By Emily Cedre
Cruella de Vil, with her black and white fur coat and red gloves, has been portrayed in popular media countless times over the past 70 years. For their 2025 production, Wylie High School from Wylie, Texas, put their own spin on the character, titling the show “The de Vil is in the Details.”
Director Walter Jackson said the idea for their 2025 show was the first one discussed in their yearly planning meeting for the season.
“Once we found our song, everything else just felt like it fell into place,” said Jackson. “Cruella is a character that everyone already knows and loves, and we just wanted to have fun diving into that story and personality, with a little twist that our audiences probably didn’t see coming.”
The entire show centered around de Vil’s iconic fashion designs.
“We wanted to take everyone on that journey of a creative driven mad. It starts a little mysterious, centered around a shrouded mannequin that symbolizes an elusive dream just out of reach, the circular motion on the floor representing a ‘writer’s block’ of sorts,” said Jackson.
The team then brings out de Vil’s wicked side with an accelerating tempo in the soundtrack that does not relent. But this version of the story is different from the one we know. At the end of Wylie’s show, de Vil gets her way.
“The narrative diverges from reality and we see what [would have happened] if Cruella did get her coat in the end,” said Jackson.
The song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler drives the back half of the show. Working with their designer Shannon Berkstresser and a band mom with sewing expertise, the staff made sure the story came across by covering the stage in dalmatian spots, including the rifles, flags, mannequin prop, fabric, floor and more.
Every time the performers from Wylie took the floor, they left crowds feeling excited, entranced and entertained.
“Our local and Texas circuits were so receptive, and the kids felt like rock stars everywhere they went,” said Jackson. “It was everything I could have wanted for them.”
When taking the stage in the WGI World Championships Scholastic A Class Finals, Jackson said his team performed like true professionals.
“They were excited, but so calm, focused and confident; you would think they’ve done it a million times before,” said Jackson. “I think I was more nervous than they were, to be honest! This was our third year trying to break into that Finals spot, and after two years just outside that top twenty, they were hungry and determined. Coming off the floor, they knew they had done what we came to do and were so ecstatic to finally get that break-through moment. Smiles, some tears, and hugs all-around. There may or may not be a video of me crying throughout that performance.”
On top of completing an amazing season, Wylie High School was voted as the FloMarching Fan Favorite for Scholastic A Class.
“We are so honored,” reflected Jackson. “One of the goals on our whiteboard was to ‘wow the crowd,’ and we are so happy to represent for our school, for Texas, and for our local circuit! Texas truly came out in full force this year and it’s an honor to be recognized alongside so many other incredible teams from the Lone Star state.”
About the author:
Emily Cedre works as a content creator for OneTouch Direct in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Programming and Production. She also minored in Psychology. She began color guard in her junior year of high school, was a captain of Sunlake High School’s Open Class team and has since spun for the University of South Florida.
