Tell Me It’s Not True

Introduction

Hi, this is Julia Hansmann, Sophie Daly, Aoife O’ Connell and Michaella Fitzgerald and we are the bloggers for the musical. We track the work being done for the musical as well as taking photos of the teams while they are working.

Let us tell you the story of how it all began. We all had nail biting interviews to determine what groups we will be put in. The girls auditioning for leads sang in front of Ms. O’ Regan and Mr. Quinn which they recorded on camera. The other girls were interviewed and were given the choice to be apart of either the creative, production or management group. Now they are picked and everyone is working like crazy to make sure this musical is a success.

Musical

Hey all, this is Michaella Fitzgerald, Julia Hansmann, Sophie Daly and Aoife O Connell and we’re here to update everyone on the progress of ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’.

Monday 3rd of March
As it is the last week of preparation for the musical, pressure was on to perfect the musical for the opening night on Friday. Everyone has been working very hard and it’s starting to pay off. The set designers have spent the morning moving the sets from the school to the Firkin Crane, while the cast had their first rehearsal on stage. Things finally started to feel real as the cast have just began to realise that opening night is only around the corner!

24^th– 28^th February

The final week of preparation for the musical started on the 24^th after a three week break. Now the pressure is on to perfect the hard work done over the last few months. The cast and crew were given times for rehearsal and worked through the day to ensure that the musical will be as flawless as possible.This week some cast members have also been reciting songs and lines over the school intercom. The management team have been busy selling tickets, while the creative team have been working extremely hard on the sets and creating props for the musical. The cast are busy learning their lines and are under pressure to deliver a great performance.

10th of February

The Musical Management Team which is working hard on organizing everything. They are looking for the tickets and the prizes. They are looking that everything is going in fine. They are organizing the sales and the rehearsal timetables.

The cast is practising hard for getting the show on stage. We have 2 casts with different leads.

The production Team is looking for the music in the right moment. They are looking for the costumes and that everybody is at the right place at the right moment. Also the are looking for the props.

The art and creative are painting the sets and designed them as well. They are working hard every week for getting the sets painted and looking very real.

31^st Of January

Today everyone is very busy working on their parts of the musical to get as much done as possible before the three week break from school.

The creative team are spending the whole day working on sets while the cast and stage hands work relentlessly to finalise their lines and also trying on costumes and having their photos taken, we got the inside scoop from stage manager, Eimear Kelly. “We are all working really hard and its coming together really well.”

                 The management team are working on ticket sales and have taken trips to Christians and Scoil Mhuire hoping to interest students and teachers to attend the musical, we talked to Jenny Bruton who is a member of the management team “It’s very busy here but so enjoyable.” The production team are working hard on props gathering any last requirements.

17^th January: Today was the first rehearsal after the Christmas holidays. Excitement was mounting as each group was working increasingly hard. But despite excitement and hope, fear still exists in each person involved in our musical because time is not on our side as it is 7 weeks to opening night! It was the first rehearsal with some of the main leads wearing wigs and costumes and it was really running smoothly with stage hands getting the hang of putting props on stage in a swift manner. Management were hard at work as per usual trying to get programmes and tickets printed as soon as possible. Creative team were determined with finishing the sets today, so hopefully everything will continue to run as smoothly as it has been on this productive day of rehearsals for the upcoming, smash-hit musical ‘Tell me it’s not true’!

13^th December: Today, all teams were hard at work as it’s the final rehearsal before Christmas! According to our inside source “Things are getting very heated!’’ as all teams are beginning to feel the tension as time is not on their side. Cast and Crew were running through their lines and practicing ‘Kids Game’ to make sure the dance routine was perfect and that by the time we come back to school after Christmas, not one mistake would be made. Management team were stressing over the budgeting plans for the costume department but like every other obstacle that came towards us in the production of the musical, in time, we will overcome it. Creative team were also hectic as they were really feeling the pressure to complete the sets and props ASAP!

27^th September: Today, the cast and production met up while they were reading through lines and practicing their songs. You could tell that all cast members were working hard but tension continuously rose as most of the cast members didn’t have their lines learnt and kept their script in their hands at all time. It’s understandable that all lines can’t be learnt in such short notice but the teachers were getting agitated as the performances lacked emotion and were not truly believable.

4^th October:  We, the bloggers and photographers, got a new member in our group today, Julia Hansmann, and together, we went group to group to see exactly what they were doing. They all proved they were working very hard and teachers were very happy with their level of work. Before we finished up, we went to the P.E. hall to see with the run-through of lines were getting on for the cast members. Annmarie Murdock was rehearsing as Eddie, Amy Kelleher as Mickey and Alison Teahan as Mrs. Johnston. Each cast member showed star potential and we’re sure this musical will become a huge success!

11^th October: It’s a very busy day for all the groups as creative team, cast and crew, production team and management team all had specific jobs. The one team that really stuck out for us was the creative team for their positivity and enthusiasm while working hard.  When we called into them, they were hard at work as they all were making visual cards for the main leads. They printed out pictures and ideas and searched through various fashion books. They also made visual cards for the sets and props needed to make this musical one you’ll never forget.

18^th October: Today, we really focused on the management team and the cast and crew. The management were hard at work learning how to use excel and how to make budgets. In cast and crew, real progress was being made by both groups while doing run-through of lines but there was a minor problem with accents. But, like I said, it was just a minor problem and the cast soon overcame it. The stars of the rehearsals that day were Ciara Wilson and Ciara Desmond, as both stars in the making, worked extremely well together.

15^th November: Cast and crew, were hard at work while group 1 were rehearsing Act 2, scene 4 and 5. In the art room, Erika Saccone and Niamh O’Riain were researching costume designs for the cast and came out with interesting ideas. The management team went to the Firkin Crane to check out the venue and see how well it would suit the musical. Tensions were rising in the creative team as they began to build Mrs. Johnstone’s kitchen. It was a tough but productive day.

22^nd November: Group 2 got their chance to rehearse Act 2 scene 4 and 5 today and made excellent progress. The management team made the decision to start advertising as soon as possible and to hold the sale tickets until after Christmas. Yet again, the creative team were the ones who really impressed me with their hard work and passion towards making the sets. Isobel O’Donovan, Clare Creedon, Essie O Connell, Sinead Hegarty, April Coffey, Erika Saccone, Rachel O Connor, Willow Littlewood, Jen Osbourne and Gill Healy all were amazing today and decorating and creating the sets for Mrs. Johnstone’s kitchen and many other things. It was a great day for all teams involved in the making of this musical.

29^th November:  Fresh from seeing ‘Wicked’ at Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin, everyone involved in the musical were truly inspired by seeing the level of hard work and dedication that goes into musicals to make it a huge success! Today, it was an exciting day as the cast, crew and production team watched a full, thrilling run-through of Act 1 given by Group 1 and it was especially riveting for the management team as they got to see the musical in action for the very first time. Robyn McGregor, Megan Forde, Lauren McDonnell, Niamh Mulcahy, Annalisa Doherty, Sally Maguire, Lydia Creedon, Hollie Dunlea, Amy Kelleher, Olivia Fleming, Lorraine Mulcahy, Fiona McGuckin, Chloe Gonzalez and Franzisksa Ladurner performed ‘Kids Game’ and perfected it by the end of the day. It was also the first rehearsal of the musical with various props which made it easier for some performers to visualize where they are supposed to be positioned during the performance. In the creative team, they were hard at work as they were decorating and making more props to make this show a smash hit!

6^th December: Today, it was the second group’s time to shine as they do a full run-through of Act 1 for the first time. Many leads that were needed today, were absent which caused high anxiety and tension between teachers and students as time is very limited as Christmas holidays are just around the corner. Management team were busy with marketing strategies while trying to decide what dates to sell the tickets and what type of posters will be designed to promote the musical. Creative team were also occupied with painting and finishing the magnificent sets that will add brilliance to this soon-to-be sold out show!

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  Term 1:

Creative team:

This week the creative team are coming up with ideas for the costumes for the musical and putting all of their ideas onto posters. They made visual cards for Mickey and Ms. Johnson and cut out pictures from magazines and the internet.

Management team:

The management team are practising budgets for the musical and figuring out the cost of advertising etc. They were organizing what needs to be done for the musical and learning how to use Excel which they used for all their organizing.

Leads & Production:

The leads were worked hard learning their lines and songs. The leads were chosen by Ms. O’ Regan and Mr. Quinn. The production team are working with the leads controlling the lighting and sound. The stage managers who take care of all the backstage work are a part of the production team. The cast found that the accent for the characters was hard to portray.

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