Following four years of touring and more than 350 performances, the “most famous reindeer of all” from the longest-running and highest-rated holiday television special will fly into Cleveland at the Bologna Performing Arts Center (BPAC) on Dec. 4 at 7:30 PM.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical features the beloved reindeer and a holly-jolly cast of iconic characters, including Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snow Monster, who help Santa save Christmas. The North American tour kicks off in mid-November in Dayton, OH, before soaring coast-to-coast to more than 40 cities. More than 500,000 tickets have been sold in North America.
Tickets, $30-$55, are on sale at www.bolognapac.com or at the BPAC ticket office at (662) 846-4626. Discounts are available for groups. The performance is locally sponsored by Cannon Motors of Mississippi.
In 1964, the beloved stop-motion animated television classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, made its network television debut and has been delighting audiences ever since. The national tour is a “holiday staple,” says The Boston Globe, and an “utterly charming, top-notch production,” adds the Orlando Sentinel.
Projections, costumes, and characters are faithfully brought to the stage against a backdrop of nostalgic set designs. The 12-foot-plus-tall Abominable Snow Monster is jaw-dropping. The cast brings high energy to classic songs and dialogue, while irresistible and loveable puppets highlight the charming “roughness” from the television show’s stop-motion effects.
The story tells the tale of a young Rudolph who, because of the appearance of his bright, shining nose, is excluded from the reindeer games. He flees Christmastown and meets new friends Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius. After finding The Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph journeys home, where a snowstorm of epic proportions is threatening Christmas. Can Rudolph rescue his family and friends and help Santa save the holiday?
Rudolph’s partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center continues this year. The show offers a free toolkit to teachers that leverages the powerful messages from the Rudolph story to teach important character values. In addition, a portion of proceeds from venue sales of the book, T.E.A.M. Rudolph and the Reindeer Games, will be donated to PACER.
