘76). “Our moms made our dresses—they were not simple patterns, but they came out beautifully, and were very elegant. We didn’t get to practice on stage until after midnight because the clubs practiced until late, so we usually rehearsed from 12-2—and we still made it to class the next morning.”
Paula (Parks) Fulford (‘78), who tried out for hostess with Byron Rogers (‘81) as a duet, was a part of the tight cohort of hosts and hostesses in 1978. “It was a glamorous position, but it was a lot of work. We had twelve or thirteen costume changes between the eleven clubs,” she explained. Like many of the early groups, they sewed their own costumes, picked their own music, worked out their own choreography, and even came back early from their Christmas break to rehearse. “It was a lot of work,” she recalled, “but it was a labor of love, and I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
“My favorite Master Follies memory was when I sang Freedom,” 2023 hostess Abriana Fernandez (’23) shared during the reception. “It was an all-women’s group of hostesses that year, and as I came to hit this high, powerful note, the entirety of Alpha Chi jumped up and cheered for me. It was such an awesome moment.”
“The year that I was a host, we sang a song by Dan Fogelberg called Ghosts,” recalled Gary Moyers (‘87), who was a host in 1985. “It was a rocking song—it had a guitar solo, and I had this icepick guitar, and I played two solos on that song. I had my amp under the stage, and it was mic’ed up, but during the Saturday afternoon show, as I was picking up my guitar after singing the first verse before I was going to start playing, I realized that I never turned on the amp. Panic set in, and as I hit one of the strings to see if any sound was going to come out, there was a flood of relief as the sound echoed—my assistant had gone down and fixed it for me. Now, it’s one of my favorite memories.”
Laurie (Luker) Lawrence (’84), a hostess in 1983, shared a memory of one song when she was seated on a bench at the edge of the stage next to the pit where the band was located. “I looked down,” she recalled, “and this whole row of the guys was just looking up at me, grinning, and it was really hard to do that song with a straight face.”
“I remember that we had a number that involved chairs in the choreography,” Brad Rogers (‘94), a host during the 1994 show, recalled. “None of us were comfortable standing on the chair and making it fall over. Eventually, though, we all got it down, except for one, Mary (Zimmerman Stephenson, ‘94), who just got up there and then acted terrified—which of course she was—and it got a laugh out of the crowd. We all had a fun time working through the uncomfortable together, and it’s still one of my favorite memories.”
Starting in 2006, Dr. Philip Camp, Professor of Music and Director of Choirs at LCU, began working with the hosts and hostesses to prepare them for the show. “I even got to work with my own kids,” he recalled. “They were each host and hostess for Master Follies. And at the end of the day, all those students were like my children in a way.”
Tami (Goff) Hodnett (‘96) shared, “Master Follies holds a special place in my heart. In college I was the assistant choreographer for the hosts and hostesses and that is where I met and fell in love with my husband (Paul Hodnett, ‘98) when he was a host and we spent countless hours together in rehearsals.” After joining the LCU staff in 2011, she started working with the hosts and hostesses again in 2015 and currently serves as the stage director and choreographer. “In total, I've worked behind the scenes for 15 years and counting. I love the bonds and friendships that are established with each group.”
The common thread among each recollection continued to be community and relationships.
“My favorite memory was during my senior year when I got to be a hostess and ICC president—just getting to perform and be on stage with so many of my friends,” Abby (White) Williams (‘15) shared. “It was something I’ll never forget.”
“Each host cared about doing his or her best and we rooted for each other,” explained Kelsey (McNeill) Jordan (‘14). “Dr. Camp did a wonderful job of leading us and helping us shine, and the hosts and hostesses had a fun perspective of the clubs doing their thing.”
Of course, Jordan holds a particularly special memory from her time as a hostess. “I personally got to see so much togetherness from all the clubs when my husband proposed at dress rehearsal,” she recalled, sharing the wild cheers that erupted as her then-boyfriend Drew surprised her on one knee in front of the entire production. “Everyone was so kind!”
“There are so many ways that all of us as alumni of LCU can recall connecting points that created life-long friendships,” shared Warren McNeill (‘82), LCU Vice President for University Relations. “Reagan Fletcher (‘72) was the Director of Alumni and also served as the director for the host and hostesses for our group. Working with him and serving as a host with Laurie (Lawlis) Doyle (‘82), Liz (Shrode) Lowery (‘82), and Byron Rogers (‘81) in the 1980 production of Master Follies created very special memories and friendships that continue to this day.”
“Reagan’s creativity and ability to produce an entertaining show made it a lot of fun for us. He had this idea for us to wear roller skates for one of our numbers, but that was an idea that never made it to the actual production. We did have revolving theater seats for our opening number and lots of other inventive and creative props that enhanced our part of the show.”
For those who were a part of this magical aspect of Master Follies, the past fifty years stands for more than simply musical performance—it is a reminder of close friendships and powerful community.
“There were so many flashes of friendships that spanned decades, and we got to use giftings God gave us to sing and bring joy and connection to a room,” recalled Jordan, “to be silly as we tried to dance, to laugh through inside jokes, and to pray together at rehearsals. Sure, the costumes were exciting, the makeup was fun, and it was cool to perform for such a warm audience. But the deeper honor was witnessing these moments—these glimpses—of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That’s what I hold onto the most.”
Host and Hostesses by Year
1974
Barrie Cox
Dottie Beasley
Loyd Hare
Vicki Hood
1975
Susan Burks
Lawrence Crowder
Angela Tabor
Kelton White
1976
Donna Jo Barnes
James Hobbs
Celeste Napier
Sam Roberson
1977
Terry Allen
Susie Belton
Bruce Kelly
Lana Thrailkill
1978
David Brown
Audra Oliver
Paula Parks
Jay Prothro
1979
Vicki Kay
Ron Dunagan
Steve German
Ginger Winsett
1980
Laurie Lawlis
Warren McNeill
Byron Rogers
Liz Shrode
1981
Cherise Brothers
Ty Cobb
Dana Leatherman
David Stewart
1982
Blaine Buchenau
Deanna Detherage
Kristine Sperry
Linda Starnes
Ron Stowe
Brad Thornton
1983
Gordon Clark
Robert Hinds
Laurie Luker
Beth Petty
Julie Swafford
Clay Wooten
1984
Tisa Adams
Glenn Bowen
Monica Coppinger
Scott Johnson
Marc Lippincott
Cindy Masson
1985
Patti Cash
Gary Holm
Gary Moyers
Sherri Spelce
1986
Kris Johnson
Cindy Norman
Gina Swafford
Will Wiseman
1987
Byron Dial
Lisa Carol McCurley
Lisa Miller
Scott Simpson
1988
Debbie Boyer
Craig Harlow
Nathan Paden
Kassie Price
1989
Monya Cain
William Eudy
Charlie Parrish
Stephanie Tuttle
1990
Tippi Baumgardner
Lori Gibson
Steve Simpson
T.J. Thurman
1991
Dawn Dickson
Stephanie Myrick
Jim Schettler
Chris Shupe
1992
Arian Archer
Tracy Brown
Richard Light
Mike Richardson
1993
Kris Allen
Scott McCall
Marne Pearce
Ginger White
1994
Kris Allen
Hope Hodges
Brad Rogers
Mary Zimmerman
1995
Aubrey Eudy
Shawn Lewis
Joi Martins
Mary Talley
1996
Thomas Aduddell
Brynne Brandenberger
Amy Harris
Paul Jouvenat
1997
Paul Hodnett
Emily Parks
Jared Nelson
Missy Weaver
1998
Erin Bigger
Robyn Moudy
Jared Nelson
Rudy Reyes
Kathleen Williamson
1999
Cody Batten
Susan Clark
Jeremy Dennis
Emily Jamison
2000
Susan Clark
Krista Dugan
Tiffany Fletcher
Rudy Reyes
Beth Simmons
2001
Stephanie DuPont
Lance Lewis
Jake Lierman
Ron Rinehart
Jen Wood
2002
April Daniel
Albert Hall
DeLeisha James
Jake Lierman
Brittany Reynolds
2003
Jake Lierman
Monica McKee
Ross Rodgers
John Paul Sheppard
Emily Stewart
Kagney Zahn
2004
Christina Jefferson
Ross Rodgers
Justin Thornton
Misty Wilson
2005
Christina Jefferson
Brad Seaton
Amanda Stewart
Drew Weesner
2006
Alfred Anderson
Becca Gaultney
Lindsey Joiner
Hugh Leland
Sarah Meter
Matthew Tuey
2007
Becca Gaultney
Hugh Leland
Sarah Meter
Rynn Miller
Evan Simmons
Rob Watkins
2008
Preston Cox
Kendra Harrington
Rynn Miller
Keegan Peck
Cooper Schoolcraft
Jessica Sheppard
2009
Amanda Bauer
Carley Burch
Chris Jarvis
Lauren Mooney
Karson Nance
Keegan Peck
2010
Sarah Anderson
Carley Burch
Chris Jarvis
Lauren Mooney
Keegan Peck
Austin Privett
2011
Sarah Anderson
Carley Burch
Matt Hale
Chris Jarvis
Blake McNeill
Stephani Whaley
2012
Caleb Blakeney
Jacob Hamil
Gary Head
Devon Langford
Susie West
Stephani Whaley
2013
Sarah Anderson-Jarvis
Colton Crawford
Jacob Hamil
Devon Langford
Aaron Parrish
Stephani Whaley
2014
Kallie Clark
Trey Dye
Adam Goodnight
Kelsea McNeill
Andi Rose
Jesse Walton
2015
Josh Dansby
Andi Rose
Jordan Sanders
Drew Tarver
Jake Walton
Abby White
2016
Josh Dansby
Trey Dye
Kayla Emerson
Serena George
Cameron Insilan
Jake Walton
Abby White
Lexi Willis
2017
Josh Dansby
Cameron Insilan
Michael Peschell
Jordan Sanders
Colton Wheeler
Alyssa Willis
Lexi Willis
Abby White
2018
Lacy Chappell
Aaron Cheatham
Kayla Emerson
Nathan Hull
Cameron Insilan
Michael Peschell
Hannah Tarron
Sadie Wheeler
2019
Landon Camp
Mikaela Cates
Lacy Chappell
Clayton Henriksen
Nathan Hull
Abbey Langford
Kendon Stark
Bree Wilson
2020
Landon Camp
Mikaela Cates
Abbey Langford
Kendon Stark
Gavin Ward
Hannah Ward
Sadie Wheeler
2021
Abriana Fernandez
Landon Gomez
Abbey Langford
Logan Parks
Hannah Ward
2022
Lauren Camp
Abriana Fernandez
Rylee Hubbard
Hannah Ward
Kyra Yeager
2023
Abriana Fernandez
Collin Lea
Brigette Selman
Blaine Temple
Kyra Yeager
2024
Robert Cantu
Ava Jennings
Adrianna Langat
Raylee Moore
Elijah Roark
Brigette Selman
Braxton Turner