CANTON (WWJ) — The search is on for a so-called “Grinch” who stole a storage trailer from a local ballet company just weeks ahead of their holiday performances of “The Nutcracker.”
Officials with the Plymouth-Canton Ballet Company on Monday said “tragedy struck” over the weekend when someone stole their trailer containing vital props for the upcoming shows.
Officials believe it happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday from outside a dance studio on Ronda Drive in Canton, in the area of Joy and Haggerty Roads.
The 24-foot-long enclosed black trailer with extra-tall 8-foot walls (license plate E559952, VIN: 54GVC24T7N7053627), housed all of the company’s larger props that are “integral to the beloved holiday production,” officials said.
Witnesses have reported seeing a two-door white pickup truck, along with a small, silver sedan, in the area at the time of the theft.
Videos posted to social media show the theft in progress and officials are asking anyone who may recognize the vehicles to call Canton police.
With just three weeks until curtain call, the ballet company is “racing against the clock to replace the stolen items.”
“This year’s performance is particularly special as it marks the 40th anniversary of the production, featuring 20 local dance studios and a cast of over 80 dedicated students who have been tirelessly preparing for months,” the company said in a press release.
June Smith, the group's Artistic Director, told WWJ Newsradio 950's Dan Jenkins said the stolen trailer was full of Nutcracker props the company has been accumulating and using since they first started performing the holiday classic four decades ago.
"It's not cheap and it's been accumulating for all of these years, so it's things that are not easily replaced," Smith said.
The ballet company has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for repurchasing the necessary props and “ensuring that this treasured holiday tradition continues uninterrupted.” Community members are encouraged to donate at the following link:
Officials say despite the theft, they remain committed to “bringing the magic of The Nutcracker to life” as scheduled on Dec. 6 and 7 at Salem High School.