The Replica Murder takes center “stage” at Westwood in April

Press release from Westwood Middle School

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On April 24, 25, and 26, the Westwood Spring Musical will take the stage at Westwood Middle School (using that term lightly since they are in a transitional space on campus this year again until the new stage is available next year). When the students started giving input at the end of last year on the title for the spring show this year, they decided on a “murder, mystery, musical that included dinosaurs.”  A tall order and one not found anywhere in the various publisher offerings.

This left the idea of writing an original musical, which is not a new concept for the program. Westwood Theatre is in its sixth year of performing original, jukebox-style musicals. “ The Replica Murders came from a desire to include dinosaurs and so the show is set at a museum,” explains Westwood’s theatre teacher Amy MacCord, who is also the playwright responsible for the script. “In this museum, all the pieces displayed are copies (or ‘replicas’) of famous displays in other museums.”

The set had the promise of being very unique, and a collaboration between theatre and art began at the end of last year. Westwood’s art teacher, Joy Gattshall, has been so supportive of the idea and helped select the items that would be included in the set. She works hard to give students hands-on opportunities to explore creativity, and the opportunity to provide student-created renditions of known masterpieces was something she was willing to do. “Art is about the process, but the product is so lovely,” says Gattshall.

The art students in the advanced art class have been hard at work painting copies of many famous pieces from many different time periods and artists, and they are indeed lovely. They include Bansky, Monet, Rockwell, Picasso, Klimt, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and many more. In addition, they are finishing up the fossils, canopic jars, megalodon teeth, and other items for the display cases that will be part of the set.

Evenia Dasilma, an eighth-grade student who has been involved in the theatre program throughout middle school, said, “This show is so fun. Last year, I was worried about remembering lines and lyrics and choreography, but this year I feel like I can just relax and enjoy performing.”

According to Principal Daniel Burney, the Musical Theatre program at Westwood is second to none. Mrs. MacCord has built it from the ground up and has provided invaluable experiences and opportunities for students and families in this arena. She works tirelessly to ensure that the program is not only fun but also enhancing and of the highest quality. He is especially proud of how the theatre program gives students opportunities to shine here at school, in the surrounding community, and also on the national stage at competitions statewide that attract students from around the country. Our students enjoy collegiate quality experiences in the arts through our musical theatre program.

Theatre has definitely found a lasting home at this school and has taken root. Anjali Ulmer, another eighth-grader, added, “When we do a show, it feels like a family, and it’s just so refreshing to be with everyone in that environment. I look forward to the rehearsals and the performances. Theatre has helped me put myself out there and is the reason I am so extroverted now.” Evenia and Anjali are museum tour guides in The Replica Murder and are responsible for an audience participation portion of the show each night.

“The show is going to be amazing because of the collaboration of the arts, and I cannot wait to see it all come together with costumes, lights, music, dancing, and yes… the cliffhanger murder that sends the characters on a crazy hunt through the museum to find clues in all the art pieces,” stated MacCord. It will be a performance you don’t want to miss. Mark your calendars!

This performance and others can be found on Alachua Chronicle’s Event Calendar.

The post The Replica Murder takes center “stage” at Westwood in April appeared first on Alachua Chronicle .