My 39th birthday on Sunday was spent at The Akron Civic Theatre for the Nutcracker finale. My daughter Gabby enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes of the production. It was very cool when the show's director , Chris Meneer , announced my birthday on stage after the final bows. "Nutcracker Val" and I after Saturday's performance. Val spent countless hours making the show come together and was very helpful to me personally. She is a great lady and a wonderful friend. I sincerely enjoyed being apart of the show. It was awesome seeing such a large cast and crew pull off a great Nutcracker. The Akron Civic Theatre and Children's Ballet of Ohio are a gift to our area. These are very special people who know how to have fun. I can't thank them enough for letting me be apart of the show.