Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor —

He first captured the hearts of American children in 1964 when he appeared in a TV special on NBC, and he continues to charm children – and adults – to this day, especially at Christmas time.  You can watch him on TV, if you want, or online, but why bother with that when you can see him live, on stage, next week, Dec.16-17, at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Produced by Right Angle Entertainment, the touring show, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, is a faithful reimagining of the familiar story, with all the beloved characters you know, and all the songs that made the original such a Christmas classic, including Silver and Gold, A Holy, Jolly Christmas and, of course, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Like most people, actress/singer Bella Hicks who portrays Rudolph, remembers seeing the stop-motion animated TV Special when she was little.” I loved animals, so Rudolph won my heart,” she said in a phone interview from Iowa where the touring company was the day we spoke. “I have seen the original a bunch of times, and I also saw the sequel they did in the 1990s. It’s so fun to be in this live production. I am having the time of my life.”

The story is pretty much the same as in the TV Christmas Special. Young Rudolph is rejected by his peers because he was born “with the very shiny (red) nose” instead of a black one like all the other reindeer in Christmastown on the North Pole. He runs away from home, finds a couple of friends along the way, and ends up on the Island of Misfit Toys, a refuge for unwanted toys. But when he returns home to find his community in disarray due to a huge snowstorm, he eventually becomes the hero who saves the Christmas celebration.

The lesson of the tale is one of the reasons people love the show, said Hicks. “Everyone has had experiences of being left out, rejected, or looking for a place to belong,” she said. “We should celebrate differences, not ostracize others because they are different. Our characteristics are what makes us unique and special.”

Hicks, who spent four years performing with a circus when she was a child, brings special skills to her interpretation of Rudolph, emphasizing the physicality of her character. She carefully observed how animals move, how they position their heads, and shake their backsides when they are pleased, and incorporated those special touches into her performance. She also praised director/choreographer Dana Solimando for “placing emphasis on the movement, like in the animated TV special.”

But her favorite parts of each performance are the flying sequences, and seeing the children in the audience “being so engrossed” in what is going on. “They always react to the flying,” she said. “And to the huge puppets, like the Snow Monster and King Moonracer, the ruler of the Island of Misfit Toys, who is half-lion. They either love them or are terrified.”

But at the end, the kids dance in the aisles, and that’s “so special” noted the actress.

“This show connects the generations,” she added. “It’s something that parents and children can experience and enjoy together.”

 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Dec.16-17 at 7:30 p.m.; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle; tickets are $26.50 – $64.50 at box office or by phone 210-223-8624. The show is only 90 minutes-long, including intermission.