[Editor's note: Saturday is the last night to catch Jamboree. Stop by at B.F. for the 8 p.m. showing. The following piece is newie Lucy Rieger's experience at the first Jambo night.]

Relief! Confidence! Happiness! Hunger! But before all this – Wednesday night’s Jamboree dress rehearsal started with the jitters.  I could not eat before the show. It seemed like hours before we were ready to do our warm up vocals in the cafeteria. That got us going. The 5 minutes before show time, ready in the wings, felt like forever and ever.

Then we were on. Marching in, singing I felt nervous. We had rehearsed this so many times, and realized “I can do this!” It was nice to see people out there, and to get applause. Number followed number, and my dressing room mates came in all smiles with their success. After the opening I felt a great sense of relief. I had a new confidence about my next number.

Onstage, dance, dance, dance. Off stage – Whew! Yes! Into the next costume, but this time smiling a lot more. This is OK, it’s fun. The first act was over and intermission came and went. I went to get mic'd, and was really lucky to have Kathy Hogan, my meticulous painter, and an experienced Jamborite, get me ready and give me some sound advice. “Go!” she said.

I had plenty of time to go over my lines. While I was preparing I witnessed the fastest costume change in history as Shelly Knight flew in from one number and scrambled into her next costume, complete with 20 buttons that needed to be fastened down the front of her dress. Talk about pressure!

I was ready in the wings. Finally it is time for my announcing. There is problem backstage. Someone is missing? We’re waiting for them? My stage manager is gone. I hear talk – “he’s here”, and the curtain starts to open. I walk out anyway and a blinding light hits me unexpectedly. I deliver my lines out into the blackness of nothing. I hear them laugh at my last line, and it makes me swagger off. Wow! I am happy.

That’s it! The closing number is a piece of cake compared to the rest. Into the last costume, onto the stage, finale, finale – “Thank you Ridgewood!” As the band asks former Jamborites to stand and join in another round of “Thank you Ridgewood!” the house lights come on and we can see the audience, and there they are, so many of them, singing and waving and singing. 

It is a moving and tearful moment for me. This is a grand, old tradition, and I am very proud to be here, part of this great community.

Offstage, out of costume, ready to get home to bed, I walk out into the cold night and it’s like a fairy tale, light snow falling like confetti. I have a glass of champagne. I sip the bubbly like a star on opening night. Cheers! Suddenly I realize I am starving. Still feeling like a starlet, two perfect strawberries, some final sips of champagne, this wonderful day ends.