AUSTIN — It takes a long time to transform into Mother Ginger, an iconic character in "The Nutcracker" ballet play, and putting on makeup and a wig is not an easy task.
This is something Colonel Christopher Albus says he is not used to doing.
Some of the past performers include Chief Brian Manley and Texas Longhorns and NFL star Vince Young.
"On behalf of my leadership at Fort Hood and all the soldiers around the world, I'm honored to be here and help keep the city of Austin weird," Colonel Albus said.
"He for us represents all of our military, the ones who serve now and all in the past," Cookie Ruiz, executive director for Ballet Austin, explained.
Colonel Albus took off his uniform and in a matter of minutes was transformed into a vibrant character.
"I call Mother Ginger the 15-minute drag queen," said Wendy Sanders, makeup artist for Ballet Austin. "Since Mother Ginger is already a larger-than-life character, the makeup has to be vibrant so it can be seen by the 2,500 people in the audience."
This is the first time Colonel Albus put on a wig and makeup. He said he is doing it to represent the thousands of soldiers that can't be here over the holiday season."
"My understanding is that the military doesn't require glitter, so a lot of times the guys think they look like their mothers once they're all set," Sanders explained.
"More than 30,000 people will see this production this year so we want to stop and remember that not everyone gets to be home for the holidays," Ruiz said.
"Everyone at home needs to remember all the individuals that have volunteered to serve the country, here or overseas," Colonel Albus said. "It's hard to be away from your family, so keep them in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.
This is the 56th annual production of "The Nutcracker," and each performance casts an Austin-area celebrity to perform as Mother Ginger.
If you are interested in details on the production, click here.