Altona Collegiate - Green and Gold Yearbook (Altona, Manitoba Canada)

Page 35 text:

' iyA 9 rAool ' Siee ui with instructions to “beg, borrow or steal” any items of clothing that even vaguely resembled Japanese wearing apparel. The last few days before the performances were really hectic. The auditorium became a beehive of activity as willing clubbers swarmed over the stage, setting up footlights, repairing the curtains, changing the wings and erecting the sets. The houselights dimmed and the curtains parted on the Glee Club’s very first presen¬ tation of The Mikado.” It was a tense moment. For almost two hours the per¬ formers had chatted and fussed nervously in their dressing rooms, while they waited for their make-up to be applied or changed into their costumes. The air had been charged with electrictiy . and nerves were getting frayed. But now the opening bars of the overture were ringing out into the packed auditorium and the show was on! The cast played to capacity audiences for three nights, March 16, 17, 18, netting over three-hundred and fifty dollars. In addition, they performed a benefit show a fourth night, the proceeds of which went to the Altona Volunteer Fire Brigade. The audiences were wonderfully receptive and tired Glee Clubbers went home still stunned and hardly believing that it could be true. “They loved it” they would whisper in excited, incredulous tones, and their eyes would shine with the warm glow that comes with the satisfaction of having done a good job. With the production and presentation of “The Mikado” a musical milestone has been reached. With hard work and a willingness to strive toward new achievements, it can be surpassed. 33

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History was in the making when the first Altona High School Glee Club meeting was called to order on a Friday after four in mid-November of 1953. A large portion of the student body had remained in the au¬ ditorium to discuss the possibility of an operatic production. The idea was received with great enthusiasm, and within a week, work on Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado” Mr. A. C. KROEKER Director £7Ae utfifona JAtiyA “Me 4 was begun. The casting proved to be a | difficult first hurdle, but after much delib- ' eration, the leads were finally chosen, and work began in earnest. Since the Glee CVjb had no monies to spend, economy became the password. Only one copy of the musical score was purchased, while a second was borrowed. With these two scores, practices were held and the laborious process of mem¬ orizing words and music continued week after week. There seemed to be an endless number of songs to learn and progress appeared to be very slow. Then quite suddenly, with the arrival of February, a new and quickening spirit caught the singers. Time was actually growing short. Practices intensified. Every night of the week was occupied with Glee Club activity in one form or another. Faithfully the leads and their pianist, Audrey Friesen, trudged to Mr. Kroeker’s house, there to be rehearsed hour after hour by Mrs. Kroeker who coached all the solo and part singing. A poster drive was launched, and soon colorful advertise¬ ments, made by co-operative students, were stuck in windows and on counters from | Gretna to Winkler. Oriental lanterns were being constructed by girls with a creative 1 flare, while others were painting the set. I Costumes came pouring in as forty-one Glee Clubbers were turned loose on the community 32

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