Happy Days
To be honest, none of us expected the show to be such a success. Between strikes, tests and trips abroad tensions were running high. As personalities clashed in the cramped room of 17G, we wondered if this would be worth it. However, now we long for those days…
Having heard that our musical was Happy Days, there were conflicting opinions. On one hand, nobody had heard of it but on the other hand it gave us the opportunity to put on a truly unique show.
After a series of nerve wracking auditions, the cast was chosen. A wave of nerves and excitement washed over us as we came to the realisation that we were the ones who were tasked with upholding the annual and prestigious Jes Show! But of course, the acting was only half the work. The whole year came together and tirelessly worked for weeks on end: dancing, set design and set management. And when the time came, we were tasked with putting the whole thing together.
It was slow going at first, very slow. We found it hard to imagine the whole thing coming together and we still felt this way a mere three days before opening night. As Wednesday the 16th of November arrived, we prepared for our first audience; the pupils of several Galway primary schools. Right up until the opening number we were filled with nerves. But as the show got underway, the nerves were quickly replaced with joy and adrenaline. As we took our final bows on our first show we knew we would have to step up our game for the paying audience that same night. And we did. It felt like only a day or two between the five shows from Wednesday morning to Saturday night as we wished that week would never end.
Words don’t begin to describe the impact the show had on our lives. We made new friendships, strengthened old friendships and had a truly unforgettable experience. The show would never have been possible without the tireless work of so many. For Mr. Reilly and Ríona’s commitment and guidance we are forever in their debt as the show simply would not have happened without them. To Ms. Carney who put the music in our musical – the numbers, the choir and the orchestra. To Alice Cunningham who shared her dance expertise which added an indescribable amount to the show. To Debbie for her work on costume, hair and all the behind the scenes work you can imagine. Finally to Mr. Hession whose years of experience provided the backbone to the music. To all the people we have mentioned above, although we may not have always shown it, we were and always will be extremely grateful.
“For these high school days were truly, Happy Days!”
Adam “Ralph Malph” Burke
and
Fiachra “Chachi Arcola” Parslow.
