American Idiot: The Beginning
It is a new year for the Performing Arts Society, and this year we are performing Green Day's 'American Idiot'. So far, the cast have been through taster sessions, auditions, group socials, and the first month of rehearsals for the show. This year, we want to showcase our wonderful society and all of the things we do even more; so expect weekly blogs and a video series documenting our year.
PARTS, for those who do not know, is Bournemouth Universities Performing Arts Society. We pride ourselves on being the only all inclusive performance society, covering acting, singing, dancing, tech, backstage, makeup and costume. This society offers something for every single member- no matter how much or how little experience they have had. We also host socials every 1-2 weeks which gives everyone the chance to get to know each other so much better. The funny thing is, people who aren't even involved in the musical or our showcases come to our socials because of how much fun they are- we're just a bunch of all-singing all-dancing weirdos. Coming out with us is like walking into an episode of Glee, but with slightly less autotune and a lot more vodka jelly.
As you can see, we all enjoy a good night out together!
PARTS has been up and running for an astounding 17 years! I am making it my personal goal to trace it all the way back to 2000, and find out what shows the society has performed.
When I joined the society in my first year of Uni, we performed Grease. It was a really fun, technically demanding production, as we performed it in a theatre at University. We had to fundraise so much, and the production team really had to work to make the theatre suitable for the production and for the public! It worked out well and the show sold out all 4 nights!
The next show that PARTS did was Loserville. The venue changed to a much bigger venue- and the production was so much bigger in scale! The cast number soared after the popularity of Grease, and it has been increasing ever since!
Last year, we performed The Wedding Singer, and I had the privilege of directing. I was so inspired by how magical each show was in the years prior, that I knew I wanted nothing more than to direct a PARTS show while working with some of my closest friends to do it. The Wedding Singer sold out, and was a great success, becoming runner up at the NUS (National Union of Students) Societies Awards for 'Event of the Year!
The musical is without doubt the biggest and most exciting aspect of the PARTS Society, and our weekly rehearsals are probably the most fun and enjoyable activity. The cast rehearse twice a week from 7-10pm each Tuesday and Thursday, which then becomes 3 times a week after Christmas. It is tiring, and at times stressful (Uni work balance!) but the end product of all of our hard work and our effort is SO worth it. As you can see, we have so much fun during our rehearsals!
This year, we have the BIGGEST cast we have ever had- over 50 people. It is a huge production, and everyone is having so much fun getting to know eachother. I am lucky to be able to come back after being involved for 3 years, and still get to know so many new people.
Another aspect of our society is our fundraising efforts. Each year, we raise enough money to put on the best show we can. Everything from costume, to lighting, to our makeup and even the posters we put up to promote our show are all paid for through our fundraising. Some of our fundraising ideas are bake sales, karaoke, themed club nights (personal favourite!) and our showcases! The showcases happen three times a year, and give PARTS members the chance to really showcase their own unique talent and performances. Be it beat boxing, singing, dancing, or bringing the house down with a killer fiddle solo, PARTS has no barriers on what is performance.
So there you have it! It is a brand new year, a brand new cast, a brand new show! I am so excited to have been selected as one of the cast bloggers for the year. PARTS has really become more than just a society for me- it has really changed my life for the better. All of my closest friends, all of my confidence, and all of the opportunities I have had... I owe to PARTS.
Great things happen when you are PART of this society!
Please do stay tuned for more updates throughout the year, and feel free to like PARTS on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/buaubparts/
Subscribe on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmGmuxe3Lq0tP0ksjVThfg
And Follow on Twitter!
https://twitter.com/BUAUBPARTS
and until next time, stay sassy!
Seamus x
