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The tea party has definitely gotten bigger. Only about 60 people showed up eight years ago.
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Danielle Schleich, a snowflake in "The Nutcracker," talks with her sister Natalie after seating them at the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party on Sunday at the Val/ncia Arts Center in Winona. The party is fundraiser for the play, produced by the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, which will be performed Dec. 4-7 at Saint Mary’s University’s Page Theatre. (Photo by Paul Solberg/Winona Daily News) |
“This is a magical time of year,” MCA managing director Christine Martin said. “People get really excited about it.”
Young men in tuxes opened doors for guests, who got to mingle with “The Nutcracker” performers while drinking specialty teas and nibbling on finger foods.
Claire Smart, 15, is playing three roles in this year’s “Nutcracker.” It’s her third time in the ballet.
“Usually you get a different role,” Smart said. “It’s a chance to learn something new.”
Lydia Feuerhelm, 15, is also playing three roles, one of which is the Rat Queen. Feuerhelm wore grey gloves with long black fingernails and has been perfecting evil movements for the role.
“For me, it’s all about the hands and arms being twisty,” Feuerhelm said.
Feuerhelm’s has been in “The Nutcracker” every year it’s been performed at SMU, first as a party child when she was 7. Her older sister, who is now 21, used to be in “Nutcracker” as well.
“You see a lot of little girls inspired by older people,” Feuerhelm said. “It’s kind of like a holiday tradition. People expect it.”
Auditions were held in August, with rehearsals starting in September.
Martin is used to do double duty, she also played the role of Miss Ginger in that first production. Nancy Harms took over for her in 2002 and has had the role ever since. Harms wears a curly blonde wig and a rainbow colored dress. It has an exaggerated hoop skirt that contains PVC piping to create the 8 feet in diameter garment.
Five-year-old Macy Cada got her picture taken with Mother Ginger. Macy is performing in “The Nutcracker” for the first time, playing the part of a clown.
“She loves Mother Ginger,” her mom, Summer Cada said.
Her nine-year-old sister, Taylor, has played that role before but has now moved up to play a party child.
Harms has taken ballet over the years, and at age 52 is the senior member of the cast. The role of Mother Ginger has also made Harms something of a minor celebrity. It’s not uncommon for people to see her walking her dog or at the grocery store and greet her as Mother Ginger. One Sunday at church, she heard a little kid whisper, “Mom, it’s Mother Ginger and she’s taking communion.”
Of course, she’s dressed a little more ordinarily.
“They look at me and probably think, she’s just a plain old mom,” Harms said. “It’s probably a letdown.”
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com
