Students and parents filled the Paramount Theatre in downtown Abilene on Saturday night to watch the freshman talent show, the final event of this year’s Welcome Week.
Over 700 attended the event, which was hosted at the historic Paramount Theatre for the second year in a row.
Among the 18 performances were acts featuring impressions, original music, beat boxing and body contortion.
The role of host was awarded to Brantly Houston, a freshman advertising and public relations major from Abilene.
“I auditioned one morning and just said some things and tried to act real spunky,” Houston said. “I’m not a [theatre] major, but I have done a lot of musical theatre, so I like being the center of attention.”
The host and 27 other freshmen students came together to create the show with a little supervision from their upperclassmen. Amy Archer, senior nursing major from Pflugerville, was on the committee of returning students that has been organizing Welcome Week and oversaw the talent show.
“We have been working on getting everything prepared since the end of last semester,” Archer said.
The talent show alone involved auditions, two practices and a dress rehearsal. Archer said many students audition and the final performance was composed of all the groups’ best performances.
“It worked out really well,” said Archer.
Freshmen displayed a broad spectrum of unique skills. One student performed his impressions of George W. Bush, Ray Romano, Peter Griffin and more. His routine was the favorite of Caroline Nikolaus, sophomore psychology major from O’Fallon, Ill.
“He had skill and variety and he kept the audience laughing with his script,” Nikolaus said.
Most acts were musical and included an a cappella quintet, original songs and covers of popular or worship music.
Brad Beard, freshman business management major from Houston, impressed the crowd with his ability to drink three 12 oz. bottles of water in five seconds.
“I don’t really do it often, but when I want to get in good with people I just chug water,” Beard said.
At the close of the show, all acts basked in their final applause.
