Mayor, granddaughter to make cameos in The Nutcracker | Arts & Culture

Mayor Stan Joyner is taking a break this weekend from the municipal schools fight, in an effort to spread some Christmas cheer – on the stage.

The Collierville mayor will make a special appearance with his granddaughter in the Collierville Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

The show features more than 80 local performers of all different ages.

If you look closely, you may be able to spot Mayor Joyner with his granddaughter as part of the party scene during the opening part of Act One.  The duo will be participating in the Saturday evening show at 7 p.m. and the Sunday afternoon show at 2:30 p.m.

"My granddaughter is 3 years old and and in a ballet class at Ballet Collierville that is putting on the production," said Mayor Stan Joyner.  "They found out that she is my granddaughter and asked if I would participate. Of course, I said yes!"

"It's going to be fun having him onstage and doing a little bit of dancing with the others at the 'party'," said Tom Knowles, Collierville Ballet.

If you cannot see the shows the mayor is participating in, there are still plenty of other shows you can attend, all of which feature incredible, local talent.  The Nutcracker performances are as follows:

• Friday, December 14 at 10 a.m., 7 p.m.
• Saturday, December 15 at 2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Sunday, December 16 at 2:30 p.m.

In case you aren’t familiar with The Nutcracker (hey, there may be a few!), the story focuses on a young girl named Clara, who journeys through a beloved holiday tradition with her Nutcracker prince.  The ballet features human-sized mice, toy soldiers that come to life, and of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Tickets can be reserved by visiting the Collierville Ballet website, or by calling 901-861-7001.  They can also be purchased at the door.  Tickets are $15 per person or $12 per person for groups of 10 or more.