A Vega Staff Nutcracker Performance

Dear Vega,

With the holidays in fill swing, we imagine many of you are attending and/or performing in the many wonderful Nutcracker productions that take place this time of year.  We love hearing about our incredibly talented campers who have performed in a variety of Nutcracker shows, ranging from local to the NYC ballet.

Vega Department Heads, Shannon Thurston & Tyler Brookings

This was the first year, however, that we have seen Vega staff take part in their local Nutcracker productions.  After seeing this picture on Facebook of Vega Department Heads Shannon Thurston and Tyler Brookings, we just had to find out more.  How did this fantastic picture come to be?

Here is the story, as told by Shannon:

The Maine Central Institute (MCI) in Pittsfield, ME has a very prestigious ballet school, Bossov Ballet Theater, and their Artistic director is a good friend of mine and the choreographer at the Waterville Opera House where I work and perform.  She asked me to be Baroness Stahlbaum, Marie’s mother in The Nutcracker and host of the party.  All of the adults in the show are community, usually parents of kids in the ballet or teachers from MCI.  So, I’m waiting for rehearsal to start one Saturday back in October and in walks my favorite red headed waterfront coordinator.  The teacher he was student teaching with offered to be in the show and asked Tyler if he wanted to do it and of course, Ty was up for it.  So, that’s how we ended up in The Waterville Opera House and Bossov Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker together.

Well, Shannon and Tyler, way to go!  We’d like to think Tyler was inspired by his performance this past summer in Camp Vega’s Little Mermaid, as King Titan.  But, in all seriousness, thank you for volunteering with local theater and enriching not only the other performers and audiences who enjoyed your work, but your Vega family as well for sharing in your endeavors.

Warmest wishes,
Kyle and Emily