The 2024 Homer Nutcracker Ballet opens on Friday and cast and crew have put in hundreds of volunteer hours in preparation. This week the Homer News looks at the contributions of one principal performer, Corey Geysbeek, in the role of Uncle Drosselmeyer and a behind-the-scenes conversation with 13-year volunteer Ashton Brown, who is running the curtain and set pin rail this year.

Corey Geysbeek: Uncle Drosselmeyer

Corey Geysbeek and his four children have been in “The Nutcracker” since his youngest daughter, Story, started taking dance classes and wanted to be in the show. His oldest son, Dayus, who loves performing got pulled in next. This year the family decided, “let’s make this part of the family tradition and put all family feet in.”

He said full family participation puts everyone into a conversation for how rehearsals go and “it brings the family closer together.”

Geysbeek has lived in Homer for about 17 years and his wife, Hope, grew up in Anchorage. He moved to Alaska from Michigan, “the best state to be from,” he said.

This is Geysbeek’s third year in the production and he is playing the role of the magical and mysterious Uncle Drosselmeyer. He has also contributed to the battle scene choreography for the past two years. Most of his performance experience has been through church opportunities and musical performances. His musical experience is primarily with drumming. Locally, he noted the opportunity to play live with the relatively recent Pier One “Newsies” performance.

Geysbeek called playing the role of Drosselmeyer “a blast.”

”It’s fun. I’ve always loved performing and finding ways to pretend on stage is super fun. The best part about it is all the kids, especially the littlest ones. A character like Drosselmeyer is a big deal for them. They’re fun to the play around with and play games with.”

He said one of his favorite parts of the show is having the small children have their first moment onstage. The older children get organized in their own way and still love the experience but the magic for the small children is critical, he said. The admiration, support and mentoring between all the children goes both ways between the ages and that is one of the best things to witness, he said.

Geysbeek noted the extreme value of the tech crew that doesn’t clearly show up onstage during the performance; they are the solid support. He noted that in the 2023 performance they had an opportunity to walk across stage for casual bows. He noted that often backstage doesn’t want to be promoted on stage.

He commented and supported particular long time crew Bobby McKinney.

“We have someone like Bobby, who’s been contributing to this for so long and has given so much to “The Nutcracker.” It almost feels like you can’t give her enough credit for what she does, and when we do, she probably tries to hide from it. She is amazing. She really needs her credit, but we do it respectfully and casually.”

Referring again to Bobby, her husband, Michael McKinney, and several other crew, Geysbeek noted that many of the production and backstage crew do not have children in the show but graciously offer their numerous hours anyway.

This includes producer Ken Castner and director Sally Oberstein. They also have provided hours and years to the production. .

There are also many K-12 children only contributing to backstage help and not performing. They are carefully monitored by the historic and informed adults but clearly content with their opportunity to contribute to the production.

Ashton Brown: Pin rail operator

The pin rail in the theater is the feature used to lift and lower sets, lights and curtains by pulling on lines attached to weights and pulleys that run from the top to the bottom of the theater. The device is hidden from the view of the audience.

Ashton Brown began his Homer “Nutcracker” experience 14 years ago. His mother was cast as Clara when she is an adult reflecting back on her experience as a child.

Brown’s first role was a stage mouse but he immediately preferred to join stage crew and was welcomed and mentored by older technicians. He started to help with painting props and sets in the scene shop. Brown said “Nutcracker” tech crew is where he first used to learn mechanical equipment, such as saws and drills, mostly supported by Castner.

Brown said after shop work, he was assigned to mentoring with former pin rail operator Rich Klein.

“I’ve certainly enjoyed every step of the way in the theater, it’s been a really good place to learn a lot of things, social skills and leadership skills, and just basic awareness of tools,” he said.

Brown graduated from Homer High School in May and has already received a marine 200-ton license. He is also working on accomplishing an air flight license. He has contributed to charter fishing and research contacts with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

He said he enjoys traveling away from the Homer area to see new places: Southeast Alaska, Katmai and Kodiak, particularly.

Brown noted that the local marine mechanical skills have always been helpful to “Nutcracker” crew. He mentioned particularly skills and familiarity in knots and rigging.

“The Nutcracker” opens this weekend at the Mariner Theatre.