Macon Magazine

"As Artistic Director, I watch every performance from the same seat with notepad in hand, jotting down ways we can refi ne and improve. Afterwards, I walk through each dressing room to deliver those notes in person—a ritual that's earned a reputation of its own 'you don't want to be in Mrs. Alice's notes!' catchphrase. And in the middle of all that discipline, there are the little traditions that make me laugh—like the dancers who decided our Chinese dragon needed a name. Ever since, he's simply been known as 'Reggie.' Those small touches remind me the magic isn't just in the performance—it's alive backstage too." Alice Sheridan, Artistic Director, 2017–Present "My dad has been with The Nutcracker since the very beginning—building sets, handpicking backdrops, perfecting every fl oor mark and lighting cue. My favorite trick of his is the silk backdrop that drops behind the Snow Queen mid-dive, just as snow dusts her head. It looks eff ortless, but backstage it's all about staggered hooks and precise timing—too many hooks and it sticks, too few and it drops too soon. For forty years, the 'silk fall' has been his litmus test of a good show. Last year, when he missed his fi rst performance due to heart failure, I recorded it from center stage to show him: the silk still fell." Kate Long, Dancer and Stagehand 2013 and 2024 "My Nutcracker magic happens long before the curtain rises. The fi rst year, I built and altered every costume out of my tiny dining room. Now, thanks to the Weaver Center, I work in a professional costume studio designed to my own specs—one of only three like it in Middle Georgia. It means our dancers wear standardized, tailored costumes, not cobbled- together pieces. I walked in and thought, 'It's exactly how it should be.' And here's a secret the audience may never know: the soldiers' cavalry horses each have gemstone names—Ruby, Sapphire, Pearl—little touches of magic sewn right into the production." Lauren Parris, Costume Mistress, 2019–Present "One of my favorite parts comes right at the opening. While we're waiting behind the curtain, Drosselmeyer is putting his fi nishing touches on the nutcracker and the overture begins. Backstage, our assistant director Rick can't help but boogie down—and before long we're all laughing and joining in, schooling our faces at the last minute to the balletic reverence of the scene." Stacy DiBois, Frau (the Party Host), 2021–2025 "Every year, 65+ people come together backstage in an anthill of costumes, props, and crew. One trick I love: in Drosselmeyer's workshop, I lick my fi nger, fl ick October/November 2025 | maconmagazine.com 45 it toward a candle, and, if I time it just right—poof—it goes out! And look closely at the dolls I give the little girls: they become the Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, and Russian dancers in Act II." Chris Abbott, Drosselmeyer the Toy Maker, 2014–Present "No question about it—I will never forget twirling in the rose petals as Clara in 2002. I vividly remember tears rolling down my cheeks as those last petals fell during that fi nal show. To this day, I get chills when I hear that music." Mary Priestly Jarrard McLendon, Dancer 1998–2006; Clara 2002 "It was about 1991 when Nutcracker bought the fi rst Snow Scene backdrop. Funds were hard to come by in those early years, and big scenery purchases came little by little. On Tuesday of production week, the new 'Snow' was unveiled for the fi rst time. We'd invited founding board member Susan Cable to sit in the darkened orchestra and watch. Those of us who had raised the money for that $50,000 backdrop teared up at its beauty. That part of the ballet has become a favorite for many of us, and we still get misty when the silk is pulled away to reveal the Snow backdrop with the moon shining through." Donna Williams, Board Member 1987–1997; 2000–Present "Watching my student Simon Phillips as the Jack-in- the-Box was pure joy. He leapt out of that oversized toy chest with a mix of athleticism and artistry, turning the brief cameo into a showstopper. The Jack-in-the- Box always bursts out during the party scene—gone in a fl ash, but a moment that can steal the spotlight when done just right." Pilar Lowden, Audience Member; Founder, Hayiya Dance Theatre, Inc. "The magic begins backstage. I love guiding the Mice into place behind the fi replace curtain—crouched, clutching their tails so no one steps on them—waiting for the music cue. On the other side, the Jesters crawl under Mother Ginger's skirt, buzzing with energy. And nothing compares to pushing the cannon onstage for the Battle Scene—watching Rats, Soldiers, Cavalry, Clara, and the Prince all spring into action. Standing there, you feel the heartbeat of the show. That's why I've been here for 40 years." Tony Long, Board Member 1985–2025; Production Director 1989–2025 "In 2011, we suddenly had no Mother Ginger. Alice came home and said, 'Guess what? You're going to be Mother Ginger this year!' The 80-pound dress swung with every step, straps digging into my shoulders, my legs duct-taped into 1970s stilts. My biggest fear wasn't falling—it was stepping on the 18 little feet

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