WMS students bring 'Blue Suede Paws' to the stage

WORLAND - Thirty-five Worland Middle School students have been working the past two months on their annual musical with opening night for "Blue Suede Paws" scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night, Feb. 24. An encore performance will be Saturday, Feb. 25. Both performances are at the WMS Auditorium.

This year's production of a musical comedy is under the direction of first-year teacher at Worland, Amy Wright. She said she selected "Blue Suede Paws" because "I like funny musicals and I like music from the 50s. I also like campy horror."

According to pioneerdrama.com, the one-act musical "monster spoof" is about an "insecure outcast" named Rupert Lydecker who visits aw kooky scientist in hopes of making himself different. The scientist, Doctor Dangerfield, is working on many experiments and in attempting to help young Rupert, Rupert is turned into a werewolf.

Rehearsals, which started just before the Christmas break, have been going "fantastic," Wright said. She said the students are dedicated to improving their characters and choreography in preparation for next week's performances.

WMS eighth grader Amber Vaughn plays Rupert/Werewolf. She has been involved in the middle school plays for all three years at WMS. She said she enjoys theater because of the adrenaline but also because she can lose herself in the role she is playing. "You get to go into someone else's world. It's like reading a book but acting it out as you read," Vaughn said.

She said playing the part of the werewolf "involves a lot of growling" but is a lot of fun. Vaughn added that the play is funny and there is a great cast that will make the play enjoyable for anyone who comes to watch.

Along with being funny, Vaughn said, for her, the moral of the story is that Rupert gets to become someone new, through being the werewolf he finds a new confidence in himself.

Jade Hefenieder plays Boris, Doctor Dangerfield's assistant, and a failed Dangerfield experiment.

"He's the funny one in the play. He makes jokes, he's clumsy and he's afraid of the housekeeper who keeps trying to beat him," she said.

It's a role that Hefenieder is enjoying portraying. She said one of her friend's noted it it's the perfect role for her because she's a lot like Boris. "I wouldn't want any other part," she added.

This is Hefenieder's second production at WMS, having performed in the sixth grade but not last year as a seventh grader. She said she is enjoying being a part of the production this year.

Hefenieder said people who come will enjoy the story, the monsters, the 1950s music. "It's really funny, one of the funniest you'll ever see. And it has a great cast."

Vaughn said people should come and enjoy the play because it is fun, but also because it's the final middle school performance for the eighth graders.

Wright said Friday and Saturday will be evenings filled with music and people can reminisce with the 1950s music and a lot of laughs

In addition to the 35 WMS students, Jay Richard, Kevin Diede and Dan Mattis have been handling set design and construction, Reese Ferguson is working the sound and assistant director is WHS student Clare Neylon.

Tickets for the production, that will be about 90 minutes, will be available at the door.