Macon Magazine

46 maconmagazine.com | October/November 2025 under my skirt. Seven shows went fine until the very last step of the last performance. I felt a squish, froze on one stilt, and blurted, 'I'm so sorry!' A tiny voice from under the dress replied, 'It's OK, Mr. Alice.'" Tino Sheridan, Proud Husband of Director Alice Sheridan; Emergency Mother Ginger, 2011 "I remember the very beginning. Jean Weaver handpicked ten of us, and we each put in $10 to start the nonprofit. We began in May 1985 and staged four performances that same year. We became a family, working together to create an affordable, quality Nutcracker for Middle Georgia. In 1991, we began a free school performance for Title I schools. The curtain stayed open so children could see the snow machines, the trap door, even the clock wings in motion. For many, it was their first theater experience. I'll never forget a little girl who came in her Sunday best—her new dress still had the sales tag attached. Over the years, thousands of children have been touched by this ballet. I'm proud of the 32 years I worked with Jean Weaver and Tony Long—Jean called us 'the three-legged stool'—to make this tradition possible." Marianna Gebara, Founding Member 1985; Managing Director 2001–2017; Stage Manager 1989–2016 "By my last year, Marianna Gebara and I had our own code names over the radios—she was Mother Goose, and I was Fuzzy Bunny (likely because I'd lost most of my hair by then). We celebrated together when we broke the attendance record that year. And maybe— just maybe—we squeezed in a few extra seats for that final matinee. The stats are hazy…" Phil Banze, Grand Opera House Director of Operations, 2011–2015 "At 14, dancing Clara, I'd rush backstage for a quick change. The stage manager always cleared a path, with party guests pressed to the wings as I sprinted through. In the dressing room, with two other sets of hands helping me, I somehow transformed out of a party dress and soft shoes into a sparkling pink nightgown and pointe shoes. Then, adrenaline pumping, with seconds to spare, Clara bourées backward as the Christmas tree grows taller and taller. Tchaikovsky's score swells from childlike to vast and mysterious, and in that instant the parlor dissolves into a dreamworld. The audience feels Clara's awe as if it's their own." McKay Powers, Dancer 2010–2018; Clara 2015 "Families paint their car windows with dancer names, and audiences pour in from across the region. Last year I stepped out the stage door and met two Mennonite women who had driven hours from rural Georgia because it was their dream to see the Nutcracker at Christmas. I've never seen a community rally for a production the way Middle Georgia does." Jordan-Elizabeth Long, Sugar Plum Fairy, 2024–2025 "It took my husband a few years to realize that the giant clock is actually powered by people inside it— you know it's good 'magic' when even the cast is fooled! And of course, keep an eye on grandpa; we were never entirely sure what he kept in that flask…" Kaye Hlavaty, Party Scene Parent, 2011 - 2015 "My favorite moment is right before stepping onstage. A few of us started a tradition in 2022—counting down from eight, shaking out our arms and legs, then hugging and wishing each other luck before the music cues us to go. It's a ritual the audience never sees, but it's carried us through every performance since." Gray Griffin, Dancer, 2018–Present "I bought a last-minute ticket to go by myself, and I was surrounded by little girls dressed in their finery, agape at the magic of the evening. As I plan this year, I'm tempted to go alone again, just so I can watch the little girls as much as I'm watching the show." Lori Snow, Audience Member "The Rat King is pretty laid back these days, though his earring and goatee hint at wilder times. My entrance comes through a trap door—legend says Houdini once used it! Dancers love to watch me crank up from the green room, never knowing if I'll pop out early, late, or nearly face-plant due to the limited vision inside the rat head. I've even led a pack of rats into barre warmups—try finding leg warmers for hairy rat legs. One time, while sword fighting the Nutcracker, my sword actually snapped in half. Suddenly it was less 'epic duel' and more 'air guitar solo.' Needless to say, keep an eye out for my new sword, made with ballistic Kevlar and resin. Mother Ginger is another story. She's a shameless flirt with the audience, the Prince, even the pros. I've pinned silly notes to my dress and hidden a remote- controlled fart machine under the Prince's chair— always keeping him on his toes. After all, somebody's got to keep the ballet from taking itself too seriously." Donn Rodenroth, Rat King & Mother Ginger; Board Member; Involved 20+ Years "I love our Nutcracker—ninety percent of the talent onstage is homegrown from Middle Georgia, supported by exceptional guest artists. I'll never forget the first time the sky silk dropped to reveal the snow scene. It was so breathtaking, I wept. Over

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