There’s so much to do and be a part of on campus at NUI Galway, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of it all. One of the many, many talented societies on campus GUMS, the university’s musical society, held auditions recently for their production of The Producers in February.
SIN got a glimpse of all the action when we headed to the society’s first singing rehearsals last week to check out NUI Galway’s aspiring Judy Garlands and Gene Kellys.
The excitement was palpable, the committee thrilled by the prospect of working with new members joining this year. Although auditions for the cast and chorus took place on 10 September, Sally Cahill the New Members Liaison Officer stressed there was “still time to get involved with other things”, mentioning upcoming open-mic nights and the new members showcase in Week 8 of the college year.
Cadhla Boyle is Head of Sets this year and explained to SIN that The Producers was set to be a “demanding show” with loads of work to do backstage, exclaiming she needed as many helpers as she could find.
Megan Jane Devlin is in charge of costumes for the show and said if people want to help out they are on the hunt for some makeup artists to give a hand.
The Assistant Musical Director Oisín Fealy “couldn’t wait to get started”, boasting how fun a musical it really is.
And then there’s the woman behind the madness, Aisling Bonner.
A Final Year student, Aisling is this year’s auditor. With enough energy to rival a Duracell bunny, Aisling’s get up and go attitude is set to have her cast and crew singing and dancing their way to another successful GUMS production.
She told SIN that this year was shaping up be one of the most exciting for the society yet.
“GUMS has gotten off to a great start this year,” she said.
“Auditions for our February musical, The Producers, kept the production team and I up until the wee hours debating over the 190 auditionees we saw on the day.
“We somehow narrowed it down to the nine leads who were introduced to the rest of our chorus at our Meet and Greet which attracted an 80-strong crowd of drama and free-pizza loving students,” she laughed.
Aisling said students could look forward to many musically oriented events over the coming year, with a great variety of shows and performances in store.
“This semester alone we will be hosting a Miscast Open Mic, a Freshers Showcase, our One Week Musical Challenge and our collaborative musical with Dramsoc, Our House, which takes place in week 11,” she said.
“Our House and The Producers are two very different shows with different challenges, but we can’t wait to see them come to life! We’re lucky to have such talented, enthusiastic members that make projects like this seem easy,” she said.
If you’re looking to get involved with GUMS during the year it is recommended to message the committee members through Facebook and they will do their best to help any musical fanatics to sign up online for regular updates on the upcoming events throughout the year.
By Amy McMahon
