CHANHASSEN, Minn. — Few things match the mystery of the theater or the warmth that comes from the holidays. At the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, that warmth was easy to spot Saturday night.

Hundreds gathered to watch the musical White Christmas, but for one person, the show wasn’t the most important part of their evening.

It was who would be there.

“Me and her have had a really good bond since I’ve came into her life,” Sergeant Tony Bryand said.

Sgt. Bryand has been away on deployment in Kuwait for the last 10 months, returning home just in time for the holidays. On stage, his stepdaughter, nine-year-old Jenalia, plays Susan Waverly.

“Me being gone is a big change, really hard on her,” Sgt. Bryand said, choking up. “Hard on me.”

During the preshow announcement, emcee Nancy Nelson walked out, set to announce the start of the show.

Instead, she was interrupted by Jenalia.

“On behalf of the theater, Nancy, we would all like to thank you for all you do!” Jenalia said, surprising Nancy.

“You should have them, and I know someone who wants to give them to you, darling,” Nelson said in response. “Turn around!”

In front of the crowd, Jenalia turned and saw Sgt. Bryand, running into his arms, reuniting the two after months apart.

“He has not seen her on this stage, in this show, but he will tonight!” Nelson said while the two embraced.

Sgt. Bryand sat and watched his stepdaughter perform during the show, the nerves he had conquered, and now reunited for the holidays.

“Gonna give her a memory, gonna give us a memory that we’ll never forget,” he said.

DELANO, Minnesota — The weather is full of ups and downs. But for The Ice Palace in Delano, crews are wishing for a steady winter season. 

“It’s been very cold and then very warm. We’re going up and down, and up and down,” said Britton Youngstrom, director of operations. “But as you can see… everything here, we put here. Mother Nature has provided no ice or snow for us. We have a snowmaker and we have sprinklers going so when the temperatures are allowing, we’re able to grow the ice.” 

Crews started laying the ground infrastructure at Delano Central Park three weeks ago and started freezing ice about a week ago. 

“Everything starts happening fast when the temperatures hit,” Youngstrom said. 

But on Sunday, the weather was too warm for ice building. As temperatures go down, the ice goes up. Currently, ice is about 10 to 12 feet high. 

“We are a lot more on track and very hopeful for this season,” Youngstrom said. 

Last winter’s mild temperatures forced The Ice Palace to open a month late and close after being open for only four days. At this time last year, ice building hadn’t even started yet. 

“It’s devastating to us cause we put in a lot of work and our crews, they really grind through the night to bring the best product,” Youngstrom said. “To not be able to share that with the public is the largest thing that was kind of a morale hit because the reason we do this is to share it with people, to create positive experiences, and to really leave that positive footprint for the winter magical realm.” 

While Youngstrom would not disclose how much money they lost, he described it as “fairly significant.” 

They weren’t the only snow/ice-related event impacted by the weather. 

The weather also forced early closures for Ice Castles and Art Shanty Projects last winter. This year, Ice Castles is moving to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. And after having to cancel last year, the Minnesota Ice Festival plans to be back this season. 

“We’re trying to decide if this is the new norm for Minnesota or not. As the last two years have proven to have that unequal temperature fluctuations. But you know, we keep trudging along,” Youngstrom said. 

The family-run business is based in Idaho. They typically have locations in both Idaho and Minnesota but after last winter’s hit, they decided to just focus on Minnesota this year. They expect 40,000-50,000 visits. 

“The Ice Palace, you enter into another world. That’s the feeling that we aim to achieve,” Youngstrom said. 

The plan is to open Dec. 28. If the weather cooperates, they will stay open through the last weekend in February. Tickets can be bought online.