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OTC commanding general to be Mother Ginger by Eloise Lundgren, OTC Public Affairs
Brig. Gen. Scott Spellmon,
commanding general, U.S. Army Operational Test
Command, will make his debut as Fort Hood’s
celebrity Mother Ginger for Ballet Austin’s
annual “The Nutcracker” at 2 p.m. Dec. 20 at the
Long Performing Arts Center in Austin.
Joining the long list of other celebrity Mother Gingers, Spellmon is the latest Soldier to trade in his ACUs for an elaborate and over-the-top theatrical costume. The Mother Ginger (or Mother Gigogne, as she’s called in Europe) costume is a tall platform that looks like a hoop skirt. The celebrity, dolled up with heavy makeup, wig and a robust fake décolletage, stands atop the platform and gestures outrageously while the “Bon Bons” (small children) pour out from under the skirted platform, dance about and then disappear back under the “skirt.” The entire performance takes less than three minutes, but it is the comedic highlight of the ballet. Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, who scored the ballet, saved his most vulgar music for this sequence. Sounding like a series of fairground tunes, the Mother Ginger sequence is wildly popular in American productions of the ballet but not so much in Europe. First performed in San Francisco in 1944, the timeless ballet is staged in countless American cities every year, particularly around Christmas. This will be the 52nd performance of Ballet Austin’s “The Nutcracker.” Beginning in 2004, Fort Hood celebrities joined the ranks of Texas elite like Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, humorist Kinky Friedman, Dell Computers CEO Michael Dell, seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, former Dallas Cowboy Hollywood Henderson and former Gov. Ann Richards as those who have performed as Mother Ginger. Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General Pete Chiarelli’s wife, Beth, was the first Fort Hood VIP to play the part, delighting more than 2,000 ballet lovers while her husband, then the 1st Cavalry Division commanding general, was in Iraq with the division. Following Mrs. Chiarelli were OTC commanding general Brig. Gen. Chris Tucker; OTC’s Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Larry Wilson; OTC commander Col. Curt Potts; OTC commanding general Brig. Gen. Don MacWillie; Col. Steve Duke, OTC’s Maneuver Test Director; OTC deputy commander/chief of staff Kenny Crawford; OTC commander then-Col. Joe Martin; and OTC deputy commander/chief of staff Col. Jeff Harris, all of which were sold out performances. “I’m looking forward to carrying on this Fort Hood tradition,” Spellmon said. “First, it’s an honor to represent all the Soldiers, DA civilians, contractors and their Families at this holiday event. “Second, and just as importantly, it’s my pleasure to be part of Ballet Austin’s annual tradition and to be able to thank them for their support of Soldiers and their Families,” he said. “What a great opportunity to be in front of more than 2,000 people, many of whom have never had direct contact with the military, and get to enjoy the fun right along with them.” Spellmon said he hasn’t received any advice from former Mother Gingers but welcomes any suggestions, recommendations or lessons learned. “I haven’t asked for any pointers from anyone, nor have I looked at videos of previous performances,” he said with a laugh. “I’m just going to go out there and have a good time and hope everyone else does, too. Spellmon was commissioned a second lieutenant from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1986. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from USMA, a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the United States Army War College. His prior assignments include commander, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Fort Polk, Louisiana; commander, 317th Engineer Battalion and 3-3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, both as part of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Benning, Georgia; and commander, Company C, 82nd Engineer Battalion Bamberg, Germany. His previous staff assignments include executive director, Office of the Chief of Engineers, Headquarters, Department of the Army; chief of staff, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.; engineer intelligence officer, Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, Rheindalen, Germany; and observer-controller, Combat Maneuver Training Center, Hohenfels, Germany. His operational deployments include Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Kuwait, Iraq; Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraq; and Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. Spellmon is married to the former Sharise Pace of Mount Clemens, Michigan. They have three children: Nicholas, Steven and Katherine. “We are looking forward to Gen. Spellmon joining us for one of our favorite times of the year,” said Cookie Ruiz, Ballet Austin executive director. “We are so pleased to be able to honor our service members who so gallantly and selflessly protect and defend our nation.” Ballet Austin is the 12th-largest ballet company in the United States and operates the largest combined training facility associated with a professional ballet company in the country. Tickets are available by going online at www.balletaustin.org or by calling 512-476-2163.
Source: Fort Hood
Sentinel,
November 27, 2014 |
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