Happy Days, The Stage Show!!!

My nine-year-old grandson and I went to see the touring stage production of Happy Days this afternoon in Houston at the Hobby Center. The play is based on the popular television series and is produced by Garry Marshall, the producer of the tv show.

If you were a fan of the series, you would probably like the production because all the old characters are brought to life again. The Cunningham family, Fonzie, Ralph and Potsie, Arnold, Chachi, and even Pinkie Tuscadero and the Malachi Brothers all have roles in the story. The plot has Arnold’s, the hang out for the gang, facing the possibility of being bought and torn down to make a parking lot.

Everyone pitches in and comes to the rescue. In the process Richie and Lori Beth get engaged and Fonzie and Pinkie make a commitment to each other.

Paul Williams did the new music for the show, but the theme song for the television series was woven into the entire production, including the big finale. The actors were more than adequate. The best, in my opinion, were John Massey who played Howard Cunningham, Chris Fore who played Chachi Arcola, and Joey Sorge, who played The Fonz. He had a lot of the movements and mannerisms of Henry Winkler, who immortalized the character on tv. But my favorite performer today was Matt Walker, who played two parts, the Leopard Club Member Leonard Gates and the younger Malachi Brother. The latter role drew the most laughs and the biggest applause at the end of the play. He was really terrific.