Student performers in the finale of Lyrics Revealed

West Side's Lyrics reveals the strengths of performing arts students

Contributed By:The Gary 411 News

At the beginning of 2018, the Gary Community School Corp.’s decision to close Wirt-Emerson and send its high school students to West Side was met with scorn.

Under the control of a state-appointed emergency manager who said the district didn’t have enough students to support two high schools, critics feared the school's performing arts students would be sacrificed. Dr. Peggy Hinckley, then the district’s emergency manager said she was committed to maintaining the school’s performing arts curriculum when it moved to West Side.

Five months after the start of school in Gary, performing arts students from Wirt-Emerson were among the many talents on display at West Side Theatre Guild’s Lyrics Revealed!. Some of Wirt-Emerson students have always been included in the annual musical extravaganza with its cast of hundreds and showcasing student and professional artists.

But this year, the audience that packed into the 2,000 seat auditorium got a chance to witness the full range of orchestral, choral, classical and modern dance studies included in the Wirt-Emerson program. The choir performed with the evening’s gospel artist guest star Marvin Sapp.

WSTG director Mark Spencer said it was an honor that he had the responsibility to combine Wirt-Emerson students into the West Side Theatre Guild. “I’m a member of the first graduating class of the Emerson Visual and Performing Arts Academy. We made a conscious effort this year to display all their strengths.” The performing arts curriculum in Gary had its birth at Emerson High School, and then moved to Wirt after Emerson was determined to be unsafe.

Spencer said the 2018 Lyrics was a template, showing a new model for the West Side Theatre Guild’s Performing Arts Academy. “We are encouraging students to explore orchestra, band, dance, hip hop… the arts are alive in Gary, Indiana.”

The 3-hour show was worth every minute of it, especially for proud parents. One of them, Patricia Brewer was delighted to see her daughter’s performances. “I can’t believe it; Khari is singing in the choir and dancing. She has been at West Side since her freshman year but never participated in Lyrics. Now she’s a junior and I’m so glad she had the opportunity to do this.”

Not yet done is inclusion of middle school students into the visual and performing arts programs like it was at Wirt-Emerson. Amy Marsh, on the emergency management team, said West Side needs a feeder school. The district is beginning to develop a performing arts program for the middle school, Spencer said, but it will take about 2 years.


Sophomores Naomi Martin and Xavier Dates performed a piano-violin duet.


Student performers in the finale of Lyrics Revealed


Student performers


Student performers

Story Posted:12/15/2018