Today we bring the beloved holiday TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to life. I always found Rudolph to be the most magical of all the Christmas TV specials and I’m excited to now share that magic with you.
The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 when the department store Montgomery Ward tasked copywriter Robert May with creating a Christmas story for a coloring book. The book was an instant success, with over 2.4 million copies distributed that first Christmas, and in 1949 it was adapted into a song by May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks. The song, which also was an instant success, inspired the stop-motion TV special produced by Rankin/Bass. The TV special first aired on December 6, 1964 and has been broadcast every year since that date, making it the longest-running Christmas TV special in history.
May wanted Rudolph’s blinking red nose to be a beacon of hope and scattered several life lessons into his Christmas tale. The most obvious of the lessons is to not judge others based on their differences. Embrace diversity because no one should ever feel left out or treated poorly simply for being a little different and in the end, what makes Rudolph different is what helps him save Christmas. Other lessons to watch for amidst our singing and dancing are; follow your dreams (like Hermey and Yukon), you can’t run away from your problems, don’t underestimate the underdog (or reindeer), it feels good to help others, and parents are only human (they make mistakes too). These life lessons may be even more valid today than they were in 1939.
As you leave the theater I hope you share the magic of Christmas-town and the positive messages of Rudolph with everyone you meet and keep that magic alive all year long.
Thank you for supporting live community theater and have a ‘Holly Jolly’ holiday season.
Joe Guttadauro, Director
