‘Huge relief’: Ballet company’s Nutcracker set pieces recovered after stolen truck found

The ballet company touring Ontario with its “very unique Nutcracker” production says the truck containing backdrops and set pieces has been found.

Ballet Jörgen said in a release on Tuesday that the truck, which had been stolen in Etobicoke on Monday, had been recovered by Peel Regional Police in a residential area in Brampton.

“What a huge relief,” Stephen Word, general manager for the company, said in an email on Tuesday.

The set pieces and backdrops that were stolen were part of the ballet company’s tour of The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition, a show that’s been running since 2008.

Word told Global News on Monday that the show is “very unique” as it’s set in Algonquin Park in the early 1900s.

He also said if the truck was not found, they’d have to locate the original files created in 2008 in order to then work with a local scenic shop and builder in order to paint and construct new sets and backdrops.

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That extra work will no longer be needed.

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“Every set and backdrop for The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition is safe, intact, and ready to bring holiday magic to communities across Canada as originally planned,” the release says.

The ballet company said it’s deeply grateful for the outpouring of support from the province and beyond, adding “special thanks” to the City of Burlington and its citizens as their “rallying spirit” helped ensure the performances on Tuesday and Wednesday in the city would go ahead.

Ballet Jörgen also extended thanks to Alberta Ballet and several Ontario dance schools, which it said had offered to share their own Nutcracker sets.

“This rapid resolution means thousands of Ontarians will still experience the wonder of The Nutcracker this holiday season,” the release says. “The show goes on — and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!”

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