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Stage production comes to Powers Auditorium ‘Rudolph’ ritual
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
The look and sound of the classic 1964 holiday film “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is recreated on stage in a touring production coming to Powers Auditorium on Thursday.
The stop-motion animation Rankin/Bass film about the odd little reindeer who saves Christmas has been shown every holiday season for more than a half-century, making it the longest-running holiday special in television history (you can catch it Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CBS).
It’s a happy ritual for parents and grandparents who grew up with it, and the live-action version is familiar and new all at once.
“The old stop-motion cartoon comes alive on stage,” said Natalie MacDonald, who plays the title character in the touring show, in a phone interview. “It’s made to look exactly like it.”
The costumes and set pieces match the TV show, and the stage is white to look like a snow-covered town.
“It’s great for everyone from a grandparent who remembers it and right up to the present,” said MacDonald. “It’s the show they know and love. My mom remembers sitting down with the family every year to watch the film.”
The songs in the film are also present in the 75-minute production, including “When Santa Claus Gets Your Letter,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and of course, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
While the stage show stays true to the TV film, McDonald said a few surprises have been added. “My parents said the extra parts were their favorites,” she said.
With a cast of about 20, “Rudolph” features lots of choreography and maintains its flow between scenes. “It’s kind of beautiful the way it transitions from one scene to the next,” she said. “Ensemble members skate the set pieces in and out, and it looks like they’re on ice.”
Their secret is “Heelys,” the sneakers with the pop-out roller skate wheels.
“Rudolph,” of course, has always been more than the typical kids’ cartoon. It bears a message of inclusiveness that is as important today as it ever was – and maybe more.
It’s not just the awkward reindeer with the inexplicably glowing nose, either.
“There are the misfit toys, and Hermey the elf who wants to be a dentist and not make toys,” said MacDonald. “It’s all about misfits ... seeing the beauty in having no two people who are alike.”
Many children can feel left out among their peers. MacDonald, who was home-schooled, can relate.
“I often didn’t get the inside jokes that the kids who went to public schools got. I can bring that to the table,” she said.
Ultimately, the message is that what’s makes you different can be a strength to all: Rudolph, with his beacon of a nose, was the only one who could save Christmas.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is divided into two acts, with an intermission.
There will be a merchandise table in the lobby selling souvenirs, including a book with an anti-bullying message.
“It shows what happened to the reindeer games after Rudolph left,” said MacDonald. “[The reindeer] were happy to see the skills Rudolph brought to the table. They started letting girls get involved in the games.”